Custom 1911 Finish Blued vs Ion Bond

Blue or Ion Bond?

  • Blue honest wear is sexy.

    Votes: 5 33.3%
  • Ion Bond its worth the extra coin.

    Votes: 8 53.3%
  • Something else

    Votes: 2 13.3%

  • Total voters
    15

wvsig

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So I am working with a custom gun smith on a full house custom 1911. I have the build pretty well nailed down but I am debating the finish. I love a blued gun. I was going to to polished flats matter rounds. I don't mind holster wear but protecting the gun from rust is a consideration.

The other option is Ion Bond which will be much more rust and wear resistant. It can be done in a blue like finish but not quiet the same. The other downside is the cost. It is almost double what a good bluing job costs.

So what do you guys think? Blue or Ion Bond?
 
It will be a working gun not a safe queen.
 
Kydex does a number on my blued guns, and stainless. Heck, even a Glock succumbs eventually, but for what you are doing, I think blue is the sex.
 
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It will be a working gun not a safe queen.

Blue looks better, but you'll have to have it refinished again sooner. If that doesn't bother you then go with the blue.

And @fieldgrade there is no way he is putting a custom 1911 in Kydex. I suspect a nice piece of leather will be acquired.
 
Blue looks better, but you'll have to have it refinished again sooner. If that doesn't bother you then go with the blue.

And @fieldgrade there is no way he is putting a custom 1911 in Kydex. I suspect a nice piece of leather will be acquired.
If he ever runs it on the clock, leather doesn't draw very fast.
 
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Just like a pair of your favorite jeans.

*and for the record, this is not my gun.

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Since you’re going custom I’d think about Robar NP3+ ... https://robarguns.com/custom-firearm-finishes/np3-plus/ for protection, lubricity, life span and cleaning that stuff is damn hard to beat. It’s not cheap at about $400 for a 1911 ... frame, slide and internals ... but it lasts and protects! The looks are like a semigloss grayish ... not flashy but not dull ugly either.
 
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Polish the metal to a bright finish, then have it ION bonded. I did my STI with ION bond, absolutely love it. Beat the pistol up and do not baby it one bit and the finish looks awesome.

I did not polish the slide or frame (wished I had done it) but did have the barrel done. The barrel looked like a dullish black chrome.

I will post picks tonight of it after after 2 years of weekly USPSA matches
 
Since you’re going custom I’d think about Robar NP3+ ... https://robarguns.com/custom-firearm-finishes/np3-plus/ for protection, lubricity, life span and cleaning that stuff is damn hard to beat. It’s not cheap at about $400 for a 1911 ... frame, slide and internals ... but it lasts and protects! The looks are like a semigloss grayish ... not flashy but not dull ugly either.

I had my Alloy BHP done in NP3. I was looking for a blued or black on this one.
 
Polish the metal to a bright finish, then have it ION bonded. I did my STI with ION bond, absolutely love it. Beat the pistol up and do not baby it one bit and the finish looks awesome.

I did not polish the slide or frame (wished I had done it) but did have the barrel done. The barrel looked like a dullish black chrome.

I will post picks tonight of it after after 2 years of weekly USPSA matches

That is the plan. Don Williams is building the gun. Either way the flats will be polished and then the rounds will be left at nice matte.

I am using a NIB 70 series Colt as the base gun.
 
Blue looks better, but you'll have to have it refinished again sooner. If that doesn't bother you then go with the blue.

And @fieldgrade there is no way he is putting a custom 1911 in Kydex. I suspect a nice piece of leather will be acquired.

My custom Garthwaite BHP goes into kydex and it is blued. Shows some wear but not too bad.
 
Polish the metal to a bright finish, then have it ION bonded. I did my STI with ION bond, absolutely love it. Beat the pistol up and do not baby it one bit and the finish looks awesome.

I did not polish the slide or frame (wished I had done it) but did have the barrel done. The barrel looked like a dullish black chrome.

