Flash chromed parts question

[G.T. Smith]

I carry my M65 in an Alessi belt slide holster that has the pull through snap right over the top of the hammer. I was thinking about putting a small smooth radius on the back corners of the hammer so it doesn't dig in to the leather so bad. The corners of the hammer are very sharp where the knurling comes right out to the edge. My question is; how deep is that finish? Am I gonna hit non flash chromed steel before I can get a radius that will come out of the pull through snap without cutting in to the leather?
I figgered one of you folks that have bobbed a flash chromed hammer would know how deep the finish goes.
Thanks for reading this,
gordon

 

[Sebago Son]

Gordon,

Flash Chrome is only a couple of mils thick depending up the shape of the part due to the Faraday cage effect. In all likelihood you will cut through the finish before you achieve the shape you are looking for.

Drew

 

[dfariswheel]

The plating is VERY thin. Just about one stroke with a stone will break through.

What I've done in the past for customer guns is to do whatever work desired, then I'd send the part out to a plater and have them stripped and re-plated with new hard chrome.
This works well since a standard hard chrome finish is less porous than the flash chrome and less prone to rust.
Most of the big re-finishers offer special prices for small parts like hammers and triggers, and the finish is extremely close to the factory flash plated finish in appearance.

Case in point, my S&W Model 66 revolvers. The 3" is factory. The 2 1/2" had a sharp trigger and burred checkering on the hammer. I reworked both and had them stripped and hard chrome plated.