True Precision offers a range of unique coatings and finishes, including Satin Stainless (no coating), Black Nitride Quench polish quench (QPQ) treatment, and several Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings.
What’s Black Nitride QPQ?
Black Nitride is the toughest, most practical/tactical finish we offer. Also called “Melonite” or other trade names it’s an immersion treatment of the steel and is present in the bore and chamber. Black Nitride is a finish known to increase bore life and part durability. The treatment superficially hardens the surface of the steel as it is IN the steel, unlike a coating that sits on the surface of the steel. The treatment results in a deep jet-black color compared to our Black DLC (PVD) coating which is a dark “smokey black” color.
What is PVD?
PVD is a thin film outer coating for our barrels and slides that helps protect, lubricate, and enhance the finish of steel parts. Ever seen the gold color drill bits at the hardware store? That’s Gold TiN, a protective PVD thin-film coating. Our multi-color PVD coating? Thats what we call Spectrum. Its unique color pattern varies like a fingerprint, no two parts are the same.
PVD-applied coatings can range in hardness/wear resistance, with some coatings beginning to wear at installation - once metal-on-metal contact occurs. Please note, specific firearms models and/or use of aftermarket parts with tighter tolerance may result in increased coating wear. For example, the hood of a barrel for a Glock 43 will wear more quickly than the hood on a barrel for a Glock 19 – this is simply an artifact of the gun’s design.
The relative wear resistances of the PVD coatings offered by True Precision:
Satin Stainless Steel Finish?
The Satin Stainless finish is a smooth glass bead blast on the raw stainless steel; there is no coating or treatment on or in the steel. The glass blasting changes the texture of the raw stainless to a light silver color. All True Precisions Barrels are 416R stainless and all Slides are 17-4 stainless. While these stainless steels are corrosion and rust-resistant, they are NOT rust-proof. Proper lubrication and cleaning are recommended especially in salty or humid environments. Raw stainless parts can be highly polished, re-blasted, or coated by the end user for a new or fresh look throughout their life.