Originally Posted by Hound_va
Dtech, I'm curious how you are measuring/determining the hardness of the finishes?


I'm not "measuring" the hardness, it's more of an observation while working with the receivers. One of the brands that I work with quite a bit has a much "softer" coating. When you hit it with the mill, it cuts through the coating very easily. That same brand, so I'm making the assumption that the same coating process was used, displays tiny little "dents" on the brass-deflector. Some of the receivers, including the Oly's, the coating is quite hard. When you hit it with a solid carbide cutter in the mill, you can hear and feel that it's more difficult to penetrate the surface.

That same "softer" receiver also starts to loosen at the hammer-pin and trigger-pin holes quicker than the receivers with the "harder" coating.

I have quite a bit of equipment left over from my "previous life" that comes in real handy while building and experimenting with guns, especially wildcats. I probably have a device that would actually measure the "hardness" of the surface, but I haven't really seen the need.

There is a very fine line between "Hobby" and "Mental illness"