Can you guys help me and tell me about your experiences with Severns Custom.

[_TomT_]

Thinking of sending in two things to have them do their hardhat treatment on, one of them has an aluminium frame so IDK if its possible. Can anyone here who had their guns done by them post your results and overall customer experience? Pictures would be a huge plus!

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[MosinVirus]

Thinking of sending in two things to have them do their hardhat treatmen on, one of them has an aluminium frame so IDK if its possible. Can anyone here who had their guns done by them post your results and overall customer experience? Pictures would be a huge plus!

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

At the bottom of the description for hard hat treatment on their site says no wood, plastic or aluminum.

[_TomT_]

At the bottom of the description for hard hat treatment on their site says no wood, plastic or aluminum.

Ahh okay, I guess I will send them only one then. I wonder if I can send the aluminium one back to SA to have them do their Black-T on it instead.

[yokron]

Dave Severns is a master 1911 gunsmith. You should have no reservations about sending him your guns. I emailed him a while ago about getting work done on my dan wesson CBOB, and he always responded promptly.

I think the hard hat treatment is kinda pricey though. How much is it nowadays?

[_TomT_]

Dave Severns is a master 1911 gunsmith. You should have no reservations about sending him your guns. I emailed him a while ago about getting work done on my dan wesson CBOB, and he always responded promptly.

I think the hard hat treatment is kinda pricey though. How much is it nowadays?

Well Black-T is $190 IIRC, and Hardhat someone mentioned on 1911 forum is $250 for the entire gun.

[Rhyyke]

$250 is a pretty good price, I see it going for something like $500 with other gunsmiths.

[wamphyri13]

I have the utmost faith in Dave. Here's my HH'd S&W



Ryan

[NiteQwill]

Here is my Hard Hat LB Custom Carry... It's an amazing finish. Even after a couple thousand rounds: zero wear.

He will also HH 2 mags with your gun for the price.

Finish is "dry." In order to make the black come out, a little oil or silicone rag works wonders.
Picture is old, he has since sent me HH screws and FO front sight.

[epwegmann]

For $250=hell yes. I'm looking to have my Colt Wiley Clapp Gov't done in that in the near future. Dave is an outstanding smith, and well regarded in the community.

[NiteQwill]

I don't believe the Hard Hat treatment is only $250.

But I don't understand the fascination with ultra-hard, ultra-expensive finishes for guns. If your finish wears off, congratulations, you're the .001% of gun owners. And if it really bothers you, get it refinished.

It's not just the finish. It is also about corrosion and lubrication factor of the finish. Hard hat provides this. The Rockwell rating also increases with HH, meaning moderate non-shooting abuse will not hurt the gun (aesthetically).

[NiteQwill]

Regular spray and bake finishes provide corrosion resistance and lubrication, as does lube.

Why doesn't Glock just spray their guns, then?

Sent from my phone, excuse the errors.

[maylebox]

Well Black-T is $190 IIRC, and Hardhat someone mentioned on 1911 forum is $250 for the entire gun.

That finish looks great and reviews on the quality and durability are solid. I visited Severns website and it looks like you can email them for a price quote and current lead time . I ran across this post on the 1911 forum where someone posted Severns response to his pricing inquiry in June 2013. I don't know the current fees or lead times.

"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."

[redcliff]

Dave Severns is a great guy as well as a great 1911 pistolsmith. He's built two custom 1911's for me which I'm very happy with. The slides on each are Hard Hat finished and they are almost impervious to wear. I highly recommend it.

[paulienkeo]

You should have no reservations about sending him your guns.

[CAGLS]

What is the extension on the Colt's slide? I want to eventually send my DW Valor to Severns to hard fit a barrel.