Need to refinish my Browning HP

[Guntech]

I have searched so no need to say use the search button. I want to get my gun refinished and I don't really want to wait 4+ weeks. I was going to send it to CCR, but that is across the country and the turn around is a while(I have heard 10 weeks in some horror stories lol). So can you guys recommend any good refinishing services in California?
Thanks :D

[ojisan]

Techplate in Anaheim but they are in So Cal.
They do hard chrome, dura-coat and a few others.
they did a hard chrome on a 1911 frame for me for $100 in about 1 week.
No blueing though. Should be someone local to you for blueing.
http://www.techplate.com/

[Guntech]

I want it hard chromed not blued should have said that in advance. :)
So the turn around was 1 week? Did you ship it or go get it yourself? I am kind of hesitant to just ship my gun to someone, but I see they have their FFL listed on there site.

[Black Majik]

Try socal? :D

www.techplate.com

Ah boogers, I got beaten/didn't read the replies.

[ojisan]

I live about 50 miles away so I dropped it off and picked it up.
They were excellent to deal with.
The guy who helped me pointed out that the finish I asked for would not work well on my stainless steel frame.
He suggested the hard chrome. I asked him what it looked like, if he had a sample. He stopped some other worker from packing a box and took the packed items back out. He opened one up...it was a Glock slide....one of about 500 in a batch I saw next. These guys HC plate for Glock it seems!
I was very pleased with them.
Here's my Para after plating the frame:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn249/ojisan420/P7060045.jpg

[ojisan]

Please excuse the black lint in the checkering on the front strap.
They have other color hard chromes, too.
Specialty colors may take longer.

[Guntech]

What is the hard chrome on your frame called ojisan? It looks like exactly what I want. And what do you think it will run me, is the prep work and disassembly included in the price? Under prices on their website it says Semi-Auto pistols $210, than it says $120 under minimum price for Hard chrome? So is it $210 or $210+$120? They are closed right now so cant ask them lol :)

[redcliff]

I live about 50 miles away so I dropped it off and picked it up.
They were excellent to deal with.
The guy who helped me pointed out that the finish I asked for would not work well on my stainless steel frame.
He suggested the hard chrome. I asked him what it looked like, if he had a sample. He stopped some other worker from packing a box and took the packed items back out. He opened one up...it was a Glock slide....one of about 500 in a batch I saw next. These guys HC plate for Glock it seems!
I was very pleased with them.
Here's my Para after plating the frame:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn249/ojisan420/P7060045.jpg

Very nice looking pistol, congratulations :) However, I'm not sure what the advantage is of hard-chroming a stainless steel frame? Could you enlighten me please?

I know in race cars we used to avoid any kind of chrome plating due to hydrogen embrittlement.

[Guntech]

BTT

[-hanko]

Very nice looking pistol, congratulations :) However, I'm not sure what the advantage is of hard-chroming a stainless steel frame? Could you enlighten me please?

I know in race cars we used to avoid any kind of chrome plating due to hydrogen embrittlement.
Hard chrome is hard (imagine that;)), has good lubricity, and a good plater can control the thickness buildup if you need a certain finished dimension...e.g., frame rail width to fit a certain slide.

I've never heard of a documented case of hydrogen embrittlement in a firearms application. Post-baking the part after plating for 3 hours at 190C will diffuse any hydrogen back into the metal...I wouldn't even consider it for a gun part.

Reciprocating stresses in a racing engine are very different that what a gun sees; stress cracking from H embrittlement requires high tensile stress to appear, stress you just don't see in a gun.

Think about hard chrome in a few bazillion ar and fal barrels, ever heard of a cracked barrel due to H embrittlement??;). It's a non-issue.

-hanko

[redcliff]

Thank you for the informative answer :)

[M. Sage]

Think about hard chrome in a few bazillion ar and fal barrels, ever heard of a cracked barrel due to H embrittlement??;). It's a non-issue.

-hanko

And AK barrels!!

If the commies can manage it on stone-age equipment... ;)

[ojisan]

Guntech - it was called matt hard chrome. They had a $100 minimum charge back then. I gave them a bare frame. No they will not take your gun apart etc. $210 would be barrel, slide, frame and a few other small pieces.

Redcliff - re: plating a stainles frame...yup... wierd...LOL. OK, it is a gunsmith bare frame kit I bought. My choice was alloy or carbon steel. I was building a long life gun so I asked for carbon steel. Stainless steel was just becoming all the rage back then. It has taken me a 8 years to finish this up. When I did the front strap checkering, it was very hard to file with a big tendency to gall. The checkered area was discolored compared to the rest when done. On a carbon steel gun you then usually reblue after doing the work like this so everything matches. But I wanted a matt silver lower instead of blue on my CS frame so I took it for plating. Only when I got to Techplate did the guy there look at it and said it had too much nickel in it for the coating I asked for, as it was in his opinion, Stainless Steel! I have to say it never rusted but I always took care of it so ???
Anyway, the Glock slides were SS and they were plating them so what the heck I went for it. Techplate says they can strip it without damage if I want some other effect in the future. It is only .002" thick. Helped tighten that slide to frame fit to just right! : )) This is different than chrome on race car parts (a real no-no!) I understand that concern perfect.

