I know Tripp Research does a great job w/ hard chroming, but does anyone have experience with their Cobra Coat?

Tripp has decent turn around and I am having him hard chrome a slide for me right now. Was thinking of having my TRP refinished eventually, and was wondering about the durability of his finish.

I hear good things about Black T, and was just wondering how the Cobra Coat compares.

I have a Lightweight Commander that was Cobra Coated in about 99 or 2000.  The finish has held up very well, with the exception of when I dropped the pistol on pavement on its right side.

No personal experience with Black-T.

I'm very pleased with Tripp's work, but would like to try Black-T.

I have had six or eight different guns done in Black-T and a couple in Green-T (semi and revolver) . Walter Birdsong is a great guy and produces a great product. The finish has been great and although you don't get the wear resistance you might from others like Robar NP3 (silver in color) it's still tough... The look is great.. not shiny like some of the bake on black finishes. An added plus is that cleaning is a breeze as most things wipe off and Walter says you need no lubrication on the gun. I still use just a touch of lube but you never have to worry about running the gun dry...

Well, my new Springfield TRP w/ Armory Kote has a little wear from sitting in the gun shop until I bought it (I got a $200 discount because he's had it since Feb, and no one wanted tp pay that much). Anyway, I do not carry this gun. It is only for the range and maybe to sit on a table for home defense. So, I'm not too worried about holster wear.

I have seen 1 new TRP w/ no mark on it in the world, and it was pretty. I would like to just get it redone sometime next year to make it look a little nicer.

I am debating on whether I should:

1. Send it back to Springfield to be re-armory koted
2. Sent it to Tripp research for Cobra Coat
3. Do the Black T thing

Roguard is too expenive, and is a bit shiney.

I like the black look on it (that is a first for me - I have always been a stainless 1911 kinda guy), so that is why I don't want to do the hard chrome. I have been tempted to do two-tone, because that was always prev my fav. BuT I really like this all black gun w/ the silver trigger and silver bushing.

I've done several guns using Gunkote matte black.  It is very shiny.

Going to try Brownell's teflon/moly based spray and bake finish on a project gun.

My matte black Cobra Coated gun is not shiny at all.

Quoted: My matte black Cobra Coated gun is not shiny at all.

I've read a few complaints about premature flaking from the cobra coat. Did you have that?

I have no problem with wear where metal parts rub together. I just want the gun to look nice on the outside. I don't want the finish pealing.

Quoted: .........but you have to take the FLGR out first

Sorry, it will never happen :p

No flaking with the cobra coat.

I'm sure that Virgil would make it right if it happened.

Thanks for the info.

I have a Walther slide being chromed by Tripp now, and I want the decocker and extractor covered in the Cobra Coat. If I am satisfied w/ it on those 2 parts, I may go w/ him.

You will get some wear on the extractor.  CC, like all "soft" finishes will wear quickly where metal rubs against metal.

Quoted: You will get some wear on the extractor.  CC, like all "soft" finishes will wear quickly where metal rubs against metal.

Yea, I understand that. But most of the wear will be internal. I have no problem w/ that.

This springfield has an internal extractor too, so it's not visible on the outside.