Glock Slide Materials (other than tenifer)?

[aaron_c]

I was in Academy yesterday and, as usual, strolled by the gun counter just to window shop. I saw a G26 in the case with what looked almost like a brushed aluminum type slide, but it had a hint of color to it, similar to the background colors here on M4C.net.

Does anyone know what this slide material is, and if it's available on their model 19? I asked the guy at the store and he told me what it was, but I can't remember to save my life.

[High Tower]

If it is a TALO gun, then it is the EXO finish. Otherwise it could be any aftermarket finish, but not factory.

[aaron_c]

If it is a TALO gun, then it is the EXO finish. Otherwise it could be any aftermarket finish, but not factory.

I did some googling and it does look like the TALO Glock finish, but...why would Academy be selling one, brand new

[ucrt]

I did some googling and it does look like the TALO Glock finish, but...why would Academy be selling one, brand new

=====================================

IIRC
A distributor, Lipsey's, I think, took new Glock's and had the slide refinished with EXO. From what I understand, they turned out pretty nice.

BTW, Tenifer is the finish (nitriding or melonite...) on the slide not what the slide is made of.

.

[KhanRad]

It's hard to beat tefner for a great, all around finish. It is one of the most durable and corrosion resistant finishes in existance. More so that the ionbonded types such as melonite or nitron. The reason you don't see other companies, particularly those in the US use tefner is because it is an extreme toxic manufacturing process. Glock wanted to build a facility in the US to perform the tefner process, but they were shot down by the EPA.

[dougwg]

It's hard to beat tefner for a great, all around finish. It is one of the most durable and corrosion resistant finishes in existance. More so that the ionbonded types such as melonite or nitron. The reason you don't see other companies, particularly those in the US use tefner is because it is an extreme toxic manufacturing process. Glock wanted to build a facility in the US to perform the tefner process, but they were shot down by the EPA.

um....no

Tennifer/Melonite are trade names for the heat treat process on Glock/M&P's. They use it to increase wear and corrosion properties of the slide and other components. It also just so happens to give a nice black color when complete.

Salt bath nitride QPQ is the process and it's also called nitrocarburizing and Salt bath ferritic nitrocarburizing and has been around for some 70 years.

The name tennifer is what Glock gave the end finish but it's still SBN QPQ.

The difference is the recipe.

Glock uses carbon steel + SBNQPQ = Tennifer
S&W uses stainless + SBNQPQ = Melonite

Therefore the end product is different.

It's like baking pies.

use apples and it's apple pie, peaches and it's peach pie....but the process is the same, mix ingredients and bake.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitriding
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferritic_nitrocarburizing

When I re-finish Glock and M&P slides I do them in SBNQPQ or Nickle Boron.
The company I use have finished parts for S&W, LWRC, Trijicon and the new guys WMD with their NibX finish (link at top of page) http://www.wmdguns.com/ and many more.

[aaron_c]

Thanks for the info, Doug. I was just about to say something similar, that I've always believed it was the same process with different names essentially.

Do you know the name of the process used to get that exo finish? I'm almost considering trading in my FNX-9 to see what all the fuss is about with Glocks, since I've never owned one...but, it'd have to have that exo slide finish and be a good deal, and even then I don't know if I could do it.

Also, I've read where some speculate that the exo finish may be even less prone to corrosion from things like salt water and sweat, and more wear-resistant than the tenifer/melonite finish types. Who knows though, most of that is from internet speculation, which is at least better than gun-shop-talk.

[DaveR]

Good post, dougwg.

Thanks for the info on the difference between carbon steel and stainless finish.

Dave

[eternal24k]

not to mention there is a big difference between ionbond which is a Physical vapor deposition (PVD) and melonite/tenifer.

You have salt bath nitride QPQ treatments such as melonite, tenifer, etc.

And then you have PVD coatings: ionbond, nitron, etc.

Both are fantastic, but one changes the properties of the metal it is being applied to.

[Iraqgunz]

I went to Glockmeister the other day and saw some different Glocks as well. I believe that the guy told me they were NIBX or something Glocks. It's a fairly new thing from what I understand.