Nickel Boron Coating

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  • k9guy

    Active Member
    Feb 12, 2011
    326
    I was interested in getting an AR receiver set coated in Nickel Boron like the attached picture.

    I’ve emailed several companies to include WMD Guns, Wrightarmory (formally Robar) and Legal Manufacturing, all of whom do this type of work. WMD Guns was the only company that emailed me back and they said that they have temporarily suspended their program where you can send items in for coating.

    If anybody knows of another good place to try and get this done please let me know.

    Thanks.
     

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    omegared24

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 23, 2011
    4,747
    Ijamsville, MD
    I bet it woukd be pretty costly. I would wonder if the take down/pivot pin fit would be effected by the coating.

    It would. I have a friend that has a "coated" AR and has a hell of a time moving those pins. After explaining why and showing him the difference on an anodized set he understood what was going on.

    It's fairly easy to correct, especially the trigger pins. Oil lapping will fix the issue. It's not always a bad thing. I have a heavily used SOCOM upper that fits perfectly on a cerakoted lower. The matching cerakoted upper is super tight.

    The correct way to "coat" is to make sure your contact points and holes are taped.
     

    E.Shell

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 5, 2007
    10,245
    Mid-Merlind
    You could try US Plating in Baltimore. They anodize receivers for various manufacturers and also plate things.

    3Paul10, anodizing adds from 0.001" to 0.002" to the surface of aluminum, and the pin bores should allow some material growth there. The take down pin bores are spec'ed at 0.250", the hammer/trigger pin bores are 0.156", and they often wallow them out a little. The pins themselves are spec'ed at 0.248" and 0.155" respectively. Worst case, a very light reaming after plating will get you back in action.

    omegared24, coatings add another layer of finish to material that has already increased dimensions with the anodize process...yeah, plug them.

    It is necessary for the initial anodizing/plating to coat the interior of the pin bores. These and the mag/bolt catch openings are the only real wear points on your lower and anodizing aluminum is akin to surface-hardening steel.
     

    DutchV

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 8, 2012
    4,703
    If it's already anodized, they will use lye to strip the anodize/dye layer off before plating, which will lose some metal that the plating can make back up.

    Anodizing adds hardness to the surface. What would the hardness be after stripping and plating? That is, better, or worse?
     

    E.Shell

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 5, 2007
    10,245
    Mid-Merlind
    I don't know, but I'm sure the answer is out there. The new surface hardness will depend entirely on the hardness of the plating. Both nickel boron and aluminum oxide are pretty hard, much harder than bare 7075-T6, I'm thinking either one would be fine.
     

    Bob A

    όυ φροντισ
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Nov 11, 2009
    30,691
    Gold-plating; it's good enough for Saddam Hussein. Don't neglect the mother of pearl grips.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,881
    I know that's humor ,But actually not entirely .

    Once upon a decade , Gold playing was was a legit gunsmithing thing , for tbe internal action parts of a Revolver .

    The reasoning was , that gold on gold , had much lower sliding coefficient of friction than steel on steel .
     

    Bob A

    όυ φροντισ
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Nov 11, 2009
    30,691
    I know that's humor ,But actually not entirely .

    Once upon a decade , Gold playing was was a legit gunsmithing thing , for tbe internal action parts of a Revolver .

    The reasoning was , that gold on gold , had much lower sliding coefficient of friction than steel on steel .

    Doesn't rust or oxidize. Good stuff.

    Didn't know about the revolver plating. Was it ever a manufacturer thing, or just aftermarket?
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,758
    Eldersburg
    Nickel Boron sucks. Too bad Clandestine isn't here or he would agree. Nickel Boron will turn color, especially where powder residue makes contact.
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,818
    Nickel Boron sucks. Too bad Clandestine isn't here or he would agree. Nickel Boron will turn color, especially where powder residue makes contact.

    My post above is for NP3 coatings. For the most part, Chad approved.
     

    k9guy

    Active Member
    Feb 12, 2011
    326
    Actually I’m going to try and go with a company called Richter Precision that uses PVD coating. From what I’m reading they are very good.

    Be interior know if anyone else has used them?
     

    jrumann59

    DILLIGAF
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 17, 2011
    14,024
    LWRC uses NiBo coat carriers. I would say done correctly it works.

    Yo get what you pay for. The biggest issues is everyone make a NiB something and the questions is what are the tolerances. Is part it on been machined for NiB or is it "mil-spec" then coated. I have AR15 bolt that has NiB and the lugs were out of spec, the bolt got locked in the barrel lugs on extraction. Took a good bit of oompf to get to let go. Thought I was going to break my charging handle.
     

    jrumann59

    DILLIGAF
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 17, 2011
    14,024
    gotcha. ^^^ Thanks

    Personally and this where Chad and I differ. I like NiB coatings you just cant get them cheap, even companies like WMD, Fail-Zero have QA issues. I run ALG NiB FCG groups in all new rifles I assemble.
     

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