Electroless Nickel vs. Hard Chrome plating
- Thread starter Gasanwu
- Start date
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
Has anyone tried Robar's NP3? Electroless nickel and teflon? I've been toying with the idea for my springfield loaded....
Hard Chrome is hardest (makes sense, right?) Electroless nickel is not porous, as hard chrome is, and is a far better anti-corrosion protectant. We see lots of hard chromed guns where a person's perspiration has eaten right through it. Depends if you have "acid hands" or not 
Electroless nickel is best applied to a new gun as some of the new trick wonder lubes do exactly what is claimed - embed right into the pores of the metal. HC is a little more tolerant of this, but not immune. If you see flaking, peeling nickel, it's usually electroplated nickel (not at all the same), electroless applied to a well-used gun, or electroless nickel applied improperly. Any hint of contamination, any iron in your rinse water, any impurities in the acid dip solution, too long between tanks, temperature slightly off, "smutting" from the acid dip, overheating the hot caustic solution, a little too long in the rinse tank (when they say 8 seconds, they do NOT mean 10 seconds), all can ruin a plating job.
I find it probably the best finish of all, combining exceptional corrosion resistance with a surface much harder than the parent metal, for guns that will be used a LOT. I have an Open gun here with 110,000 rounds on it that still looks pretty new. ABSOLUTELY no flaking or pitting. BTW, the Robar NP3is an excellent finish, combining electroless nickel with teflon particles. It is pricey, and getting a gun in and out of the states is a pig of a job.
Finally - this form of metal finishing (or hard chroming, for that matter) is not anything an amateur should even think about. The kits I see remind me too much of the kits they may still sell for bronzing your baby shoes
Gunnar
www.armco-guns.com
Electroless nickel is best applied to a new gun as some of the new trick wonder lubes do exactly what is claimed - embed right into the pores of the metal. HC is a little more tolerant of this, but not immune. If you see flaking, peeling nickel, it's usually electroplated nickel (not at all the same), electroless applied to a well-used gun, or electroless nickel applied improperly. Any hint of contamination, any iron in your rinse water, any impurities in the acid dip solution, too long between tanks, temperature slightly off, "smutting" from the acid dip, overheating the hot caustic solution, a little too long in the rinse tank (when they say 8 seconds, they do NOT mean 10 seconds), all can ruin a plating job.
I find it probably the best finish of all, combining exceptional corrosion resistance with a surface much harder than the parent metal, for guns that will be used a LOT. I have an Open gun here with 110,000 rounds on it that still looks pretty new. ABSOLUTELY no flaking or pitting. BTW, the Robar NP3is an excellent finish, combining electroless nickel with teflon particles. It is pricey, and getting a gun in and out of the states is a pig of a job.
Finally - this form of metal finishing (or hard chroming, for that matter) is not anything an amateur should even think about. The kits I see remind me too much of the kits they may still sell for bronzing your baby shoes
Gunnar
www.armco-guns.com
I may be wrong here, but I believe one problem with chrome on a stressed component is the issue of hydrogen embrittlement. This phenomenon does not exist with nickel plating. I learned this my automotive career...NEVER chrome a steering or suspension part, but nickel is ok. Seems it would hold true for stressed parts like a frame or slide as well....
Correct me if I'm wrong (won't be the first time )....but isn't part of the chroming process of a component nickel plating the component first? (Chromium is transparent, therefore needs the nickel 'base' to give it lustre?)
)....but isn't part of the chroming process of a component nickel plating the component first? (Chromium is transparent, therefore needs the nickel 'base' to give it lustre?)
Laniru said:
Your NOT wrong but simply putting the part chromed in boiling water for a few minutes realease the Hydrogen.
Im not a fan of renickleing i just shot a revolver at the range that had the cylinder renickled anyway frist shot (A little hot mind you) But frist shot and Nickle goes flying off the cylinder as Razor sharp shrapnel hitting people standing 10ft away
Frist the nickle was way to thick and it was cold -2 so that could play into what happened.
