DA/SA in .40. Rust-resistant suggestions?

[coldfusion]

I have a 1988 West German P225 I used for many years. I got home one morning after a long and spooky operation, and as I was unloading I can still remember seeing a drop of sweat drip off my brow and splash on the side of the slide, right below the ejection port. That gun was black, some kind of phosphate finish or Parkerized, whatever they were doing back then.

It was about the middle of a Saturday morning, and I hadn't slept in about 30 hours. I can still remember saying to myself "No. It will be okay. I'll take care of it later. I'm going to bed."

Monday morning I pulled it out and found red bloom, right where I had sweated on it. I called myself a lazy, sweaty pig-man. Shortly after the pistol got hard chrome plated, and I still use it.

That wasn't the pistol's fault. That was my fault. I knew the gun was visibly wet, and I punked out, I didn't even wipe off the pig-sweat I could see glistening on it.

I am a sweaty, lazy, pig. Or at least I was that weekend.

And this is my concern. With the tennifer finish on my gen3s - that I never clean but for the internals after a trip to the range - rust is nonexistent. Year after year, sweaty grip after sweaty grip, exposed to the saltine air for years now, not a hint of rust anywhere. I've come to expect this exceptional rust resistance. But Glock simply can't be the only firearm with this durable a finish. I've seen first hand rust on Sigs. Read of many issues with rust on HKs. Perhaps, as whiterabbit alluded to, a stainless frame is the only way to go for me. UNLESS another manufacturer matches the Glock tennifer finish. But who? I'm still stumped.

[CalTeacher]

I carry a G19 everyday here in Bakersfield and the barrel hood and parts of the slide have reoccurring rust problems. My other Glocks don't have this problem. I second the suggestion of a stainless revolver.

[Plisk]

SIG MK-25 is your best choice, if you don't mind 9mm. It's a standard service handgun for Navy. This model is exact same and has "anti-corrosion coatings on controls and internal components". Go for it without a doubt.

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/p226-mk25.aspx

I am sure you will never touch Glocks again... well, other than selling those out and buying more Sigs

Mk25 is standard issue for Naval Special Warfare, not the Navy in general. The difference outlined with the Mk25 series, is that majority of the controls and internal parts are parkerized rather then blued. Which can be done to any existing Sig easily.

[Khromo]

And this is my concern. With the tennifer finish on my gen3s - that I never clean but for the internals after a trip to the range - rust is nonexistent. Year after year, sweaty grip after sweaty grip, exposed to the saltine air for years now, not a hint of rust anywhere. I've come to expect this exceptional rust resistance. But Glock simply can't be the only firearm with this durable a finish. I've seen first hand rust on Sigs. Read of many issues with rust on HKs. Perhaps, as whiterabbit alluded to, a stainless frame is the only way to go for me. UNLESS another manufacturer matches the Glock tennifer finish. But who? I'm still stumped.

Keep in mind that P225 was manufactured 25 years ago, and it has a carbon steel slide. I would suspect they have better finishes these days, and they offer a lot of pistols with stainless slides, both black and shiny silver.

Rust resistance aside, the SIG compact pistols are mighty fine tools. They are pretty safe for non-professionals. And they have enormous sex appeal.