Hanko - Yup! Techplate also mentioned the cost included heat treat etc so it can't be done overnight. They really knew their stuff. : ))

[Guntech]

Guntech - it was called matt hard chrome. They had a $100 minimum charge back then. I gave them a bare frame. No they will not take your gun apart etc. $210 would be barrel, slide, frame and a few other small pieces.

Redcliff - re: plating a stainles frame...yup... wierd...LOL. OK, it is a gunsmith bare frame kit I bought. My choice was alloy or carbon steel. I was building a long life gun so I asked for carbon steel. Stainless steel was just becoming all the rage back then. It has taken me a 8 years to finish this up. When I did the front strap checkering, it was very hard to file with a big tendency to gall. The checkered area was discolored compared to the rest when done. On a carbon steel gun you then usually reblue after doing the work like this so everything matches. But I wanted a matt silver lower instead of blue on my CS frame so I took it for plating. Only when I got to Techplate did the guy there look at it and said it had too much nickel in it for the coating I asked for, as it was in his opinion, Stainless Steel! I have to say it never rusted but I always took care of it so ???
Anyway, the Glock slides were SS and they were plating them so what the heck I went for it. Techplate says they can strip it without damage if I want some other effect in the future. It is only .002" thick. Helped tighten that slide to frame fit to just right! : )) This is different than chrome on race car parts (a real no-no!) I understand that concern perfect.

Hanko - Yup! Techplate also mentioned the cost included heat treat etc so it can't be done overnight. They really knew their stuff. : ))

So I'd have to dismantle it first, and then ship it? They must not specialize in firearms if they don't want to hassle with dismantling it. I'm currently checking with Enterprise Arms since they are a vendor on here.

[-hanko]

Thank you for the informative answer :)
Anytime...spray on coatings are easier to apply, but none of 'em have the elegance of hard chrome, let alone the wear resistance. I haven't tried techplate, but checkmate plating in FL does nice work and has for a long time.

-hanko

[-hanko]

So I'd have to dismantle it first, and then ship it? They must not specialize in firearms if they don't want to hassle with dismantling it. I'm currently checking with Enterprise Arms since they are a vendor on here.
:confused:
A gunsmith that refinishes guns usually does not do electroplating...you need big tanks and a power supply and a bunch of other crap that gunsmiths don't use for blueing/duracoating/parkerizing/etc.

A plater has all that stuff, but their business is plating, not taking apart your gun.

You take the gun apart and send out what you want plated. The plater hard chromes the gun, sends it back to you, and you reassemble.

I believe checkmate plating in FL may disassemble the gun, but I'm not sure...if you ask E'prise, I'll bet the answer is that they subcontract hard chrome if they have it available at all.

You're asking an apple grower to work on oranges.;)

-hanko

[Guntech]

:confused:
A gunsmith that refinishes guns usually does not do electroplating...you need big tanks and a power supply and a bunch of other crap that gunsmiths don't use for blueing/duracoating/parkerizing/etc.

A plater has all that stuff, but their business is plating, not taking apart your gun.

You take the gun apart and send out what you want plated. The plater hard chromes the gun, sends it back to you, and you reassemble.

I believe checkmate plating in FL may disassemble the gun, but I'm not sure...if you ask E'prise, I'll bet the answer is that they subcontract hard chrome if they have it available at all.

You're asking an apple grower to work on oranges.;)

-hanko

I doubt they subcontract it, because they have a quick turn around and I don't really want to send it out of state. I wont even have it refinished if I have to wait more than a month to get it back.

[-hanko]

I doubt they subcontract it, because they have a quick turn around and I don't really want to send it out of state. I wont even have it refinished if I have to wait more than a month to get it back.
Let me know what they say.

thanks

-hanko

[Guntech]

Will do.

[ojisan]

Just an idea...from time to time, have "un-build" parties at various locations where everyone can get together, share info and tips, learn to strip and assemble different types of guns, etc. Experienced guys can pass on the secrets to the others.

[Guntech]

I know how to disassemble all of my guns and all of my friends and all of my family's guns....but you probably weren't talking about me :)

[Mitch J]

Jim Garthwaite is the guy to see, He is amazingly good with HPers.
You wont regret it.


http://www.garthwaite.com/

[Guntech]

Jim Garthwaite is the guy to see, He is amazingly good with HPers.
You wont regret it.


http://www.garthwaite.com/

Yeah he does great work, but the turn around would be ages. After I get it hard chromed I am putting a new lighter hammer, a new trigger, and a new match grade barrel.

[ojisan]

I know how to disassemble all of my guns and all of my friends and all of my family's guns....but you probably weren't talking about me :)

No, just a thought coming from other posts and experiences I have had.
And I don't claim to be an expert either.
I would like to attend an AK build party just to see the flats folded and the heat treatment operations.
Always something new to learn.
:D

[Mitch J]

Yeah he does great work, but the turn around would be ages. After I get it hard chromed I am putting a new lighter hammer, a new trigger, and a new match grade barrel.

Sounds like you are in a hurry to get this done.
Reminds me of a sign I saw on the wall of a transmission shop years ago.
It said
" Please dont ask for a RUSH job, All rush jobs are done lousy.
Later you will remember that it was a lousy job and not a rush job"

[Guntech]

Honestly I just dont want to ship it out of state, because everyone out of state has longer wait times(at least everyone I have asked). Plus it shouldn't take all that long (4 weeks+) to hard chrome a gun. 2 weeks is good, I'd be willing to wait 3, but after that its like your gun is in the abyss.