By Ted Yost

The pioneer spirit is strong among the gun hobbyist, and I support it completely. I’ve seen many really nice guns done from start to finish by a dedicated, determined amateur using tools, materials and processes a professional gunsmith might deem a handicap. Until recently though, the finishing choices for the hobbyist were pretty limited. With the explosion in synthetic spray-and-bake finishes many new options have become available allowing these finishes to be applied in the home shop.

As usual, Brownells sits at the forefront of the industry with tons of choices in products and colors, along with everything you need to get started. These finishes allow the user a couple of advantages. There’s a modest cost involved in setting up to finish. And, the ability to refinish as your needs or tastes dictate as time goes on, requiring only a re-prep and re-spray.

Bluing, like this stunning job from Glenrock Blue, is as
classic as it gets but does suffer from being relatively
fragile when it comes to wear and corrosion.

“Factory” Finishes

Some finishes fall beyond the practical means of the hobbyist even a few notches above the skill ceiling. Bluing, for instance, requires a considerable investment in equipment and supplies. Probably not the best choice for the gun-a-year finisher. Plating? Even worse, compounded by environmental concerns. At this point, a professional refinisher becomes the most practical solution.

The single most prevalent complaint I hear from those sending their firearms to professional finishers is that shipping is outrageous. Completely true, but don’t blame the finisher. The carriers have established the requirement to ship overnight, and the finishers (and you) are the ones paying the tab. There are still a lot of local bluing shops, and many do fine work, but I would not recommend using a local plater unless they are experienced in firearms plating. The fixturing necessary to plate firearms is complicated and part of an already complicated process, vastly different from plating the bumper on a ’55 Chevy.

For bluing, I go to Glenrock Blue in Glenrock Wyoming. Phil Filing opened the shop over 20 years ago, and while he’s retired from the day to day operations of the shop his hand-picked and trained successor Doug Mosier does amazing work. You might be surprised to learn some of the best gunsmiths in the business trust Glenrock Blue with their high-end custom firearms. They also have the capability to help out with the prep work if you find that necessary.

Hard chrome is resistant to wear and corrosion and delivers
a handsome silver-grey finish. It’s classic, especially for
1911’s and some consider it very “old school” in looks.

Robar’s NP-3+ is essentially bulletproof in the corrosion
department and is a chosen finish for the aerospace industry.
It can do the same for your terrestrial-bound gun!

Plating

Hard chroming is another option for those seeking a more durable finish. I’ve used a few platers over the last 35 years, as they seem to come and go, but Metaloy, in Berryville, Ark., has long been a reliable provider of quality hard chrome firearm finishes. Chris Peters has many years of experience in the firearms field, working as a gunsmith before becoming a full-time plater. Metaloy also offers proprietary synthetic finishes to complement hard chrome, or as stand-alone finishes.

While bluing has durability issues, and hardchrome has a whitish appearance some do not like, the synthetic finishes offer a “middle ground” alternative. One of the oldest and best is W.E. Birdsong and Assoc. of Florence, MS. Walter Birdsong, the company’s founder devised the finish to be one of the most element-resistant finishes on the market. Birdsong’s finish is called Black–T, and is a matte finish available in (of course) black and a complementary NATO green. Both offer exceptional protection while providing a dark, matte finish.

Robbie Barrkman’s name is well known in the industry. As one of Jeff Cooper’s first instructors, Robbie founded the Gunsite Gunsmithy shop I later came to run. Robbie went on to found Robar, and his firearm finishes are well known, indeed, some of the best available. Robar’s proprietary NP3 and NP3+ are metallic finishes, with the added benefit of PTFE (Teflon) particles suspended in the finish. This adds a measure of lubricity to the coated parts in addition to the protective properties of the finish. The color is a pleasing warm grey-gold. Both finishes are durable and extremely resistant to the elements. Robar also offers a couple of polymer-based finishes, Roguard and Poly T2. Roguard is an extremely durable black finish. Poly T2 is its colored counterpart, available in gunmetal grey, tan and an attractive dark OD green.

With so many to choose from, it may be hard to decide on a finisher for your project. If you do a little research on the various companies and their products, and evaluate them according to your needs and preferences, I’m confident you’ll make the right choice.

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