Appaerance and funtionality, I have always heard good things about NP3 but there are so many new coatings. I am thinking about it for a 416 B&M for hard use, both hot dry gunracks in Texas and Africa and wet resistance in alaska or high mountain elk hunts. This would be on CM rifle and I prefer a flat finish to a shiny one.

SSR

CrossL,

That’s a very good question.

I did consider NP3-Plus for my M98 FN Mauser based 50 MDM. But as neither I nor my gunsmith (Steve Button) had any experience with any of the Robar Companies Inc. products…I decided I couldn’t go wrong with his recommendation to use Cerakote…So that’s the coating that I’ll be using.

I do believe that I’ll send a 1911 45acp to Robar later this spring for their full treatment so if you’re in no hurry I can let you know my opinion of NP3-Plus after I get it back.

No hurry at all-I just know what hunting does to a pretty blue job so am looking ahead. It doesnt seem to take long to wear spots in the blueing. the new 416 isnt gonna be a safe queen.

Thanks

SSR

My .338 Win Mag pre64 M70 was done with GunKote and has held up really well over the years. Have a very nice AR built with a billet upper/lower pair that I had cerakote'd. It seems relatively soft.

As a result, I did the last practical build commercial Mauser (.416 Aagaard) in GunKote flat black.

Seems just as tough as the .338 Win Mag.

Don't do any of the coatings they are nasty when they start to bad,I've done both the NP-3 and gunkote in years past and eventually they will go bad, chip, etc. Just take some good car wax and a hair dryer. Warm up the barreled action with the hair dryer apply the wax keeping it slightly liberal with the metal that will be hidden in the stock lightly wipe the rest of the metal your good for a year or more even in wet environments. And you'll save some money in the process.

I just try and buy stainlees syt for my hunting rifles and do not worry about them.

I have used Roguard and NP3 on a few rifles but have currently stayed away from them. If you send in a complete barreled action for this, you usually end up with some of the more closely fitted parts NP3'd on some exterior items, leaving them and odd color, or not done at all. Reason being, the Roguard, while very tough and nice looking, will not be applied to the bolt body, associated parts with the front sight hood, firing pin and others. They claim those parts will not fit together after being done so I ended up getting those parts black oxided.

Tip Burns,

QPQ--Salt bath Nitrited

www.canyonsportingarms.com

Ed

There's a fellow in California that does the NP3 finish I believe he charges $300 a gun. I will try and find his contact info.

I have identified an after-market company that offers Melonite®. Having typed that, because of this solution nitriding's processing temperature range, I have not yet had a firearm done.

I almost certainly WILL have the .72-caliber flintlock English-style sporting rifles I am having built processed. This specifically includes the I.D.s of barrels also.
***
Here is contact information.

Michael Wright, Manager, Sales & Service

HEF USA

Office 937-323-2556

Cell 248-346-6751

Hope this helps.

We have had nothing short of excellent results with Gunkote. We've never had a complaint in ten years of use. The secret, like with all coatings, is preparation, and your shop must be set up to do it. Cleanliness during the process can't be stressed enough. Don't try this at home, no matter what Brownells says, you aren't going to get a good job using the rattle can and baking it in your wife's oven.

We have used Robar's Np3 on internal parts and bolt body's with good success. The coating, if done properly, is only +/- .00025" thick, so tolerances will not be affected. The finish will come out like the part being coated. If the part is polished, you will have a shiny nickel finish. If you blast the part first with a fine aluminum oxide grit, you will get a nice satin finish. This is what I like.

The two finishes together on the same rifle is tits. Use the Gunkote on the exterior parts, and the electroless nickel on the interior parts and where Gunkote can't get to.

I have guns finished in both. I have never had a problem with either of them. I have a 510 Kodiak express lever action in the NP3 finish and it is as slick as they come. It is also quite a bit more expensive than the Gunkote. I have 5 guns finished in the gunkote, in different colors and they are excellent as well. I would say you can't go wrong with either. Both excellent.

Ditto mstarling.
Is that "Wilson" Gunkote?

This sounds perfect too:

quote:

Originally posted by Bitterroot:
We have had nothing short of excellent results with Gunkote. We've never had a complaint in ten years of use. The secret, like with all coatings, is preparation, and your shop must be set up to do it. Cleanliness during the process can't be stressed enough. Don't try this at home, no matter what Brownells says, you aren't going to get a good job using the rattle can and baking it in your wife's oven.

We have used Robar's Np3 on internal parts and bolt body's with good success. The coating, if done properly, is only +/- .00025" thick, so tolerances will not be affected. The finish will come out like the part being coated. If the part is polished, you will have a shiny nickel finish. If you blast the part first with a fine aluminum oxide grit, you will get a nice satin finish. This is what I like.

The two finishes together on the same rifle is tits. Use the Gunkote on the exterior parts, and the electroless nickel on the interior parts and where Gunkote can't get to.

I have had a smith expert in the Gunkote (Kevin Jenkins) do at least a half dozen of my rifles in mostly Flat Black, also a couple in French Gray, and Olive Drab. I like the Flat Black best.

The electroless nickel on internals, I have not tried. Need to!
Gunkote externals for me, and BreakFree CLP light lubing on internals of action has worked for me,
whether for a couple of weeks in the salt air and frigid spring rains of coastal Alaska,
or a fortnight in the swamps, dust, and balmier sprinkles of Africa.

Those poor PHs in Tanzania had to do daily rust-removal duties and rust-prevention-juju attempts on their shiny-new Heym double rifles.
I had no such duties nor juju on my low-maintenance bolt action trash.

Paul Olivier even talked about getting his Heym 500NE GunKoted.
I did not know enough to suggest the EN for internals.

Now I am thinking of having my Merkel 470NE bead blasted and GK-ed externally.
Could electroless nickel work on the internal surfaces of a double rifle action?

Rust removal instructions on gloss-blued externals and in-the-white internals: Extra-fine steel wool and BreakFree CLP plus elbow grease.

dirklawyer,
The paste wax is what Finn Aagaard recommended for rust prevention on Alaska treks.
Like Johnson's paste wax for furniture or floors, IIRC, if that still exists.
I have done that in Alaska with a .375 Weatherby that an Alaskan smith said he had both Parkerized and hot-blued, as his special rust preventive.
Parkerized, blued, waxed: No rust after repeated trips to Kodiak with that one.

I would certainly do that if I had either a gloss or matte blued or Parkerized chromoly, or even bare stainless, if hunting around Prince William Sound or Kodiak, or on any safari ...
Maybe just wax and lube those doubles ... Gunkote and EN might torque my extended pinky finger.

ceracote is tough. duracoat will scratch but is very easy to apply at home with a good airbrush and a compressor. not the junk air cans of cheap air brushes. you can do it for 15 bucks a gun or less and reapply to scratched areas.

quote:

Originally posted by capoward:
CrossL,

That’s a very good question.

I did consider NP3-Plus for my M98 FN Mauser based 50 MDM. But as neither I nor my gunsmith (Steve Button) had any experience with any of the Robar Companies Inc. products…I decided I couldn’t go wrong with his recommendation to use Cerakote…So that’s the coating that I’ll be using.

I do believe that I’ll send a 1911 45acp to Robar later this spring for their full treatment so if you’re in no hurry I can let you know my opinion of NP3-Plus after I get it back.

Thanks to all,

Capoward , will be looking for a report on the 1911. From what I have heard I am leaning heavily towards the NP3 if i do anything other than let natural wear occur.

SSR