I will post picks tonight of it after after 2 years of weekly USPSA matches


ION Bond is a trade/brand name for one companies DLC process... DLC is pretty much the most robust industrial coating available for firearms, but it comes with a price. If base metal is prepped properly, DLC will out live us all. DLC = Diamond Like Coating ( industrial diamond liquefied into a plasma and applied to metal ).

DLC does 2 things-

  • Makes the surface extremely hard
  • Makes the surface extremely slick
DLC comes in one color only.... Dull Deep Purple/Black looking...
 
ION Bond is a trade/brand name for one companies DLC process... DLC is pretty much the most robust industrial coating available for firearms, but it comes with a price. If base metal is prepped properly, DLC will out live us all. DLC = Diamond Like Coating ( industrial diamond liquefied into a plasma and applied to metal ).

DLC does 2 things-

  • Makes the surface extremely hard
  • Makes the surface extremely slick
DLC comes in one color only.... Dull Deep Purple/Black looking...

Not that it matters but I believe more colors are available.

https://www.evolutionarmory.com/ionbond

Colors currently being offered are Black, FDE, Gray and Silver. We are not currently coating Aluminum. Steel Only.
 
Not that it matters but I believe more colors are available.

https://www.evolutionarmory.com/ionbond

Colors currently being offered are Black, FDE, Gray and Silver. We are not currently coating Aluminum. Steel Only.

I'll have to check this out..

They call out PVD Coatings. DLC is one variant of PVD coatings. I would guess they use some other PVD coatings that vary in color, like the ones used on high performance end mills and stamping dies.(??) ( Not TiN... lol )

My experience with DLC ( from several providers) has been one color. As I understand, all the DLC machines are made by one company... They sell a machine(s) and a "coating tuneup" to various companies around the globe. Each company has its own branding identity for its coating services. The devil is in the details of the metal prep... soda blast followed with REM polishing are some prep standards for DLC that yields excellent results but at an elevated cost.
 
Having handled many Ion-Bond guns, that would be my vote. It will also make the action slick as snot!
 
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This is the build so far:

  • Deluxe Trigger Job with Harrison hammer, sear, disconnector and trigger
  • Smooth out and Dehorn
  • Bevel Magwell Machine cut @ 15
  • Stan Chen main Spring checkered @ 30 LPI
  • True, High Cut & Checker Front Strap @ 30 LPI
  • Machine French Cuts on Slide
  • Machine Ball Cuts on Slide
  • Flattern & Serrate Slide Top in Ghost Arrow Pattern
  • Furnish & Install EGW Slide Stop
  • Furnish & Install Harrison Exterme Service Beavertail Grip Safety
  • Furnish & Install Action Works Custom sights with U notch and Gold dot front sight
  • EGW HD Thumb Safety
  • Furnish, Fit and install Match Bushing
  • Spegel Grips
  • Ionbond DLC with polished flats or Blued with polished flats.
Only other real questions is do I replace the Colt Barrel Kart or just have Don install a match bushing.
 
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If you have good accuracy from the barrel now, I don't think I would replace it.

I was going to let Don look at it. If he thinks it is locking up well and all it needs is a bushing then I will stick with the Colt.
 
Colt barrels are very good quality and usually having a match bushing fit to them will yield excellent results.

That has been my experience and to be honest we all know I can’t outshoot the Colt barrel with the factory bushing LOL.

Don is pretty much of the same opinion and unless he sees something I didn’t most likely I will save the $$ and keep the Colt barrel.
 
You can just Robarguard it black or maybe check their newer Poly T coating in black.

Frame is NP3 and the slide is Roguard. It has held up very well.

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I'm partial to 1911s finished in gold, satin nickel, bright nickel, and fire blue. You know, kinda like a circus colyope. I have one finished in this manner on here somewhere that my pal Geezer put up for me. With beautifully colored Ivory stocks it never fails to get the looks. Some are in despair. You know the old "beauty in the eye of thing".
 
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