P-3AT Finish for daily carry

Unless you are in a particularly humid environment a once a week quick cleaning and re-lube will be sufficient to keep the factory blueing in good shape. Don't neglect it though, I have some rust on the lower front inside end of the slide on my P-3AT. I now clean and re-lube religiously.

 

I went with the low cost blue. It was just too ugly for a new gun. I had it Duracoted by Don at Golden Loki for $35. Looks great now. Sure we dont buy guns for looks but it just too much fun coloring the P3AT

 

I live in central Florida on the Space Coast which is one of the worst areas for rust in the US. Several weeks ago I handled a blue p-3at that was carried in a gentleman's rear pocket for several years and was fine. There was a a very slight patina on the barrel hood but nothing else. Carried inside a pocket holster and wiped with a silicon cloth every couple of days and re-lubed every couple of weeks a blue gun will do just fine. It is really easy to clean rust off blue by using #0000 steel wool and plenty of gun oil. It will clean off surface rust and not damage the bluing.

Parkerized finish is really a little better since it holds oil and is my favorite. The thing about blue and parkerized guns is that the surface contact points will wear a little and mate together as the gun breaks in.

I have two hard chrome guns and they work fine, but they are not going to wear since the surface is so hard. Never-the-less the chrome is slick but works no better than my parkerized gun. One really nice thing about the HC is that it is easy to spot the shooting residue and carbon for better cleaning. The HC is also more protection for corrosion if you think you need it.

 

I've got both a blued and a hard chrome P3AT. The only rust issue I've had was with the hammer spring pin and that only because I'd often forget to use CLP on that particular part. I'd like to have that pin be stainless steel.

Bill K.

 

This is what I would recommend.
http://www.mahovskysmetalife.com/Metalife Finish Page 2.htm
I had my P-11 plated with it and have used this same process on many automated machines that I have built and it last forever. The more it rubs the slicker it gets.

 

This is probably the ultimate best finish once a machine has worn in after a few hundred rounds. It really makes sense on a service or outdoor protection peace that gets carried in a lot of weather. Kel Tec is quite innovative by offering choice of hard chrome or parkerizing for a few dollars more. I think it is a matter of choice since all are viable finishes. I am so impressed with the P-3AT that I own one in HC and one in Parkerzed finish. My favorite is parkerized finish even though my dealer offers hard chrome for only $15.00 more. Matter of preference rather than cost.

 

Mine is a Parkerized Gen 1 and It looks great even after years of carrying.

 

Definitely a good choice on hard chrome. I have had mine for close to 4 years and and buddy of mine has one that is blued for less than 2years. I carry mine almost daily. My buddy has several areas that have rusted.

 

I dunno.. I live in VA and I carry my blue steel P3AT every day. Usually, I throw it in a jacket pocket, or in the summer, a 5.11 covert shirt. I've carried it for about 6 years, and there is no rust on it. I lube the internals about every 6 weeks or so and rarely wipe it down. Had it at the range just yesterday and ran about 50 rounds through it flawlessly. The blue is worn on the edges to the metal, and its a lot lighter than it was when it was new.. but I kinda dig it that way. It has character. The bluing is just fine for most of us.

 

Good choice!  I don't think you'll regret it.  
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I agree. I wish I would have gotten the HC. I have only had my gun for about a week but I look at my taurus and wish this little guy looked the same.

 

I have the HC and it has held up great in my sweaty central FL. pocket. My business partners blued finish had some very light rust after just a month. He had it duracoated but not real happy about how it looks like plastic. My LCP had some spots where the coating I assume was blue but seemed like something else was flaking off so I took it to the grinder and reshaped it to look more like the Kimber SOLO. Then I shot it with molly resin and have decided it is the best gun coating on the market. At least in hot sweaty humid Fl. You just can't scratch the stuff. Even after running 100 rounds through it the internals are still coated and slick. Duracoat for plastic, moly for metal.

 

Which moly coat did you use?