Action Nitride

[Ranger188]

Looking to build a 300 Norma Mag. in a chassis, (not for hunting or comp.)
Question, most actions can be done with Nitride.
What are the pro's and con's of having this done if any?

 

[RegionRat]

Looking to build a 300 Norma Mag. in a chassis, (not for hunting or comp.)
Question, most actions can be done with Nitride.
What are the pro's and con's of having this done if any?

I think by saying "having it done" you mean doing your own design? Or just taking an existing option?

Nitride comes in several forms. and actions come in more than one metal, so assuming the shop doing the nitriding work knows what they are doing.... I will speak in generalities.

Nitride surface treatments are pretty well known and perform very well compared to their cost.

However, the devil is in the details. Sometimes the dimensions and processing details need iterations and small changes to work, and sometimes a design can go in and come right out in one try.

So, there is a little development risk in a new design, and it helps to have experience with the little things that cause problems. Having enough bank to adjust designs in case the first try fails is a serious consideration.

On the other hand, if you are talking about buying a receiver that comes with a "Nitride" option, then the surface hardness, wear, corrosion properties, etc., are a pretty good value. YMMV

 

[Ranger188]

The 2 options I'm looking at are, Defiance and Kauger.
Both have the option of having Nitride done through them. (probably send it out)
All my current actions are SS
So thought I might give it a try if it's a good thing.

 

[RegionRat]

The 2 options I'm looking at are, Defiance and Kauger.
Both have the option of having Nitride done through them. (probably send it out)
All my current actions are SS
So thought I might give it a try if it's a good thing.

This would be six one way and half dozen the other.... Both of these are fine actions in either option, so I would just decide on what makes you happy in terms of color.

 

[LCazador]

Why don't you buy an action already nitrided?

 

[WSnyder]

What are the pro's and con's of having this done if any?

There's no cons really in my mind other than added cost. If the option is provided by the action manufacturer, all the better.

 

[Walt Krafft]

When I order an action, if there is an option to have it nitrited, I get it.

 

[DaveTooley]

I can speak for Defiance, found a new Ruckus bolt in factory Nitrate, sent it in and had them make the receiver, to save time I left it in stainless , when I got it back I must say it’s one slick action, then bought 2 more both all stainless, then again found another bolt in PPC , same thing, super smooth, it made me a believer in the DLC, if you have the option get it done.
I have been very happy dealing with Defiance, great communication, prices are good, they have built what I wanted, and plenty of options to choose from.
No shortage of positive reviews from your other action choice

DLC is not nitride

 

[AZmark]

I had a rifle built on a Remington Model 7 action with a Krieger barrel. I had a chemical engineer friend that gave me the name of a shop he was real familiar with that did nitride on an industrial level but the manager did guns on the side when they had room in the tanks. It was reasonable and the barreled action came out very nice. In my research of nitride I found that it is much more durable than cerakote because its a chemical reaction with the steel where cerakote is basically a type of powder coating. I've found this to be true because I also have a rifle with cerakote by a top name shop and it shows some wear after little use..in comparison.

 

[JackWolfKnives]

Nitride in this context is a generalized term, typically describing a salt bath process (quench, polish, quench). It is a surface treatment that changes the molecular composition of the top few millimeters of the metal (it is often erroneously referred to as a coating). It increases hardness, improves corrosion resistance, and I believe it makes things more lubricious. I really like nitride treated parts. They clean up easy and resist wear. I would pay extra for it personally. Plus it looks awesome. There is a fantastic video on YouTube about it, a gun guy interviews a nitride factory operator in Canada, I bet you can find it easy enough if you want to learn more.

 

[divingin]

I think there are a couple/few methods of nitriding steel. Salt bath, as you mentioned; furnace with ammonia vapor; and I can't remember the third (and there may be others as well. They all involve reacting the steel to get some amount of nitrogen penetration into the steel surface.

Google AI to the rescue (for a change): "Nitriding is a heat treatment that introduces nitrogen into the surface of steel to form hard, wear-resistant nitrides, enhancing surface hardness, fatigue strength, and corrosion resistance with minimal distortion. Common methods include gas nitriding, using ammonia gas; plasma (ion) nitriding, using electrically charged nitrogen atoms in a vacuum; and historically, salt bath nitriding, which has largely fallen out of favor due to toxicity concerns. The process is applied to various steel alloys and is crucial for parts like gears, crankshafts, and dies, where increased durability and dimensional stability are required."

 

[swd]

Once you go nitride you'll never go back. The slickness and wear resistance is awesome and it makes the beautiful sound that super hard metal when you close the action, lol

 

[JackWolfKnives]

I think there are a couple/few methods of nitriding steel. Salt bath, as you mentioned; furnace with ammonia vapor; and I can't remember the third (and there may be others as well. They all involve reacting the steel to get some amount of nitrogen penetration into the steel surface.

Google AI to the rescue (for a change): "Nitriding is a heat treatment that introduces nitrogen into the surface of steel to form hard, wear-resistant nitrides, enhancing surface hardness, fatigue strength, and corrosion resistance with minimal distortion. Common methods include gas nitriding, using ammonia gas; plasma (ion) nitriding, using electrically charged nitrogen atoms in a vacuum; and historically, salt bath nitriding, which has largely fallen out of favor due to toxicity concerns. The process is applied to various steel alloys and is crucial for parts like gears, crankshafts, and dies, where increased durability and dimensional stability are required."

It seems like for firearms parts and conponents, I often see QPQ advertised (salt bath). Maybe it’s more appropriate for the way our parts are used?

 

[SKWERLZ]

I have a nitrided action, very slick and smooth, if it was an option I’d do it.

 

[lb-ft]

Many stainless alloys are gummy and inclined to gall. Nitriding is a big step in the right direction.

 

[Tommie]

At the recommendation of the manufacturer I got my first nitrided action a year ago. They told me lubing the lugs was totally optional based upon their tests. The bolt opening is butter smooth. Zero regrets.

 

[Rainbow1]

It has been discussed several times in the forums but I don’t recall seeing a place to send an individual bolt for nitriding. Does anyone know of such a company that will do it for a bolt or two?

 

[LCazador]

If it's not a coating then the rumor that it adds dimensional issues is not true?

 

[Rat Rifle]

If it's not a coating then the rumor that it adds dimensional issues is not true?

Kauger Actions don’t have any dimensional issues.

 

[RegionRat]

If it's not a coating then the rumor that it adds dimensional issues is not true?

Not a rumor, there are microscopic thickness/volume changes due to the process, but the question is how significant that change is versus the design clearances.

It is hard to generalize since there are several grades and types of steel being discussed, as well as several ways to nitride. These are all considered a form of "case hardening" in a loose sense of the words since the depth of the treatment is usually small compared to the part dimensions.

The good news is that most of the dimensional clearances in a typical rifle action design, are tolerant of the process.

But generalizations can be dangerous, so the homework must be done when tampering with designs. YMMV