Brass-like coating or plating for grip frames?

[oregon45]

With the difficulty in finding brass grip frames, either Bisley or Dragoon, for Ruger Blackhawks, has anyone had a grip frame coated or plated? Cerakote comes in colors approximating brass, and at one time Accurate Plating and Weaponry offered Gold Titanium Nitride coating, but I haven't found any gunsmithing outfits that offer brass plating, or any pictures of frames coated with Cerakote or any other type of coating. Suggestions? (Other than the obvious: get a brass frame )

[maxcactus]

While working in a machine shop 18+ years ago, I read an article on TVP (Titanium Vapor Deposition) coatings applied by Kim Ahrends on his custom 1911s and Browning HPs. I mailed Kim and he sent me a good amount of information. The thing that really interested me was the fact that you can get parts coated in almost any color imaginable, the coating is EXTREMELY thin and is extremely difficult to remove as the finish is actually electrochemically bonded to the molecules of the gun's metal. The finish does really make surface imperfections stand out, however. Metal finishes have advanced much since then so I'd do some poking around on the Interweb or call some of the more reputable firearms finishing shops (Robar, et. al.) and ask what your options are.

[bushog]

www.metalmastersrestoration.com/mm/

[oregon45]

Bushog: Thanks for the link; have you had work done by that company?

[bushog]

Nope. I was trying to talk a guy out of a brass Bisley frame on the Ruger Forum and he sent me that address and said they did good work.

Somebody sold a brass plated birdshead grip over there last week or so for a pretty penny. Check out Turnbull's bronze carbona bluing too. It is a finish that goes on stainless and is pretty cool looking. It's a pretty new offering.

[oregon45]

Thanks, I'll check out that Turnbull coating.