Parkerized Finishes

[Dorrin79]

Curious about the rust resistance / durability of parkerization

I just bought a SA 1911 Milspec and it has a parkerized finish.

I have heard that parkerization soaks up oil/protectant over time and is very resistant to corrosion.

I was wondering if this was true, and if there are any particular care concerns for this finish

thanks,

 

[tommytrauma]

Tagging this because I'm curious about this too.

Dorrin, did'ja get a compact, or a full size?

 

[Dorrin79]

full size.

It shoots real good, especially for a <500 gun.

 

[mete]

Parkerizing is a brand name for a manganese or zinc phosphate coating on steel. It doesn't need any treatment except cleaning and oiling. some modern guns use parkerizing as a base and then coat with epoxy or teflon.

 

[dfariswheel]

Parkerizing is much more durable than standard gun blue, but any wear shows up on the matt finish as a noticeably shiny area. Also there is no way to do a touch up with cold blue to hide scuffs.

The military went to the parkerized finish because it was so much tougher than bluing.

The finish does seem to "soak up" lube and holds it better.
I use CLP Breakfree on my parkerized firearms, and it seems to "embed" into the finish very well, preventing rust.

I recommend a thorough degreasing, then apply a heavy coat of Breakfree. Allow to soak for a few minutes, then wipe down. Every time you handle it, wipe off with a cloth with a bit of Breakfree on it to maintain the coat, and it won't rust.

 

[rayra]

Concurring with all that. MY parkerized 1911 has held up very well after ~19yrs of heavy use. Proper care, no rusting whatsoever, and it is showing some wear, but I like it.

I just posted this pic in another thread - http://home.earthlink.net/~rayra/mar/my45.jpg