I have a parkerized carbon steel springfield loaded 1911 and want to get it refinished. While many of the spray on finishes such as Wilson's Armor Tuff or Birdsong's Black T seem great, I have narrowed my choices down to either Melonite or Ionbond DLC mainly because of the supposed durability of both treatments (and I’m not a big fan of the look of a spray on finish as it begins to wear). I am not as much concerned about the finish eventually wearing off because I know that it’s inevitable. However, what I do desire in a finish is its durability even after the finish begins to wear and the underlying metal is exposed. Both Melonite and Ionbond DLC have initially interested me because of the surface hardening treatment and its alleged durability to abrasions and corrosion resistance even after the black finish wears off.
Some of the similarities that I have found between the 2 finishes include the hardness of the steel after the application (about a 70 Rockwell rating), durability of the finish, and durabilty to abrasions.
Some of the differences I have found is the temperatures at which the treatments are applied (~1000F for Melonite and ~400F for Ionbond DLC), the labor intensiveness of customoizing a pistol after the application of Melonite, the slight ballooning effect of a pistol after the application of Melonite making it difficult to reassemble.
I saw many claims that Melonite is extremely resistant to corrosion but have not seen any salt water spray or submersion tests. I have also read that Ionbond DLC is resistant to corrosion with a claimed 48 hour resistance to salt water but did not read it anywhere officially documented (just saw it through internet talk).
Here is how I prioritized what I desire in a finish:
1. Corrosion resistance even after the finish wears off.
2. Durability to resist abrasions/scratches.
3. Durability of finish (holster wear resistance)
If anybody can shed any light on either of the finishes that would be greatly appreciated and helpful.
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