I do not believe that Glock (nor S&W) uses Krylon Flat Black nor any other spray paint on their firearms. Tenifer and Melonite both usually impart color to the metal. Black Oxide is also used on some frames. Better factory gunmakers do not overspray surface treatments with Krylon. (nor do they use Rustoleum...........)
Unlike colors that coat the surface like polymers, paints, ceramic coatings, etc., salt nitriding and similar processes are both surface hardening treatments that penetrate the metal and impart color to them. I think this Glock rep was pulling your leg. Austrian humor or something I guess.............
Here is an interesting summary of tenifer and also a good post from another forum on what (supposedly) creates the black color:
Ferritic nitrocarburizing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quote:
10-25-2010, 14:47
Tenifer is a salt bath ferritic nitrocarburizing process developed by HEF, a French / Belgian company. HEF USA is located in Springfield, OH. In the United States, HEF markets the salt bath ferritic nitrocarburizing process as Melonite. Melonite is applied to several of Smith & Wesson's semi-automatic pistols.
The process involves the following:
Degreasing the parts to be run, followed by either aluminum oxide or glass bead blast finishing to prepare the surfaces for processing.
Preheating the parts ~ 750 F.
Immersion of the preheated parts in a nitriding salt bath usually operating between 1000 and 1100 F; the parts are left in the bath for 45 minutes to 2 hours.
The parts are removed and quench cooled in an oxidizing salt bath at a temperature of ~ 750 F, left in the bath for ~ 30 minutes.
The parts are removed from the bath and water cooled to room temperature.
The parts are next washed in hot water to remove salt bath residues.
Next, the parts are lightly polished or glass bead finished to remove surface smut. At this point,the parts have a dark gray color.
If desired, the parts are run a second time in the oxidizing bath at ~ 750 F for ~ 30 minutes, followed by water cooling, washing and light glass bead cleaning.
The finish on the parts is now a lusterous black color.
The surface treatment developed as noted is a thin compound layer of nitride ranging from 0.0002 to 0.001" in thickness. A diffusion zone beneath the compound layer exists measuring around 0.004 to 0.008" in depth. The compound layer has been oxidized to form a thin layer of magnetite ( FE3O4), which is the lusterous black color present. The nitride layer provides a measure of wear resistance to the part and has a low coefficient of friction. The magnetite layer over the compound layer provides an increased measure of corrosion resistance.
Greg
|