Well, aluminium is traditionally annodized, just like a mag lite. You can get about any color under the sun.

I dont believe it will blue though.

Parkerizing can be removed, but a lot of other finishes can go on right over it. Robar first parkerizes steel, then finishes over that with their Rogaurd finish.

Will they match? I dont think so. Ususally annodizing will come out nice matte black, and blueing will always have that blue/black tone, even if its matte.

You may consider silver annodizing (so it'd look stailess or chrome), and a blued slide. I've always liked the bi-tone finished on guns.

I dont know much about other finishes. Maybe something like armorykote from SA can go over both. Try contacting several places and asking.

Brian

 

Thanks Brian,
I like the two tone look myself so maybe I'd eventually opt for that. The Kimber Tactical has that two tone look but it's done with paint I think. Eventually that will wear -- at least on the frame so somethingwill have to be done. The silver anodizing sounds like the ticket.

best,
Robert

 

The Kimber Tactical is likely annodized already. That is the most common finish on aluminum.

Kimber slides are all Stainless Steel (correct me if I;m wrong here someone), and are finished with some kind of black-oxide or other balck coating. A lot of SS finishes like that are dip and bake, or spray and bake, so they may seem like paint, but its adhered much more strongly and is much harder than paint.

Annodizing, like on the aluminum frame, is actually a metal plating process. So that is why it seems harder, and doesnt look like it was 'painted' on. Its hard, and slick, and that makes it a very resiliant finish.

The color difference is due the two different metals being finished with different coatings/platings. No 'paint' involved. The finish on both parts of that gun should last a good long time as is.

Brian

 

All Kimber slides are not stainless. Alluminum is often just polished. You could have a wide variety of finishes applied to frame and slide alike including chrome.

DVC
Paul

 

I don't think all Kimber slides are stainless but several slides that have the black coating are stainless.

Can NP3 be applied to aluminum? I know I've seen a non-Combat Commander that had one of the premium finishes applied to it... just can't remember which one it was.

 

Gents,

My post below:
"More pretty grips"
shows pics of a lightweight 'aluminum' frame with hardchrome
finish.
The aluminum frame is first electroless nickel plated, then
hard chrome plated. A very good process.

www.mahovskysmetalife.com

Re-anodizing an aluminum frame seems to be difficult to do well.
Several smith's on this forum, have experienced poor results.

 

Robar can apply NP3 or electroless nickel to aluminum frames. Most of the various "spray and bake" finishes can be applied to aluminum too. Some platers can apply hard chrome plating to aluminum frames...I believe that Mahovsky's Metalife will do so.

Aluminum won't "blue" (black oxide), nor will it take phosphating (parkerizing).

Rosco

 

I looked into it and the Kimber aluminum frame is already anodized -- that's a good thing. The slide is steel -- I don't think it's stainless though, and it has a black matte finish that could be any number of things -- perhaps KimPro Kimber's version of the "most protective finish of all finishes". It seems every manufacturer lays claim to their 'special' finish as being the toughest. I may end-up liking the overall look in person. Some of the pics look great and some others don't...

...The main thing is that the frame is reliable over the long haul and is protected with a proper finish -- regardless of whatever that finish may be.

Thanks for the input -- I can now see that there are a number of viable options and I don't have the concerns over an aluminum frame that I had at one time.

Galileo

 

Anybody actually have an alum frame hard chromed by Mahovsky's? I've got a Mustang Pockelight frame that I would like to have done, but not sure how well the hard chrome on alum will hold up, particulartly in the rail area.