STI hard chrome finish???

darko

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Hey guys, Im thinking about getting a Trojan (damnit I wish the word trojan wasnt engraved so frickin big into that slide!!!!) or Ranger II from STI.

My gripe with my previous 1911 was the finish... it did not stand up to corrosion well at all. Kimber lists it as "matte black oxide". Is this basically just bare metal or what?

Anyway Im wondering 2 things:

How is the blued finish on STIs? Does it stand up to corrosion? Do I have to clean it after every time I touch it?

And secondly, what exactly is the hard chrome option?? What does the gun look like after said option?

Thanks!
 
I have the Trojan in 9mm and the finish is blued.Have had no corrosion issues with it at all.I dont need to wipe it everytime i touch it.The pistol that is.
I also just ordered the Ranger II in 9mm so The trojan might be up for sale.As for a hard crome finish it will stand up better to corosion.
 
PM me before you put it up for sale I may be interested. I had my sights set on the .40 but I could be persuaded to go to another 9 I guess.

Thanks for the reply.

How does the hard chrome finish LOOK though? Does the gun go from black to a 'stainless' look? Is it dull? Shiny?
 
I have a well used Ranger II in Hard Chromed slide, it was used as a range gun at a local range, and the finish on it is superb!!
STI-2
 
Thanks for the pic. Im not too crazy about shiny/polished/stainless finishes. I think I'd like it if it was totally dull but the shine just isn't for me.

I'll probably go with blued in the end.

Thanks again.
 
I have a KImber and a STI both blued :D

No problem with either finishes. If you are trying to talk yourself out of a Kimber, a STI is a great choice. I am eyeing a Trojan in 45 that is used right now. Not to replace my Kimbers but to add to my STI collection.

I like your AR in the other thread.
 
4string said:
I have a KImber and a STI both blued :D

No problem with either finishes. If you are trying to talk yourself out of a Kimber, a STI is a great choice. I am eyeing a Trojan in 45 that is used right now. Not to replace my Kimbers but to add to my STI collection.

I like your AR in the other thread.

So have you handled your Kimber and then left it in the safe without wiping it down?

On their site it just says the finish is matte-black oxide... not blued or anything.

Maybe my skin is just freakishly acidic or something. Yikes.
 
gobrob said:
Actually, that's the early version of the Ranger II - Stainless slide and blued frame. (They were sweet)

The best example of what hard chrome looks like is to look at the executive on www.stiguns.com It's all hard chromed. It's less shiny than the RII SS top side; more matte.

Hard Chrome is less resistant than Bluing to corrosion, but it can be rusted if given the right abuse. It's all a case of how bad an environment you're going to subject it to.

If you like the Trojan and corrosion is really a big issue; have you considered the Stainless Steel Trojans?

Sean.
 
darko said:
So have you handled your Kimber and then left it in the safe without wiping it down?

On their site it just says the finish is matte-black oxide... not blued or anything.

Maybe my skin is just freakishly acidic or something. Yikes.

No problem at all, and it's the same gun you owned, so either you are a freak or the lack of humidity out here is easier on the guns.

I'll let you decide. :D
 
4string said:
No problem at all, and it's the same gun you owned, so either you are a freak or the lack of humidity out here is easier on the guns.

I'll let you decide. :D


Im gonna go with FREAK! :runaway:

If you like the Trojan and corrosion is really a big issue; have you considered the Stainless Steel Trojans?

Sean.

Actually I think Ive made up my mind, gonna go with the Ranger II.

I really don't put my guns through extreme conditions of any kind. All I know is my Kimber (which 4string now owns) would start to rust after a few days in the safe unless I wiped it down completely after handling it. What I also know is that my XD9 (the metal parts anyway) did not rust a single bit even if I left it alone for weeks without wiping.

I don't know what to make of it, really. The rusting was minor and wasn't a big deal after I first noticed it because it was easy enough to just wipe it... but it got annoying because I wouldn't bother pulling it out of the safe most times since I knew I'd have to wipe it down afterwards. I figured the Custom IIs just didn't have a resiliant finish...
 
darko said:
Im gonna go with FREAK! :runaway:



Actually I think Ive made up my mind, gonna go with the Ranger II.

I really don't put my guns through extreme conditions of any kind. All I know is my Kimber (which 4string now owns) would start to rust after a few days in the safe unless I wiped it down completely after handling it. What I also know is that my XD9 (the metal parts anyway) did not rust a single bit even if I left it alone for weeks without wiping.

I don't know what to make of it, really. The rusting was minor and wasn't a big deal after I first noticed it because it was easy enough to just wipe it... but it got annoying because I wouldn't bother pulling it out of the safe most times since I knew I'd have to wipe it down afterwards. I figured the Custom IIs just didn't have a resiliant finish...

darko, if you'd like to try a Ranger II before you buy, your welcome to give mine a go. My schedule is pretty open and BRRC is close.

Bluing in the grip area wears quickly, but gives the gun a nice patina...

stirangerII003.jpg


stirangerII002.jpg
 
Awesome, I'd love to give it a go and see it for myself! I wasn't sure if it'd like the commander length or if it would feel good in person so this would be great.

Why dont you PM me, let me know when you're going next. Im usually a late night shooter (after 11pm, when the organized events wrap up).
 
If it was me, I would go for the hard chrome option. My primary IPSC pistol is a chromed Edge, and after many, many thousands of rounds it still looks almost new. The same can't be said for the many blued Edge pistols I've seen that have experienced similar use. In terms of aesthetics, the chrome just holds up that much better.
 
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