1911 A1 Refinishing Question.

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Greg8098

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I'm not a big .45 fan, but I love my Springfield GI-45. One thing I don't love is the weak parkerized finish :barf: ! I'm thinking about having it refinished in stainless steel ( the way I wanted it at first, but had to settle ). I was wondering about how much this would cost on average, and I would like to see some pics of some refinished 1911s'. Also, does this affect reliability?
 
Trade up

You could get that gun finished in nickle or chrome but not stainless steel. If you want a stainless gun, you might be money ahead by selling the one you have and buying an all stainless gun.
When you factor in the time, shipping costs and the plating cost, it might pay just to trade in what you have on the stainless model.
 
Stainless is not a finish and you can't turn carbon steel (which your pistol is made of) into stainless steel. They are two different metal alloys. You can have the parkerization removed and then have the pistol hard chromed which looks somewhat like stainless. To have a stainless pistol you will have to buy another pistol made of stainless.
 
Greg, here is an example of satin-chrome finish, called "Cobra Chrome" from Tripp Research, Alpine, Texas....When I received this 1911, the finish was about 65%....Virgil Tripp is also a top-quality gunsmith, and he did some little extras that one really appreciates.:) The cost a few years back was $175...
BTW, it shoots as good as it looks.....;)
Good decision making to you.....
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Greg, hard chrome is about the most durable finish there is. Unless you scratch it with another piece of metal, or drage it across the cement, it will not mark. I hard chromed 3 slides to protect from holster wear a year ago - not a mark since.

I personally cannot recommend Tripp Research. I've told the story so many times that I am tired of typing it - but basically I sent him a $1200 Springfield TRP, and they screwed up the finish. Sent it back a 2nd time to make it right, and it came back still screwed up. Plus, the sights were no longer flush with the slide after he removed them more than 1 time, and it was missing a part.

I'd never use Tripp again.
 
I'll suggest another option. If you can find an auto or machine shop in your area with a bead-blaster you can refinish the pistol with a better Parkerizing job. This is not hard too do in your own home on a kitchen stove, and doesn't involve caustic chemicals. You can also get a black as well as a gray finish. It would cost substantially less then having the pistol plated. More information, and the necessary supplies will be found at: www.brownells.com

If this didn't interest you I'd go with those that say trade it in on a similar stainless steel pistol. I suspect that the difference in cost between your pistol, and the stainless one, would be less then having you present gun plated.

There is nothing wrong with Parkerizing if its done right, and you do maintain the USGI look - which I find attractive. If over time it becomes worn it's easy and inexpensive to replace.
 
"I'd never use Tripp again."
Shipwreck, it's a shame they didn't do right by you....My experience was just one with a happy conclusion & I have no axe to grind...
Anyway, I think Greg has had some options offered that should help with a decision.....
 
hard chrome is about the most durable finish there is. Unless you scratch it with another piece of metal, or drage it across the cement, it will not mark.
Click to expand...
Hard chrome is a great finish, and I prefer it to stainless, but hard chrome will wear from holster use.

This is about 10 years of daily use, some of it in a leather holster, but mostly in a kydex holster.
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The black streaks are actually polished bright and not black. The finish did its job very well, and rust was kept to a minimum. The pistol was originally Colt blue, which held up remarkably well considering the conditions it was placed in. It lasted about six months without any rust, but the SE PA summers, me sweating like a pig, and riding in a constantly wet leather holster did it in. The best thing I ever did was get it chromed, and switch to kydex.

I paid about $200 for the chrome job about 12 years or so ago. If your planning on using it for a carry gun, its worth it. If you just dont like Springfields finish, a good park job will probably cost you about $100. My buddy and I used to do quite a bit of parkerizing in his garage. While you can do it yourself, you do need a bunch of stuff, and unless you intend on doing a lot of it, just pay to have it done. A good park job does make for a nice finish, especially on military guns.
 
If you want a stainless steel gun trade the parkarized version for a stainless.
This will cost you less in the long run and you will recover more of your initial investment verses paying to have your gun refinished.
 
Since you are not a big fan of 1911 , just send it to me and buy a stainless:neener:
 
I have the basic GI version also and similarly did not like the parkerized finish. I had it blued and also changed the sights....turned out nice...

springer.jpg
 
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