Firearm Finishes

Question
What type of finish do you think would be prudent for an individual desiring low maintenance, great reliability and aesthetically pleasing in a defensive pistol?  Blueing, satin finish, stainless steel or an aftermarket product such as provided by places like Gunsite and Thunder Ranch?

Answer
Mr. Nichols:

Bluing is not particularly rust-resistant or maintenance-free.  "Satin" finishes such as a bead-blasted blue or some form of Parkarizing may work better simply because the lattice structure holds oil and thus keeps moisture off.  Stainless is just that - it "stains less," but it is hardly maintenance free.  Hard chrome is better if you like the look of that sort of thing.  

The finishes by Wilson, Baer, Gunsite, Thunder Ranch etc. are all the same ?they are all basically KG Guncote, which is a DuPont spray-on, bake-on telflon product.  Although it is very rust resistant, it is not particularly durable (despite what they say).

I'll cut to the chase and tell you that the best finish to fit your bill is a proprietary finish called Black-T developed and done exclusively by W.E. Birdsong and Associates.

Black-T was developed as a finish for the external mechanical parts of Navy submarines.  They needed a finish that would keep rust and corrosion from salt at bay, and did not need lubrication.  Soon after they won contracts for submarine parts, it was discovered that it worked extremely well for small arms.

Unlike the DuPont products, it is not merely sprayed on, but actually penetrates the metal.  It is therefore slightly more durable than a good bluing job, and much more durable than any of the spray-on bake-on finishes.  Once applied, it needs nothing ?no lubrication, and no special care.  As the metal is completely bonded, it simply cannot rust.

A few things to be aware of with Birdsong:  1)  Since he deals almost exclusively with government contracts, it may be a while before you get your gun back.  2)  Prices are very reasonable.  For as long as I've dealt with the company, the price has been the same - $50 for a handgun, $100 for a long gun.  3)  Walter Birdsong is the nicest southern gentleman you'll ever meet.  He still answers his own phone.  4)  Since he has so much work with government contracts, he doesn't advertise and isn't particularly looking for end-user work, so he's hard to locate.  But he is very personable and helpful if you do catch up with him, and I can help you with that:  W.E Birdsong & Assoc.,Inc. 1435 Monterey Rd. Florence, MS 39073 601-939-7448.

I hope this helps.