Matt black finish?

[smithfelty]

Does anyone know what the black finish is on the j frame alloy frame actual is? I e-mail S&W about it but got no rely,I've ran serach on this forum, but did not find anything . Is it top secret or what?

[snubbiefan]

I would suppose it is simply anodized. Go Google-up "anodize" and see where it takes you. I see no need for adding any finish to alloy when anodizing accomplishes the same thing. It's a process similar to plating in reverse and the process creates that finish. I could be wrong and they could be applying some sort of finish to late model examples, but anodizing is a lot tougher than bluing IMO.

[hotrod150]

I don't think it's anodizing. I think it's some sort of coating, feels kinda slick-ish so maybe something incorporating teflon?
I had a 2006-issue 442-2 for a while, and really liked the matt-black finish so I sent S&W an email asking what it was, and if they could refinish an older model 36 for me. After several days wait, with (as i recall) a re-sending of the email, I got back a one-word answer: "No." Nice. That was my first & only encounter with S&W customer service, and I can't say it gave me a warm & fuzzy feeling.

[fthorsby]

That is kind of a short answer! I do know that S&W does not refinish their airweights. I have a 638 that the finish got messed up on, I sent it in to be refinished and they sent me a new 638. Their Customer Service is usually pretty good.

[Chop]

I have a Model 36-6, 3" w/adj. sights that had a factory kind of flat black finish. I had it refinished by the factory about 10 years ago. Not sure what it was called, but cost less then $200. including some repairs.

[Imaposer]

The finish is definitely not anodizing. Anodizing is a tough surface treatment at the molecular level and actually penetrates the surface, not only coloring the metal but also hardening it. If it were anodized we wouldn't be seeing the finish damage issues we do when using common cleaning agents. The aluminum receivers on Ruger 10/22's used to be anodized in the early days. The are now painted although I can't remember what year they stopped anodizing them. I'm almost 100% certain that the finish that S&W uses on their aluminum frame guns is nothing more than paint. Perhaps a high tech paint of some sort, but paint in the respect that it is simply a coating that is applied to it and relies on surface adhesion rather than a true molecular process.

[InTheWoods]

The 36-6 was actually matt blued. These are very nice guns.

[williamlayton]

Personally---I think this is an absolute horrid finish.
Its only salvation is that it is tougher than my MIL's hide.
Blessings

[33jayman]

I am in the process of cleaning up my 342 because of it's rotting finish. I am using a scotch brite pad to clean it up. I am thinking of trying Duracoat on the aluminum. The cylinder is all polished up and looks really nice now. Sort of like a dark grey crome look now.

I have been trying to figure out what color to use on the aluminum parts. I like the look of the black Airlite guns but I am thinking I might like to do something like fire engine red with black accents?

I can tell you the finish on the grey Airlites is not anodizing for sure. It comes off way to easy.

Jay

[David Sinko]

Whatever they put on the 43C is very tough. I carry this revolver on long runs and it gets bathed in my sweat but the black finish on the aluminum (frame, cylinder and barrel shroud) is impervious to rust and corrosion. My stainless steel handguns rust immediately when subjected to the same treatment.

Dave Sinko

[mkk41]

There's regular acid anodizing and mil-spec 'hard-coat anodizing' which actually imparts aluminum oxide particles into the surface of the item.

Many aluminum items get regular anodizing for color and corrosion resistance , and then another coating on top of it.

Surface prep is another consideration. S&W used to polish their aluminum frames to the same degree as the blued steel parts , hoping they'd almost match. Today , they glass-bead or vapor-hone the surface for a matte finish.

Hillock Anodizing - Finishes

Hillock Anodizing - Finishes

However , you cannot re-anodize anything with ferrous metal parts installed.

[ColbyBruce]

If you are speaking of the black finish that was applied to my S&W 422 pistols, I believe that was smoke from a carbide lamp. It was very fragile.

[Alnamvet68]

I do know that the finish on my 360 J 38 cal, as well as the 360 357 mag is melonite.

[TAROMAN]

If one of mine ever gets to that point, I'd go for Birdsong's Black-T to solve the problem permanently.