TargetTalk

I know the black is anodized but is the silver anodized as well or is it satin blasted aluminum?

Greetings,

Back when I worked for a big Aeroplane factory I would have some of my Aluminum parts anodized. To my surprise, the fellow doing the work telephoned and asked what colour I would like.

Cheers,

Dave

Dave is correct. Anodize can come in almost any color you like. You've probably already seen blue anodized aluminum hydraulic couplings. Here's a company that offers a wide spectrum.... http://www.coatingsystemsgroup.com/anodizing/

Besides the color, anodizing can also impart a harder, longer wearing surface to aluminum. That makes it a favorite surface treatment to allow aluminum to hold up under scuffing, like a bolt would experience.

Thirdly, it seals the surface to help stop corrosion. Aluminum gun parts exposed to handling would certainly oxidize rapidly in the presence of the salts left by humans.

If the matte finish has you wondering, the part could be media blasted AND anodized. Those finishes are not mutually exclusive.

In the end, different aluminum alloys require require different levels of protection. You'd almost need to see the part drawing or have a material analysis to know exactly what's going on.

Thanks guys! I just wasn't sure what the Steyer silver finish is, blasted aluminum or anodized in a silver / aluminum color. Probably anodized. Just trying to narrow down my next purchase. I'm interested in the new Morini 200 but the Steyer EVO 10 is really pulling me to it. If only I had the budget for both ;-)

Forget those windjammers and get a SSP if you're man enough.

I used to anodize custom optics housings. The process consists of four main steps (rinse and dry after each but the last).
a) Thoroughly degrease the part(s).
b) Electro-etch in sulfuric acid. This makes the surface micro porous.
c) Dye in the aniline dye bath. It's an ordinary dye used to color textiles.
d) Seal with oil.

Depending on the color of the dye used in step (c) you can indeed make the part any color you want. If you want silver color, you just skip step (c) altogether.

Rover wrote:Forget those windjammers and get a SSP if you're man enough.

:-) I started off with SSP back in 2000, It was an IZH 46, a few years later I got the IZH 46M. I no longer have either but wish I still had the 46M.

If when getting parts annodised, you specify "natural" as the colour, silver is what you get.

No dye stage as previous poster pointed out.