Bolt coating after fluting

[JollyRogers]

Looking at sending off my tikka t3x lite stainless bolt off for fluting at LRI. Is there any reason to have them apply a coating afterwards? Either nitride or cerakote?

If nitride will improve performance/durability I’d be happy but if it’s purely cosmetic I’m happy leaving it “raw” stainless

 

[wind gypsy]

Nitride is a treatment, not a coating. It does leave a black finish as a biproduct of the coating.

Personally, I wouldn’t have a bolt cerakoted ever again but I’ve heard of guys who had it done by LRI that didn’t regret it.

But then I wouldn’t waste my money getting a bolt fluted either.

 

[JollyRogers]

Nitride is a treatment, not a coating. It does leave a black finish as a biproduct of the coating.

Personally, I wouldn’t have a bolt cerakoted ever again but I’ve heard of guys who had it done by LRI that didn’t regret it.

But then I wouldn’t waste my money getting a bolt fluted either.

Thanks for the clarification on nitride being a treatment. I admittedly am ok with the $50 for a purely cosmetic modification to my bolt.

My question remains…are there any “performance” benefits to nitride over leaving the raw stainless

 

[01Foreman400]

Cerakote will wear over time. I’ve had several done. Personally on my Tikka’s I like the look of the raw material. I don’t see any added performance by adding a coating. Especially on a Tikka.

 

[DaleW]

I've noticed that when both the reciever and bolt are cerakoted you'll typically lose some smoothness and the action wants to bind a bit more. A cerokoted reciever with a nitride or stainless bolt is what I typically prefer(assuming the action didn't come nitrided).

 

[wind gypsy]

I’m all for nitride bolt and receivers. I’ve seen people who know more about this mention that in order to nitride treat steel correctly one needs to know specific properties of the steel that is being treated in order to avoid compromising its integrity. I wonder if people treating tikkas know the details on the steel tikka uses?