I've been trying to discover what Browning's Silver Nitride finish is for a while, and curious about what other mfgr's are doing for coin finish. I think I have some reliable answers.

Beretta's coin finish is electoless nickel - Rich Cole
Kolar's coin finish is also EN - Doug Braker, former head gunsmith at Kolar
Browning's process for Citoris is Nitriding, aka nitrocauberizing - Doug Braker

Nitriding details

Knowledge is good - I wanted to reblue my tarnished Citori but couldn't get the dope on what the 'plating' was. I thought it was EN, but EN stripper had no effect on the triggerguard that I tested. Now I find the 'plating' isn't plating but a special surface hardening. Clearly not something I want to remove.

Doug Braker said at the end of the nitriding process the pieces are brownish and tarnished. Then the pieces are carefully buffed to the bright finish, and that sometimes tarnish spots are a result of over buffing in some areas.

Thread on SW with info

How does one get in touch with Doug ?? Kwn

Yeti,

Well done. So often in past discussions every one assumed there was one process in use. From your research that is obviously not the case.

Makes me wonder how many different processes have been used. Also, short of an electron microscope scan, how do you begin to tell which process was employed?

Pete

Ken,
Doug Braker

info@dougsgunsmithshop.com
http://www.dougsgunsmithshop.com

On his website, Doug is the first gunsmithing outfit I know offering TiN coating for parts. He says he's found a good reliable source for this work (won't lose parts).

I have owned at least two or three (bad memory) Brownings with so called "silver nitride" finishes. The first couple had what probably was something akin to true silver nitride. The latest one is a B525 which is definitely a stainless steel reciever, forend iron, and triggerguard. The barrel hood or shrowd that fairs the barrels to the top of the reciever, is, of course, of the same low alloy (chromoly) steel that the barrel monoblock is made of (yes it's a monoblocked gun). This hood is treated with some process (silver nitride maybe?) to make it silver, but it doesn't match the reciever.