Gunsmithing Melonite... who does it?

[18Echo]

Okay it seems Melonite is a registered name of some process I can't even begin to spell or explain. I have a Defiance Deviant Long Action I want to get completely "melonited" or whatever other trademarked name it is called. couple questions...

1. who does it, who do you recommend?
2. what is a reasonable cost?
3. is the whole thing done, or the firing pin and small parts removed and only the action, bolt body done?

thanks in advance, points of contact or links appreciated...

 

[supercorndogs]

I had a bolt parkerized at LRI.

 

[GH41]

Okay it seems Melonite is a registered name of some process I can't even begin to spell or explain. I have a Defiance Deviant Long Action I want to get completely "melonited" or whatever other trademarked name it is called. couple questions...

1. who does it, who do you recommend?
2. what is a reasonable cost?
3. is the whole thing done, or the firing pin and small parts removed and only the action, bolt body done?

thanks in advance, points of contact or links appreciated...

The problem you are going to have is finding a gun guy that does a lot of volume with the people doing the treatment. It doesn't happen in a gun shop. The vender doing the treatment won't crank up the tank until it is at full capacity unless you are will to pay out the ass for it. The gun guy you send it to may sit on it for months before sending it to the company that actually does it.

 

[Ledzep]

I had a bolt parkerized at LRI.

Totally different process.

Parkerizing is either Zinc dihydrogen phosphate or manganese dioxide phosphate and is a surface chemical reaction that produces a crystalline layer on the surface of the steel part that holds oil. Absolutely doesn't work on stainless or even high-nickel non-stainless steels. The temperatures involved are typically around 180-200 degrees farenheit and do not alter the granular structure or material properties at all.

Melonite/nitride/tenifer/etc... can be performed in numerous ways, but the end result is typically very similar. The part is heated (above the tempering temp) then put through a salt bath or gaseous nitrogen exposure that infuses the surface of the part with nitrogen, creating a thin (0.004-0.008" typically) layer of super-hard nitro-carburized steel. Because the core typically isn't heated enough to go into the austenite phase and isn't quenched to re-harden it, but is heated beyond the max tempering temperature, the typical result is that the core will be softer and more ductile. Most times this means a loss in yield and ultimate tensile strength. Main point is you ARE changing the physical properties of the steel, and that's why several action companies void warranty if you melonite parts. Not saying it's guaranteed to blow up or anything, just something to be aware of. The process can be used on stainless and non-stainless steels with varying results. Good idea to research what you have, and how that particular flavor of steel/stainless reacts to nitro-carburizing.

I'll stop there, this subject has been beat to death here many times. Do your homework.

 

[mcc308]

Call defiance ask them.

 

[bohem]

Melonite is the same as Tenifer,black nitride, QPQ, salt bath nitriding, etc. It's all Ferritic Nitrocarburizing that's done in a molten salt bath.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferritic_nitrocarburizing

I use H&M Metal Processing in Ohio for the pieces we get FNC'd.