Is there a "correct" way to do duo tone guns?

[HP-Sauce]

I am thinking about putting a stainless CZ 75B slide on a CZ compact frame.

Are there "correct" ways to do duo tone guns? For instance frame material needs to be harder than slide material or always chrome frames on black slides etc?

How about the controls, trigger, safeties etc?

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I think it's all personal choice. If it's a carry gun having a slide which won't show wear fast I think makes sense. Having a dark frame (since it is what may be seen when carrying) is good if it peaks out.

Throw in a contrasting barrel if you like.

All your choice in my mind. I'm not aware of any reason to do it any particular way.

 

[rcmodel]

SOP years ago on 1911 competition guns was hard chrome or electroless nickel on the frame, with a blued slide.

The object wasn't wear reduction.

It was to prevent sweaty hands from taking the finish off the frame two months into practice & competition after the gun was built.

That's what I would still do.

rc

 

[JTQ]

SOP years ago on 1911 competition guns was hard chrome or electroless nickel on the frame, with a blued slide.

Which is what I think of as normal for a two tone.

SIG on the other hand seems to think it should be a black frame with silver colored slide. They even go to the extent of calling their black slides on silver colored frames "reverse two tone". Go figure.

 

[ImperatorGray]

Yeah, I've never cared for the light-upper-dark-lower look. Nothing more than personality, but I much prefer what I think of as the "Pachmayr Combat Special look."

 

[rcmodel]

SIG, as much as I love them, needs to fire the art director that keeps coming up with 57 variations of the same guns all the time.

I mean, who really needs 18 color variations in a P-238?
Or 25 variations of a P-226?


How hard will it be to find a matching part 15-20 years from now when you need on to keep the gun running?

Color variations are are out of control at SIG especially.

rc

 

[Lucky Derby]

SIG, as much as I love them, needs to fire the art director that keeps coming up with 57 variations of the same guns all the time.

I mean, who really needs 18 color variations in a P-238?
Or 25 variations of a P-226?


How hard will it be to find a matching part 15-20 years from now when you need on to keep the gun running?

Color variations are are out of control at SIG especially.

rc

No kidding. Especially some of those hideous rainbow, or whatever they call them. Heck I had a hard enough time finding a grip safety for a satin nickel Colt.

 

[JTQ]

At least is seems as if the "Diamond Plate" stuff has gone away, at least for now.

 

[Zach S]

SOP years ago on 1911 competition guns was hard chrome or electroless nickel on the frame, with a blued slide.

The object wasn't wear reduction.

It was to prevent sweaty hands from taking the finish off the frame two months into practice & competition after the gun was built.

That's what I would still do.

rc

Agreed. For the longest time, I couldn't place what was "off" with the Kimbers that had stainless slides on black anodized frames (CDP?). It wasn't until I purchased a Polymer Stainless that I realized the finish was "backwards."

I have a pistol going to Birdsong soon. I guess I'll throw some more work in there with it...

 

[BlindJustice]

History of Tu-Tone semi-autos

1950 COlt got the latest Aluminum alloy which is an offshoot
of the advances in alloys in aircraft / jet development in the late
1940s. Colt Commander aluminum alloy frame - a first with
semi-autos ( in addition to the Cmdr being the first USA made
handgun chambering in 9mm Parabellum/Luger) and since guns
were all dark back then, the alum. alloy frame were anodized
Black. when some of those early Commanders anodizing wore
off in wear spots it was cheaper to just burnish off the rest of
the anodiizing and go with bare aluminum . It was sorta trick

Some of the Armonad Swenson customs in the late '60s, '70s
had the dark slide hardchrmoed siilver frames.

So if it's silver slide and dark frame - it's reverse 'tu-tone.

Theses days there are dark corrosion resistant finishes
/ coatings etc. that give more protection to the metal
than blued.

R-

 

[bannockburn]

This is the closest I get to two-tone finishes though the MK.II has a stainless lower and the TacSol 1911 frame was polished and left in the white. I prefer the blued slide/silver frame version over the reverse two-tone look.

 

[mavracer]

The only correct way to do a two tone pistol is to have the slide and frame be two different colors. lol

 

[BSA1]

Ditto.

Ceracoat has dozens of color combinations.

 

[CWL]

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" - I don't think there is really a "wrong" way but I have several pistols with bright slides on dark frames.

Stainless slide on alloy frame, hardchromed slide on alloy frame and HC'd slide on steel frame. They all look fine to me, and the HC makes them easier to clean after firing.

 

[JDR]

I had a CZ 75B Duo-Tone in .40 S&W, the slide was blued and the frame was satin nickel. This combination looks great on any gun. It was the prettiest CZ that never worked right with most .40 S&W loads. I'd like to find a 9mm Duo-Tone, but these are hard to find since CZ discontinued them.

 

[Fiv3r]

I've just never cared for the duo tone look. Personal preference. However, I would much rather see a black slide and a "raw" frame rather than a stainless slide on a black frame.

I guess with the advent of dark polymers, the easiest way to duo tone a gun is to just leave the slide in stainless.

I prefer my guns to match. Black slides on black frames or stainless on stainless.

 

[1KPerDay]

Only 2-tone scheme I like is black/blued slides on stainless/chrome frames. Like the Colt Special Combat.