Stripping a Glock slide finish for cerakote: nitriding stays?

[DreadPirateMoyer]

Hi everyone,

I'm sending my Glock slide off to Wilson Combat to have sights installed, sighted in, and most importantly, to have the slide cerakoted ("Armor Tuff") in Flat Dark Earth. However, I was told by my WC rep that part of the process for cerakoting the slide is stripping it of its current finish.

I'd imagine that this is just the surface finish, or whatever it is that Glock applies to their slides to make them black. The nitriding, I think, would stay, considering it is literally a part of the metal's surface, right? I don't see how they could strip the nitride without literally chewing away the outer surface of the metal.

If it does strip the nitride, then I won't have the slide cerakoted, because nitride is way tougher than a ceramic paint.

Anyone know?

[VIP3R 237]

I doubt they will completely strip the tennifer process, usually they will sand/bead blast it to remove and roughen up the surface to be painted. You should be ok.

[Magic_Salad0892]

Can't remove nitriding unless they dramatcally alter the steel.

[fourXfour]

What I was told today at armorer's school was that nitride penetrates into the steel and is colorless. The black finish you see is not the Nitiride (formerly Tenifer).