"Hard Hat" finish by Severns Custom

[MCMXI]

The Kimber that I use for USPSA matches was starting to show a considerable amount of wear on the slide which was ok, but corrosion was becoming an issue because the slide is carbon steel. The stainless steel frame was holding up just fine, but a couple of months ago I shipped it off to Dave Severns of Severns Custom to have him treat it to his "Hard Hat" process. The price includes two magazines and the barrel if you wish. I sent him a pair of Kimber stainless and carbon steel 7-round magazines and asked him not to treat the barrel. When I got the pistol back I was happy that he forgot about my request because the pistol looks really sharp with a black barrel. The inside of the barrel is black too. While it was with him I also had him install a set of Heinie straight eight sights. I'm not sure how well this finish will hold up but I'm sure it's better than Cerakote, GUN-KOTE or the factory finish based on the anecdote on SC's website.














This is how the Kimber looked before the "Hard Hat" finish.

 

[rob i]

That looks outstanding!!' He did an amazing job!!

 

[huntershooter]

Good stuff.
My understanding is "Hard Hat" is a "nitro-carburizing" process like Tennifer (Glock slide), Isonite, Melonite.
I have a couple handguns done in the Melonite finish That have held up great.
The Melonite (and clones) finish is on par with HC for abrasion resistance and seems to be a bit better in corrosion resistance.
Best "black" finish out there IMO.
Here's an STI I had done last winter-8K rds. to date (untold presentations from Kydex) and still looks great:

 

[Walkalong]

Look really great.

 

[tnxdshooter]

Does he do rifles?

Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.

 

[CTGunner]

Very very nice work and good looking guns.

 

[BSA1]

huntershooter,

Your post confuses me...is the finish Melonite?

Also what brand of grips are on it? It looks really good.

 

[MCMXI]

That looks outstanding!!' He did an amazing job!!

I have to agree. I took the pistol apart last night for a thorough inspection and I'm really impressed by the quality of the finish in every nook and cranny. I plan on doing some shooting this afternoon once the rain lets up. Dave did an awesome job on the sights too.

Does he do rifles?

That's an excellent question and one that I've asked Dave at least twice without a response. I have a Marlin 1894 Cby Ltd that I'd love to have him finish in "Hard Hat". I'll have to press him on this.

Thanks to everyone for the positive comments. I'm really happy with how the Kimber turned out. It's a far cry from what is was when I bought it from a local gun shop about four years ago. The only original parts are the frame, slide, mainspring housing and magwell. It's been a fun and educational journey with this pistol which was my first 1911. Here are a couple of photos of the TEII a few days after I bought it and then the changes over the major phases of its life.

 

[guncheese]

wow thats really nice!!
sounds like a good solid finish

 

[MCMXI]

guncheese, thanks and welcome to THR!!

My understanding is "Hard Hat" is a "nitro-carburizing" process like Tennifer (Glock slide), Isonite, Melonite.

huntershooter, I think you're correct. The "Hard Hat" treatment chemically converts the surface of the steel to a very hard finish. You can have any color you want as long as it's black . Who did your STI which looks great by the way? I have a DW Valor and V-Bob with the "Duty" finish which looks and feels very similar to "Hard Hat".

If this Kimber holds up I will most likely send my EBs to Severns Custom. My favorite 1911 combination is black over stainless and EB uses a paint system called Gen 3 which isn't as durable as the salt nitride finishes.

 

[huntershooter]

Yes sir, the finish is Melonite (via Coal Creek Armory), grips are VZ.

 

[surjimmy]

Those look great, I'm needing a HP done. Do you mind posting the cost?

 

[MCMXI]

Those look great, I'm needing a HP done. Do you mind posting the cost?

When I sent an email to Dave Severns requesting information on the cost for a 1911 this was his reply.

"The Hard Hat treatment applied to a stainless steel or carbon steel (sorry, we cannot treat aluminum or titanium) 1911 pistol costs $350 + the cost of return shipping and insurance ($35 to an FFL or $70 to a non-FFL), and includes treating the slide, frame, and all external small parts. The price also includes treating the barrel inside and out if you wish, and also up to two magazine bodies, if you choose. The benefits in treating the barrel are largely aesthetic, though the treatment does increase rifling longevity to some extent. Turn-around time for HH treatment alone is approximately 7-8 weeks at present. You can ship to us via an FFL, or ship yourself via UPS or Fedex. We require a minimum 50% deposit accompany the pistol, payable by cashiers check or money order, made out to Severns Custom."

I paid $50 to have the Heinie sights installed. I bought the sights from Midway and could have installed them myself but figured why risk messing up the finish or sights.

 

[tnxdshooter]

When I sent an email to Dave Severns requesting information on the cost for a 1911 this was his reply.

"The Hard Hat treatment applied to a stainless steel or carbon steel (sorry, we cannot treat aluminum or titanium) 1911 pistol costs $350 + the cost of return shipping and insurance ($35 to an FFL or $70 to a non-FFL), and includes treating the slide, frame, and all external small parts. The price also includes treating the barrel inside and out if you wish, and also up to two magazine bodies, if you choose. The benefits in treating the barrel are largely aesthetic, though the treatment does increase rifling longevity to some extent. Turn-around time for HH treatment alone is approximately 7-8 weeks at present. You can ship to us via an FFL, or ship yourself via UPS or Fedex. We require a minimum 50% deposit accompany the pistol, payable by cashiers check or money order, made out to Severns Custom."

