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And yet another slide finish question.......

1K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  MIL-DOT 
#1 ·
After not being able to find another gen3 G17 or 19 with the dimpled,glossy-black, so-called
"tenifer frying pan finish", I stumbled across a deal on a very clean gen3 G17 that pre-dates this finish (about '97-98), but isn't the earlier gray Parkerized-looking finish of the gen 1 and 2. This finish has the look and abrasive feel of Parkerizing, but it's very black, and doesn't seem to hold oil like a regular phosphate/Parkerized finish.
And yes, I realize that Tenifer is a chemical/heat "treatment" and not a finish, and the visible surface isn't tenifer itself, and that the pistols were all tenifer treated back then, regardless of final finish.
But, as I understood, the early pistols did have a phosphate/Parkerized finish (over the tenifer-treated metal), but this finish was noticably gray in color, as opposed to the very black finish on this pistol.
I've Googled it every way imaginable, so i dredged up my old account here hoping you guys might have an idea of what the finish is on this pistol (or is it just a black Parkerizing?)
Thanks in advance for any enightenment, and apologies for rehashing an over-done topic.
 
#8 ·
My old G30 made in 97 has the same black parkerized finish. It's a matte, dull black.

"generally" it's my understanding that Glock has used three main types of finish.

1. Matte black parkerized, dull black.

2. Orange peel hard gloss black.

3. Newer matte dull grayish smooth black.

and the many variations in between lol. But generally it's one of those three.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the replies,guys. To respond to some of the comments and questions:
-I'm very confident this isn't an aftermarket finish.
-The 3-letter prefix is CWV, and all numbers match.
-This is definitely not the "frying pan finish",I've had enough of those to know the difference.
-I think GRR nailed it on the first response, that "it's just black phosphate".
I bought my first Glock in 1985, and the finish on that appeared to be typical parkerized-type finish, with more of a gray tint to it than this pistol has (so I'm thinking there's more than just the 3 types mentioned above).
As I said, I've had several of the dimpled, slick glossy-black "tenifer-era" pistols (2000-2009), and this is clearly not one of them.
I got this via the local classified sites, from a soon-to-retire cop that lives near me. This is a blue-label pistol, that came with the vintage tupperware box (w/ matching numbers). I got a sealed manual packet, but there doesn't seem to be a fired casing inside, so that may not be original.
Anyway, the pistol is super clean, low miles, and i got a great deal on it, so all of this is just academic, it's not a big concern at all.
Thanks again for all the replies.
(and I'll try to get my post count up to a respectable ratio !! :cheers: )
 
#12 ·
Here is my guess

Your slide was refinished at Glock Smyrna. I had a Gen 1 refinished in 1999 at Smyrna and the finish is unlike any of my other 12 Glocks. Close to a Gen 1 / 2, but you can tell the difference. Mine is very black too.
 
#15 ·
I agree with that, I've never had a Glock to Smyrna where they didn't upgrade the parts to the current rev.

So I own Glocks that were made in 1986, 1994, 1997, 2005, then way too many more 2012+ (thank you GSSF / blue label program). Guess I haven't seen all the finishes yet.
 
#16 · (Edited)
My old G30 made in 97 has the same black parkerized finish. It's a matte, dull black.

"generally" it's my understanding that Glock has used three main types of finish.

1. Matte black parkerized, dull black.

2. Orange peel hard gloss black.

3. Newer matte dull grayish smooth black.

and the many variations in between lol. But generally it's one of those three.
For a short time there was also a frying pan gray finish, what I call Silverstone. My G23 from 2012 has it.

I may send my Gen2 19 slide to Glock soon for refinishing. Very curious as to what it will look like when it comes back. My guess is a flat phosphate black, which is fine with me as long as it has a good grip and holds up reasonably well.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I may send my Gen2 19 slide to Glock soon for refinishing. Very curious as to what it will look like when it comes back. My guess is a flat phosphate black, which is fine with me as long as it has a good grip and holds up reasonably well.
I would bet it comes back with that slick,thin,gray finish they've been using the past few years, though there have been a few seen in recent years with the dimpled glossy black finish.
Since it seems it's this external finish that has been so wear resistent, and older pistols with it seeing an increase in demand, I don't know why Glock doesn't go completely back to this (old dimpled, glossy black) finish.
Since the environmental issues are supposedly with the Tenifer applied to the metal before the final finish, and supposedly the new gas-applied nitride treatment is just as good, why don't they just drop this newer thin, gray finish, (that few people seem happy with) and go back to the glossy black finish everyone misses?
 
#21 ·
With Gaston approaching 90 and going on his 3rd stroke, he's probably not too heavily concerned or involved with which finish they're currently running with.
As for "could be a money saving thing", given the endless cost-cutting measures Glock and everyone else are constantly resorting to, I'd say it's a GIVEN that this noticably less popular finish is little else than another cost cutting measure.
Heck, even the very essense of their pistols, the polymer frame, is primarilly a cost cutting measure. ;)
 
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