It's my understanding that the nitride finish is not the same as the parakote finish. Wear is probably going to depend on how you use it. Is this going to be a range tool, daily carry, or somewhere inbetween? How particular are you and what kind of precaution do you take with your property? Do you prefer the black or silver cosmetics and is price an issue? I wanted a good looking black 1911 for range use and take VERY good care of my things. I chose the nitride Expert and it still looks new after close to a year and monthly use. It will probably look new in 10 years.

 

 

I have a newer Para in black nitride, and the finish is very nice and seems durable...mine has been in and out of a supertuck many times and still looks good. Stainless is nice too, should be more durable than a finish, and can always be bead blasted rather than refinished.

 

I just bought a used Para Expert and don't know how old or how many rounds thru it, but let's assume typical use for a year old gun. The finish looks like new, even the rails show very little wear on the finish.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for all the replies; very helpful.

I feel better about the nitride. I don't necessarily require that I can keep it immaculate for years of normal use. But I would have a hard time if it didn't perform better than what I've heard of the 'Para cote'. Sounds like they've learned from, and corrected, that mistake.

The other concern was the potential for galling with the stainless. But from what I gather, that's not a modern problem.

I'll probably just compare them side-by-side and go with aesthetics.

Thanks

 

I have a Predator II in black nitride. It us as black sd can be
And looks awesome

 

Nitriding is not a finish in the normal sense. It involves a high temperature chemical bath that changes the composition of the metal for a few thousandths of an inch. Glock has been doing it to their slides and barrels for a long time. It's becoming more popular in the gun world, with more and more pistols (M&P, Walther, and others) and AR barrel makers using it.

Basically, it makes metal very hard, slick, and corrosion resistant. It's good stuff.

 

Great post!

Thank you,
Travis
Team Para

 

I have a black nitride para expert. Was worried about the finish chipping off at first. I haven't had any real issues. Infact there have been many times when I thought for sure what I did would have scratched it only to find out its as perfect as can be.