What is S&W's PVD Finish (SKU: 151215)?

[Fastbolt]

Nitriding (or similar process) on a stainless steel is redundant and actually may make the corrosion resistance less, compared to treating a "regular" steel. Those who are in the know, metallurgically, will say that the melonite on a stainless is really a step backwards for the stainless steel. And it also increases the manufacturing cost, yet it is not better than nitrided steel.

But it sounds fantastic for marketing and sales- you can have a Melonited stainless steel slide, with a blackened ceramic diamondkote! WOW!

Part of the whole process of selling more guns, because your is improved and has more features than the others.

I remember when a former S&W engineer was discussing nitriding and stainless. As I recall, he said that the particular stainless alloy used by S&W required great care when being treated. Another guy told me that this was why they used the Melonite QP version of the process, as the QPQ was inappropriate for stainless. Even so, if it wasn't done exactly right, it could reduce the inherent corrosion resistant qualities of the stainless.

The QPQ version was said to be best for low carbon, resulfurized steel alloy.

 

[cciman]

Why go through the trouble.

The advantage of using regular steel to a gun maker is cost. They can produce the slides and barrels at much lower costs and yet have a fantastic final product (harder and possibly more stainless than stainless) with the steel treatment that overall is still less than the stainless material.

With stainless, you have a base material that is harder to work, and more expensive to obtain, then treat with a "specialized" process that does not add that much more benefit, then coat it black...makes no sense to me.

I remember when a former S&W engineer was discussing nitriding and stainless. As I recall, he said that the particular stainless alloy used by S&W required great care when being treated. Another guy told me that this was why they used the Melonite QP version of the process, as the QPQ was inappropriate for stainless. Even so, if it wasn't done exactly right, it could reduce the inherent corrosion resistant qualities of the stainless.

The QPQ version was said to be best for low carbon, resulfurized steel alloy.

 

[Fastbolt]

S&W was using the Melonite treatment way back on some of the older Sigma line and the 5906 M/Militar foreign sale pistols.

While I've long since given up trying to figure out why gun companies do what they do, I can see some market interest in black, non-reflective finishes. (Then again, I suspect the gun companies are bewildered by the results of marketing surveys as often as not, and scratch their heads wondering why customers want what they want. )

Sure, they could simply use carbon steel, and probably save some money here & there, but they seem to have their reason for continuing to machine and heat treat their stainless. Their business, they costs, their decisions ... and I'd not expect that everyone may necessarily agree on such things, even within the company.

 

[cciman]

But they don't offer a naked stainless look. In fact the closest is the Nickel Boron - another surface applied coating.

Looking at the S&W website description, they only use these words to describe "slide and barrel 68HRC" and "stainless steel barrel/slide"- no mention of steel treatment Nor do they nitride any other pistol line, like the 1911's, or the revolvers.

Maybe its no longer being applied to the SS?

I think that the "melonite" use was to directly compete with Glock. If you think about it, it is primarily the polymer frame striker pistols that use the nitriding steel treatment (all taking cues from Glock, or Steyr) - very few non-striker pistols use this process.

These are the ones i know of:
Glock, all
M&P, Sigma
SR9, some
XD, most
Walther strikers
Steyr
Caracal

Non striker fired:
Sarsilmaz
Grand Power
Para Ord

 

[Jiman]

H&K and Sig both do..they just put their own name on it.

Lots of companies use some variation of it.

 

[Fastbolt]

... Nor do they nitride any other pistol line, like the 1911's, or the revolvers.

Maybe its no longer being applied to the SS?...

When the SW1911 E-series was first being discussed in greater detail, the black stainless slide models were said to receive Melonite.

The older TP model, too. (Just noticed the link came through as a small image, and that you either have to click on the upper/right corner arrow to get the full-size image, or actually scroll on the bar in the image, but it does list the Melonite. Sorry for the weird link.) http://www.smith-wesson.com/wcsstore/SmWesson2/upload/other/PS/2009/108309_SW1911_TFP.pdf

I don't keep up on the monthly (or almost weekly) changes for anything I'm not directly using, supporting or own, so I'd have to call or email to see if there have been any production revisions to a particular model about minor things like finishes.

FWIW, I'd not mind a bare stainless M&P pistol, myself, but the finish du jour for lots of customers, according to market research, seems to be BLACK finishes.

I ordered one of the SW1911SC 5" guns when they were also offered in a "light" alloy finish & a plain stainless slide. I happened to notice it was dropped shortly thereafter from the catalog, and one day remembered to ask about it during a call for something else. I was told that corporate had dropped that variation due to a marketing survey, and that such responses were happening really quickly nowadays.