I paid $50 to have the Heinie sights installed. I bought the sights from Midway and could have installed them myself but figured why risk messing up the finish or sights.

I could get it done at coal creek armory cheaper than that and they are some what local to me (1 hr 10 minutes)

Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.

 

[MCMXI]

I could get it done at coal creek armory cheaper than that and they are some what local to me (1 hr 10 minutes)

Perhaps you can provide pricing information for anyone that's considering this sort of thing. I chose Severns Custom because Dave Severns is a highly regarded 1911 gunsmith and he provides quite a bit of information on his web site about "Hard Hat". huntershooter's STI looks great so I'm sure Coal Creek Armory does good work. Maybe I'll send them an email to see if they can finish my Marlin.

 

[MCMXI]

I just finished shooting the Kimber (couldn't wait for the rain to stop) and it's a good thing I didn't head off to a match without running through a few magazines. I started out with Remington 230gr JHP, I tried anyway, and had some chambering issues right off the bat. I switched to Remington 230 MC (brass) and within a few rounds everything was running fine. After I finished off 50 rounds of MC I switched back to JHP and shot 50 rounds without incident. I guess the new finish on the feed ramp and chamber affected the feeding cycle and had to "wear in" a bit, but I'll run a few hundred more rounds through this Kimber before I shoot another match with it.

 

[tnxdshooter]

Perhaps you can provide pricing information for anyone that's considering this sort of thing. I chose Severns Custom because Dave Severns is a highly regarded 1911 gunsmith and he provides quite a bit of information on his web site about "Hard Hat". huntershooter's STI looks great so I'm sure Coal Creek Armory does good work. Maybe I'll send them an email to see if they can finish my Marlin.

Their prices for hand guns at coal creek armory but you would need to call and ask about lever, actions.

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[KTXdm9]

Looks great 1858. I can see why you are happy with it. Interesting note about barrel treatment increasing rifling longevity.

 

[MCMXI]

Their prices for hand guns at coal creek armory but you would need to call and ask about lever, actions.

I don't see any prices on their website but I sent them an email asking for prices to Melonite 1911s and Marlins. You made the statement that CCA is cheaper so you must know the cost and what's included in the price.

Looks great 1858. I can see why you are happy with it. Interesting note about barrel treatment increasing rifling longevity.

Thanks. I shot another 50 rounds of Remington 230 JHP without any issues so I think this pistol is back to its unstoppable ways. As for barrel longevity, I wonder how many rounds it takes to wear out a .45 Auto barrel. I would expect the barrel to crack near the barrel lugs before the rifling wears out but that's just a guess.

 

[tnxdshooter]

I don't see any prices on their website but I sent them an email asking for prices to Melonite 1911s and Marlins. You made the statement that CCA is cheaper so you must know the cost and what's included in the price.




Thanks. I shot another 50 rounds of Remington 230 JHP without any issues so I think this pistol is back to its unstoppable ways. As for barrel longevity, I wonder how many rounds it takes to wear out a .45 Auto barrel. I would expect the barrel to crack near the barrel lugs before the rifling wears out but that's just a guess.

last time I looked it was like 250.00 a few months ago. Im not sure if they've gone up. They usually don't answer emails. That why I suggested calling them.

Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.

 

[tnxdshooter]

I don't see any prices on their website but I sent them an email asking for prices to Melonite 1911s and Marlins. You made the statement that CCA is cheaper so you must know the cost and what's included in the price.




Thanks. I shot another 50 rounds of Remington 230 JHP without any issues so I think this pistol is back to its unstoppable ways. As for barrel longevity, I wonder how many rounds it takes to wear out a .45 Auto barrel. I would expect the barrel to crack near the barrel lugs before the rifling wears out but that's just a guess.

225.00 for melonite

http://www.coalcreekarmory.com/gunsmith-shop-prices/

Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.

 

[jerkface11]

Not sure why you did the before and after photos. Looks like you went from one satin black finish to another. Maybe the differences are more apparent in person.

 

[MCMXI]

tnxdshooter, thanks for the link ... I missed that. $225 seems like a very good price for "Basic Melonite QPQ Service – includes minor flaw removal matte/satin surface blasting. $225 (handgun)"

Maybe the differences are more apparent in person.

Definitely ... but the main reason for the "Hard Hat" finish is durability which is something that the Kimber factory finish (on the slide) didn't have.

 

[coolluke01]

Hold on! Did I just hear a 1911 owner say he was unhappy with the finish on his 1911 and was having it refinished with the same finish a Glock has? Did hell just freeze over? lol

It looks good! Great finish!

 

[MCMXI]

Hold on! Did I just hear a 1911 owner say he was unhappy with the finish on his 1911 and was having it refinished with the same finish a Glock has? Did hell just freeze over? lol

That's funny!! It's my understanding that HEF Durferrit developed the Controlled Liquid Ionic Nitriding (CLIN) process which according to their website "is the family name of different nitriding / nitrocarburizing processes which are well known under the tradenames ARCOR®, TENIFER®, TUFFTRIDE®, MELONITE® or QPQ®."

Dan Wesson's "Duty" coat is some form of CLIN process and looks very much like Severn Custom's "Hard Hat" so this sort of finish isn't new to 1911s. In fact, it was the finish on my Valor and V-Bob that convinced me to have the Kimber refinished.