New finish on a Colt 1991?

[Averageman]

I would like to get a new finish on my Colt.
Does anyone here reccomend a particual finish and someone in the Central Texas (Waco to Austin area) that does great work?
Thanks
A/M

 

[bannockburn]

I like the hard chrome plating that Ron Mahovsky offers at Metalife.

 

[ulflyer]

How about Parkerizing? Used on many Milsurps, including WWII 45's. I had a Norinco 1911 Parked and it looked fantastic. Parking can be done in gray to almost black, depending on chemicals used.

 

[Averageman]

I defiantly need something a bit more than Parkerizing.
Looking for something a bit more durable than the original factory park it came with. I could have it parkerized and be in the same position in 4 more years.
Looking for something like a bit more durable and resistant to sweat and holster wear.

 

[wojownik]

I defiantly need something a bit more than Parkerizing.
Looking for something a bit more durable than the original factory park it came with. I could have it parkerized and be in the same position in 4 more years.
Looking for something like a bit more durable and resistant to sweat and holster wear.

Is your 1991 an old rollmark with the big billboard Colt 1991 on the side? The finish on those were not parkerized, per se - the finish on my old 1991 seem to be particularly delicate and did not hold up well even too modest use.

By contrast I have a parkerized Springfield 1911 that looks virtually new in the box after 20 years of use.

 

[Averageman]

No, it doesn't have the "Pony" Roll mark.
The finish was fine for the first 12 years, it started to wear thin. The first place I noticed this was under the Houge grips.
I'm thinking cera kote maybe?

 

[Winkman822]

Definitely not in Texas, but I highly recommend Robar Poly T2 if you want a finish that will be hard wearing. It's available in black OD green, Tan, Bronze, Gunmetal Gray, and Dark Green. You ship your gun to Robar in AZ, they strip the gun, clean and prep, refinish and then overnight it back to you directly.

I have another one of their finishes (NP3) on a 1911 and LOVE it.

 

[Zerodefect]

http://www.severnscustom.com/Hard_Hat_Treatment.html

You can't beat Melonite treatments.

I don't think Dave does just treatments, I think you have to order some smithing as well. But there may be others that'll do just the treatment if they aren't as busy.

 

[WC145]

You might consider Birdsong Black-T. It's durable, reasonably priced, and has been the FBI's choice for their 1911s for going on 20 years.

 

[RustyShackelford]

cerakote....

Cerakote seems to be the shooting sports/gun industry leader now.
Check the main company website. They've posted a few new T&E videos.
Cerakote comes in many colors & styles too. I like the SOCOM blue color & the camo Kryptek Typhoon.
Look for a authorized firm too. Many shops include lifetime warranty plans.
Id add a coat of Armor Clear too for extra protection. Blowndeadline.net suggests it for carry or defense guns.

Metalife is a good value too but check for a local Cerakote shop.

 

[Zach S]

You might consider Birdsong Black-T. It's durable, reasonably priced, and has been the FBI's choice for their 1911s for going on 20 years.

After getting my STI Spartan back with a painted night sight, rounded out set screw in the rear sight, and no email response, I wouldn't send them someone else's Hi-Point.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Meh...I like the original Parkerized finish on mine. If I were to have it refinished, that's what I'd way. With respect to the potential for corrosion associated with EDC, I've not had any problems...and I've had this one since they first came out.

It's my EDC. I'm not interested in shiny eye candy. Flat black works great for me.

 

[Fremmer]

Can you send it to Colt and let them refinish it in a nice dark blue?
IMHO you can't beat a really dark blue finish on a 1911.

 

[WC145]

After getting my STI Spartan back with a painted night sight, rounded out set screw in the rear sight, and no email response, I wouldn't send them someone else's Hi-Point.

Did you call them? What was the outcome? I'm curious as I'm planning to send a Commander to them to be finished.

 

[Zach S]

I didn't call them. After breaking a screw extractor, hammering the sight out, drilling and tapping the sight for a bigger screw (that I couldn't find at Lowes, Ace, and Tractor Supply), and touching up my rustproof sight with cold blue, I was too ticked off to remain civil on the phone. So I emailed a complaint, never got a response.

I have never heard another complaint about them, but for me, its too late for first impressions.

