For the past 25 years, this great old super-shooter has served as my house gun. It’s lived a quiet life, secure in the places I chose to keep it. But during its first 25 years, with different owners, it was subjected to some extreme holster wear. When I acquired it, it was still tight and shot well, but the finish was bad due to its being carried more than shot.
It would have continued as my house gun if the sociological climate of our country hadn’t begun giving signs of the need for more personal protection. That, plus my state’s positive attitude toward concealed carry, gave me cause to consider changing my house gun’s status.
I prefer the .45 ACP cartridge together with the 1911 launching pad. I had both, so why not promote my old Gold Cup to a carry gun? Now, I am the first to admit that carrying a full-size 1911 concealed presents a challenge, especially in the hot Arizona weather. Body sweat places new demands on any gun finish, and being in close contact with clothing demands that the weapon not be oily.
Then I remembered NP3, a gun finish first introduced by Robbie Barrkman’s Robar Companies. For those not familiar with NP3, it is a surface treatment for steel that combines electroless nickel and sub-micron particles of PTFE (better known as Teflon).
Robar’s newest innovation, NP3 Plus, offers all the qualities of the original NP3, with the addition of greatly increased corrosion protection.
NP3 Plus is truly the gun finish for concealed carry. It provides corrosion protection in extreme conditions while at the same time giving the necessary lubrication without oil.
As evidenced by the before and after photos, the transformation done by Robar was almost magical. When I first looked at my “new” 1911, I had to check the serial number to verify it was the same gun! It was, but looked brand new with its NP3 Plus finish.
Anyone desiring to upgrade their arsenal should investigate the options. Instead of paying list price for a new weapon that may require some gunsmithing to fine tune it, take one of your own that’s a proven shooter and let Robar refinish it as I did. You might even consider buying a proven used gun and go the Robar NP3 Plus refinish route.
In addition to handguns, Robar also refinishes rifles and shotguns.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, let these pictures say what NP3 Plus can do for an old warrior!