But i was NOT impressed and now i gota bring the Donuts for the next bunch of shoots
I have a complete bolt group in my AR15 that is going on 10K+ rounds with very little wear, infact the bolt head is perfect but the bottom bearing surface on the carrier is starting to wear, never a malfunction, it's pretty durable stuff.
Please note, you can NOT plate nickel on top of old nickel. It has to be completely stripped, re-prepped, and then re-done. Even if you lift a part out of the hot solution, that's it. You cannot add another layer. It will not adhere.
This "re-nickeled" cylinder sounds like a classic case of an amateur diving into something he shouldn't
Electroless nickel is sometimes touted as something pretty simple that "anyone" can do at home. NOT! The results are usually as described, and I feel pretty predictable.
Sort of like your average beginner "fitting" a Briley match barrel in a 1911 and then saying "it's a piece of #### - the stock one shot better..."
Gunnar
www.armco-guns.com
This "re-nickeled" cylinder sounds like a classic case of an amateur diving into something he shouldn't
Electroless nickel is sometimes touted as something pretty simple that "anyone" can do at home. NOT! The results are usually as described, and I feel pretty predictable.
Sort of like your average beginner "fitting" a Briley match barrel in a 1911 and then saying "it's a piece of #### - the stock one shot better..."
Gunnar
www.armco-guns.com
Well all thats left on the cylinder is polished steel, and a little of the nickle that didnt come off.
Looks like they striped it clean to me, but put on to thick a layer of nickle?
Anyway i dont care as the polished steel looks ok, Just gota keep it oiled.
Looks like they striped it clean to me, but put on to thick a layer of nickle?
Anyway i dont care as the polished steel looks ok, Just gota keep it oiled.
Darren Constable,
I had the NP3 put on my issued Sig 220 in `90, when I retired and bought it. After 15+ years and 75,000+ rounds, it's still as good as new.
Here's a photo:
John
PS: Sorry for the size of the photo. I don't know how to reduce it.
I had the NP3 put on my issued Sig 220 in `90, when I retired and bought it. After 15+ years and 75,000+ rounds, it's still as good as new.
Here's a photo:
John
PS: Sorry for the size of the photo. I don't know how to reduce it.
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
JCM298 said:
75,000 rounds? why the poor thing is practicly worn out. I don't shoot sigs that much, so it'll do for me. Why not just send it over here and go get a fresh one!
On a more serious note, did you have any issues getting it in and out of the country?
Darren Constable,
I kept track of the rounds but lost the info when my PDA crashed, so the gun actually has more than 75,000 rounds. Most were my light re-loads. I have had to replace recoil, trigger return, and de-cocker springs. The NP3 is still perfect and the gun also is as accurate as when it was issued to me in `85.
It was in the USA when I bought. The agency I retired from allowed us to buy one gun upon retirement. I had to choose between the Sig and a 2.5" Python.
Since I already had a 4" Python, I bought the Sig.
John
PS: Neither the Python, which I carried for 20 years, nor the Sig, which I carried for 9 years, will be going anyplace.
I kept track of the rounds but lost the info when my PDA crashed, so the gun actually has more than 75,000 rounds. Most were my light re-loads. I have had to replace recoil, trigger return, and de-cocker springs. The NP3 is still perfect and the gun also is as accurate as when it was issued to me in `85.
It was in the USA when I bought. The agency I retired from allowed us to buy one gun upon retirement. I had to choose between the Sig and a 2.5" Python.
Since I already had a 4" Python, I bought the Sig.
John
PS: Neither the Python, which I carried for 20 years, nor the Sig, which I carried for 9 years, will be going anyplace.
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
JCM298 said:
More than 75,000? Well, you can still send it to me, but you'll have to pay the shipping!
Nice looking pistol, and that speaks reams about the durablility of the finish!
