Performance Durability of Popular Finishes for 4140 Steel in Industrial Applications

Indianapolis, IN

Today's firearms industry has a business model based off performance and longevity of products however the industry has failed to provide support of their claims. This study looks at the common steel coatings used in the firearms industry to protect against corrosion, impact, and many other things. These coatings include manganese parkerizing, DuraCoat, and bluing. This was done by putting specimens of 4140 steel, an industry standard material for firearm receivers, with these coatings through a variety of treatments, such as freezing temperatures, high temperatures, sand, mud, gravel, and a highly corrosive environment. To measure the effect the coatings have on the metal, two tests were used: Rockwell Hardness and Charpy impact. The Rockwell hardness test was used multiple times throughout the research to track the progress of the steel. The Charpy impact test was the final test that the specimens went through to see how the steel was affected during the treatments.