Nitride or Melonite Components?

[alamo5000]

OK... here's the deal...

I am partially through a high end 10/22 build. When I started I wanted everything on the rifle (at least all the guts and trigger and bolt, and barrel, and whatever) to match and be from the same manufacturer. Kidd Custom is the stuff I'm after. I wanted the entire gun to be blacked out but here's my dilemma. Supposedly Kidd isn't going to make any more black bolts for a 10/22. I finally called and talked to someone and they said 'no we don't have them, and no we won't have them...and definitely not this year' and gave no ETA at all.

My understanding is the people that used to finish their black bolts for them no longer are in business or whatever so they are trying to find a good high end replacement.

It sounds like having them offer a black 10/22 bolt is off the table for who knows how long.

I have couple of options though... I could change up or compromise what I am after.

I could use another brand possibly but the milling and specs for Kidd vs others is night and day. Basically what Kidd does is mills their bolts with perfect tolerances for their recievers...they also true up every surface and do it with the precision of a jeweler...

Here is basically what you get with a standard Ruger bolt...

1657

And here is what you get with a Kidd bolt

1658

All the surfaces are trued and polished and they are milled and machined to go together with the reciever the bolt and the barrel and all the internals of it are better too.

Basically put if I buy a matte silver 10/22 bolt what would the odds be of having someone be able to treat it so that it comes out like a good nitride AR BCG?

Their website says it's "CNC Machined steel from billet" but it doesn't say what kind of steel so I don't even know if it would be a feasible operation to get a good black finish on it.

Anyone with a manufacturing background have any idea about this type of thing?

[din]

Is it important that the black match exactly, or just that the finish is nice and even? Have you thought about Micro Slick?

[alamo5000]

Is it important that the black match exactly, or just that the finish is nice and even? Have you thought about Micro Slick?

I have never even heard of micro slick. This is why I ask people who know more than me :)

To me the finish should just be nice and even. Whether or not it's the exact shade or not isn't as important.

At first I figured it's kind of hard to mess up black but then I figured the process is probably a whole lot more complicated than I was giving credit for.

[din]

Micro Slick is great, Cerakote makes it. I had my 1911 guy do it to a phospate BCG and it runs great. Doesn't clean up quite as easy as NP3, but close.

[Aragorn]

If you're considering MicroSlick, you should definitely check out Mad Black by Mad Custom Coatings. It's an even better version. Been debating putting it on some receivers to make them match.

http://madcustomcoating.com/mad-black/

[JGifford]

Call H&M. Speak with Shade.

I would honestly leave that bolt alone, but if you must, Shade can make a 1 part run happen likely.

[alamo5000]

I don't know who H&M is.

I also don't know what stuff is 'on' AR BCG's... phosphate I think is different than the nitride ones but I could be wrong. My phosphate one for my SBR has some bare spots on it now where the coating has worn off... the nitride one that I've been running... nope.

Basically if I can find a company that finishes BCG's... (Fathom maybe?) that can just toss it in with an existing run and be done with it is more along the idea of what I was thinking.

Paying someone big bucks to do a spray on coating or to do some special run wasn't ever the idea from the get go. I don't want a $400 10/22 bolt.

The other problem is I have zero idea if it will 'take' the color as I would hope... so maybe somebody who knows about metals and stuff would be able to shoot down the idea based on that alone.

Too many unknowns about something I have zero idea about about sums it up.

I really just wish I could find someone with one laying around (a reseller or something) or better yet to have Kidd Custom get in gear and just make more.

There of course is always the option to compromise and just live with a silver bolt but I don't really like that idea.

All that said if you know of a company that does finishing work it's possible that they could find some work if they contact Kidd Custom...

At this point I think maybe having everyone scour the internet to try and find what I'm looking for would be a good idea.

[JGifford]

I don't know who H&M is.

I also don't know what stuff is 'on' AR BCG's... phosphate I think is different than the nitride ones but I could be wrong. My phosphate one for my SBR has some bare spots on it now where the coating has worn off... the nitride one that I've been running... nope.

Basically if I can find a company that finishes BCG's... (Fathom maybe?) that can just toss it in with an existing run and be done with it is more along the idea of what I was thinking.

Paying someone big bucks to do a spray on coating or to do some special run wasn't ever the idea from the get go. I don't want a $400 10/22 bolt.

The other problem is I have zero idea if it will 'take' the color as I would hope... so maybe somebody who knows about metals and stuff would be able to shoot down the idea based on that alone.

Too many unknowns about something I have zero idea about about sums it up.

I really just wish I could find someone with one laying around (a reseller or something) or better yet to have Kidd Custom get in gear and just make more.

There of course is always the option to compromise and just live with a silver bolt but I don't really like that idea.

All that said if you know of a company that does finishing work it's possible that they could find some work if they contact Kidd Custom...

At this point I think maybe having everyone scour the internet to try and find what I'm looking for would be a good idea.
Fathom doesn't do their own QPQ/Nitride. H&M is a good source.
A quick google search for you turned this up: http://blacknitride.com/

Again though, I'd honestly just leave it alone. QPQ plays well with some heat treats, not so well with others. Or you can be a guinea pig and find out on this particular part if it's a good idea or not.