Chefjon
Member
'Grats!!!! Hopefully in 11 days we'll get target-pics 
4566 Melonite put into CA 10 day jail.
- Thread starter Gunhacker
- Start date
Nice 4566, congrats!
Mine is in the RJF31XX series. There are two stories on how these melonite 4566's came to be. One - verified by another member here - is that they were overuns from a small order for a New England maritime law enforcement agency.
The other - unverified as yet - was that they were part of an order for the US Marshal Service fugitive recovery teams.
In any case, they are great 4566 pistols that S&W should have made more of. Enjoy yours! Regards 18DAI
Mine is in the RJF31XX series. There are two stories on how these melonite 4566's came to be. One - verified by another member here - is that they were overuns from a small order for a New England maritime law enforcement agency.
The other - unverified as yet - was that they were part of an order for the US Marshal Service fugitive recovery teams.
In any case, they are great 4566 pistols that S&W should have made more of. Enjoy yours! Regards 18DAI
I see you haven't gotten a definitive answer on if Tennifer is the same as Melonite...i don't think you ever will as i think it's still being debated...from what I've read some say yes, some say no. The Glock guys say NOTHING could ever be as good as their Tennifer! The non Glock guys say our finish is way better then Glocks!
I think it's either the same or similar enough that it doesn't matter. Glocks and M&P's have a pretty darn tough finish/coating/treatment when done correctly.
I say enjoy your pistol and don't worry about if the finish is as good, worse, or better then a Glocks.
I think it's either the same or similar enough that it doesn't matter. Glocks and M&P's have a pretty darn tough finish/coating/treatment when done correctly.
I say enjoy your pistol and don't worry about if the finish is as good, worse, or better then a Glocks.
getoff
Member
i miss the delta. used to fish a lot in rio vista and isleton. nice pistol for sure. hope the strippers are good.
OP
I just checked the SN on my paperwork... my pistol is also in the RJF31XX series, this just keeps getting better
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4506517
Member
Brother, I'm totally tickled for you! Isn't it just cool as heck when something you're already stoked about just keeps getting better?
Enjoy and make sure you post a range report.
Enjoy and make sure you post a range report.
VTHokiesDuckHunter
Member
Tenifer & Melonite are for all practical purposes the same thing. Both are types of surface hardening done by a salt bath nitriding process.
They are much more than a surface "finish" (like bluing, black oxide or Parkerizing). There are a lot of sources on this if you want to Google it or do some similar research. I would post some links but there some rules on this forum that restricts this I believe.
Anyway, Melonite is an awesome gun finish and is pretty much superior to anything else out there in my opinion.
They are much more than a surface "finish" (like bluing, black oxide or Parkerizing). There are a lot of sources on this if you want to Google it or do some similar research. I would post some links but there some rules on this forum that restricts this I believe.
Anyway, Melonite is an awesome gun finish and is pretty much superior to anything else out there in my opinion.
OP
Did some searching and found a great discussion thread on the forum: http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-wesson-semi-auto-pistols/199500-melonite-tennifer-nitron-same.html
That's a great write up you did there.
OP
It never ceases to amaze me about the number of people I run into who are now in a different state that either knows of the area, lived or grew up in the area or frequented the place for boating and fishing. The fishing is still decent, but with Marina gas hovering at or just below the $5 mark, the boat traffic has really been curtailed.
The annual Bass Derby used to bring an invasion of Bass fisherman and their glittery boats to the Delta island I'm on, but not anymore.
Sorry I'm still new to all this. So late production 59xx pistols may have the Melonite process? And this might include my RJF21xx 5906? While earlier production is not melonite?
VTHokiesDuckHunter
Member
As far as I know, all S&W pistols that have had the Melonite surface hardening treatment were also blackened.
I believe I heard of 5906's being melonited/blackened, but I can't confirm that.
I believe I heard of 5906's being melonited/blackened, but I can't confirm that.
Thanks! That makes sense and agrees with the limited research I've done so far. I can't think of any melonite S&Ws including the new M&P-15 ARs that aren't blackened. So my RJF21xx 5906 isn't likely to be melonite since it's not blackened. The only similarity is close serial numbers that help date my pistol as later production.
VTHokiesDuckHunter
Member
You're welcome.
Usually, and depending on the type of Melonite/Tenifer surface hardening process used, it imparts a black finish as part of the actual surface hardening. It seems like some manufacturers then apply additional blackening. I'm not sure what S&W does in that regard.
Of course on an alloy frame, that part is not treated by the Melonite process at all even if the slide is. They just use a compatible blackening treatment after anodizing the alloy.
Usually, and depending on the type of Melonite/Tenifer surface hardening process used, it imparts a black finish as part of the actual surface hardening. It seems like some manufacturers then apply additional blackening. I'm not sure what S&W does in that regard.
Of course on an alloy frame, that part is not treated by the Melonite process at all even if the slide is. They just use a compatible blackening treatment after anodizing the alloy.
JJEH
Member
Really nice looking piece...
I understand that's what Glock does with their Tennifer hardening. People do remove the black finish for cosmetic reasons to get the slide in the white but the Tennifer remains.
