Can you guys recommend and applicator to salt-bath nitride/melonite/Trufftride coat a rifle barrel? TIA

No but I highly recommend Birdsongs BlackT

My Kelbly Atlas is nitrided by H&M IIRC.

http://blacknitride.com/

But I would ask about their process for barrel coating as I do not know about the coating affects to bore/rifling.

It covers the bore just like hot tank bluing. It’s a tank of hot molten liquid caustic salts that gets into every crack and cranny.

H&M is good. MMI Truetec is the other I used extensively, same process. Not sure but don’t think MMI does work for individuals, only volume for shops with an account.

It’ll be the last finish you need, it’s super tough and impervious to the elements. Blows all the “kotes” away since it’s not paint.

I’ve used H&M on numerous occasions and they impressed me every time.

Both of these rifles are H&M Nitride.

Those two look good Joel!

I believe when my Mashburn gets rebarreled it'll get the H&M treatment.

Best to get loss worked up and such before the finish is applied tho, correct? Does nitride stop throat erosion almost completely?

I have not seen a definitive test of the effects of nitriding on throat erosion. I'm sure it helps but if it were a game-changer I'm pretty sure that you would see PRS shooters going that route.

I have had many done, but only shot 2 of them a great amount. Those 2 have throats that look great after 5000 rounds of competition.

Butch & woodhits thanks!

I have to apologize as I confused the issue although your info is good to know.

What I ought to have asked was whether it is considered best practice to work up loads before the bath than after, as contrasted with those coatings or playing processes that cover the outside of the firearm only?

I think it is better to send your newly chambered barrel. Some of the companies do a better job on others cleaning them after the treatment. When I visited with John Holliger "White Oak Armament" about Melonite he said that he had some that still had the salt bath still in the barrel. He put them in a barrel of water for a couple days and the thoroughly scrubbed them.
Joel Kendrick worked at a company called Stabilus in NC that made gas struts for mainly the automotive business. Stabilus treated the shafts on their gas struts with the melonite QPQ process. This was several years ago. Joel was long range shooter of the year at the time. Joel was an engineer and wondered how the melonite would work on his competition barrels. On his own time he did a couple barrels and was amazed at the longevity of his barrels. Joel did a couple for me and they were great. Joel was hired by Mimi Trutec in Paragould, Ark. led them into barrel treating. They really got into the military barrels big time and quit doing one off jobs.
I posted at one time a long email from one of the military competition armor that did extensive testing. His basic comment was the barrels lasted a lot longer, nor real gain or loss in velocity, and the CM barrels had no corrosion problems from moisture.
H&M has a good reputation, but I've not used them.

That’s perfect thanks Butch I think I know what exterior finish I’m gonna apply to my “last custom”

Keep in mind the process is not a coating, it changes the surface of the metal, with cromoly it gets super hard, stainless? not so much but it turns both a nice matte black.
I have several barrels and guns that have been done and I see no down side other than on non SS barrels you can forget doing any machining after the process is done, it gets super hard and is very corrosion resistant.

H&M has done several for me but be prepared to spent a LOT of time cleaning the bore before taking it to the range, the stuff is nasty.

You can still thread the muzzle or drill and tap for a front sight after nitriding a chromoly barrel. It’s like a case hardening but easy enough to get through with carbide tooling. I never had any luck if you needed to run a chamber reamer in one for some reason but barring some extreme circumstance like that you shouldn’t run into any trouble.

Zero experience on rifles.

Have had lots of carbon steel parts done at work where stainless wasn’t an option due to cost or nobody offered a stainless version (some bearings for example). Our plants get washed at least weekly. Heavy caustic soaps, rinsed, followed by acids. Rinsed. Followed by sanitizers. I know if some parts that were QPQ’d 15 years ago that are still rust free.

A week of our production and cleanup is a tougher environment than a rifle will see in a year. Have one part that’s about a 3’ long shaft 1/2” in diameter with a polymer piece sliding back and forth at a pretty high speed on it. 3 years in and there no visible wear in the surface. I know a polymer in a 70 degree room isn’t the same as a bullet under heat and high pressure, but it’s still impressive to me.

I just sent a KIDD barrel to H&K for a .22lr project. When i called they told me 1 week turnaround time.

That's impressive, Butch.

FYI, Talley makes bases that fit the scallops on Borden actions.

You do NOT want to work up loads first. At the very most, MAYBE a little work on the throat with flitz first. What happens if the barrel is thoroughly "broken in" first is that the barrel will be like glass and the coefficient of friction will go way up. This will drastically affect pressure and accuracy. Only way to get it shooting again is to use valve grinding compound to "rough" the barrel up some, which completely defeats the purpose of the melanite. I relate this to you with both first and second hand experience for what its worth.

Can stainless steel also be Melonited?

YES

I have a custom wood stocked 40X rimfire. I wanted the all rust blue look, but I have a one off SS barrel. I polished the barrel to a high luster and Melonited. It matched perfectly.

I have a custom wood stocked 40X rimfire. I wanted the all rust blue look, but I have a one off SS barrel. I polished the barrel to a high luster and Melonited. It matched perfectly.

I have a custom with a 700 chrome-moly action and stainless Bartlein barrel that is nitrided.

There is no color variation at all.

Thanks

Burlington in CA quoted me $225 for two barrels Two weeks turn around. Seems reasonable.

If I want a matte finish should I bead blast first?

Yes. Prep for whatever finish you want unless the company you’re using does the prep. Long ago H&M used to glass bead everything we sent them unless we specified otherwise. They stopped that a while ago as far as I know.

Gorgeous rifles.