 

[Zerodefect]

Setscrews strip out all the time. Even when I do my own sights. Not something I'd hold the smith accountable for. I would have just drilled out the setscrew as much as possible and then seen of I could move it while it was hot an weak. Easyout extractors never work.

I recommend a set of MIP allen drivers and to never reuse setscrews ever. Always use a new screw, any time you move the sight.

 

[WC145]

I like the hard chrome plating that Ron Mahovsky offers at Metalife.

I had Mahovsky's hard chrome a revolver for me last year. Excellent work at a very reasonable price, turn around was about 6 weeks.

I didn't call them. After breaking a screw extractor, hammering the sight out, drilling and tapping the sight for a bigger screw (that I couldn't find at Lowes, Ace, and Tractor Supply), and touching up my rustproof sight with cold blue, I was too ticked off to remain civil on the phone. So I emailed a complaint, never got a response.

I have never heard another complaint about them, but for me, its too late for first impressions.

I understand being pissed, I would be, too, but I'd have put a bit more effort into getting hold of them. If you don't give them a chance to fix their mistakes you'll never really know what kind of company they are. I've never really heard anything else bad about them so I guess I'll give them a try.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Charcoal bluing from Turnbulls.

Some real smoot sided ivory grips would complete the package.

 

[Zach S]

Setscrews strip out all the time. Even when I do my own sights. Not something I'd hold the smith accountable for. I would have just drilled out the setscrew as much as possible and then seen of I could move it while it was hot an weak. Easyout extractors never work.

I recommend a set of MIP allen drivers and to never reuse setscrews ever. Always use a new screw, any time you move the sight.

Setscrews in rear sights typically get torqued once. This one came back with so much torque it snapped an extractor. As a grease monkey, I'm no stranger to stripped, rounded, or broken bolts.

My "gun" allen wrences are snap-on.

I had Mahovsky's hard chrome a revolver for me last year. Excellent work at a very reasonable price, turn around was about 6 weeks.


I understand being pissed, I would be, too, but I'd have put a bit more effort into getting hold of them. If you don't give them a chance to fix their mistakes you'll never really know what kind of company they are. I've never really heard anything else bad about them so I guess I'll give them a try.

IMO, a professional firearms refinisher painting a night sight is the equivalent of an auto body shop painting the foglights.

The email I sent as a potential customer got a prompt reply. The email I sent as a customer got a prompt reply. The one I sent as a dissatisfied customer did not get a reply. Nor did the bad review left on their FB page.

Like I said earlier, I've never heard anything bad about them. But its too late for first impressions.

 

[BlindJustice]

Alchemy offers hard chroming and their own coating I noted in their price l
ist. I have a 1991 Series Combat Commander and it'll take the trip to
Robar Silver frame and black roguard slide

R-

 

[Zerodefect]

Setscrews in rear sights typically get torqued once. This one came back with so much torque it snapped an extractor. As a grease monkey, I'm no stranger to stripped, rounded, or broken bolts.

My "gun" allen wrences are snap-on.

.

Oh, I know. Set screws can be a bit(&, even when they are torqued lightly.

My Matco and Snapon Allens stunk. They're designed for big stuff like cars. Their smaller bits are just an afterthought. They don't harden them anymore than the big bits, but little bits need to be even tougher. And I always start out with SAE drivers, even on metric screws. Tighter fit.
Seriously, check these out, they've saved my butt on the job plenty of times. And they're really just for toy cars. LOLz.

http://miponline.com/store/mip9501.html

 

[agtman]

I would like to get a new finish on my Colt.

Colt's Royal Blue (which is polished, like Wilson Combat's hand-finished Deluxe Blue) is one nice choice.

If you want a more edgy, tactical look, check out the various two-tone Cerakote combinations that guys have used on their 1911s. Lots of images to be found on the various 1911 sites.

Those finishes, at least as WC & other outfits do it, begin with the parkerizing of the slide, frame and parts as a base coating. Then whatever Cerakote colors you want are applied over that.

It could be a Black Graphite slide over a Sniper Grey or an Olive Drab frame, with items like the hammer, trigger, barrel bushing, slide release, and thumb safety being Cerakoted to match or contrast with the primary colors.