Black Diamond finish durability

[marswalker]

Can anyone let answer what I should expect from the black diamond finish in regards to durability.

I just bought a p380 black diamond finish and the first time I stripped to clean my wedding band made a nice scratch in the finish - I thought wow what a bummer -

Today I took it to the range and put 123 rounds of assorted ammo through with only 2 stovepipes -

My question is - after i got back home I noticed the black finish is pretty marked up and you can actually see stainless steel on the left side of the slide where my thumb has worn right through the finish - not really what i expected on a $600 dollar pistol.

Does anyone else have some input ? It seems like this coating is little better than BBQ paint or did I get a lemon?

on the + side it is amazingly accurate - as good as my sig P238 and has very little recoil! trigger is phenomenal!



Thanks!

[pm9fan]

Sample size of one - DLC coating on my PM9 slide and slide stop had the stainless starting to show through. The slide stop had a significant area on the forward section and the slide was showing stainless on the edges. Only IWB soft holster and "ZACK" (kydex trigger guard cover) used. Noted my 8 year old Glock coating looked better than the almost new Kahr.

Purchased this gun from Kahr direct around five months ago. Called customer service and RMA issued. Just short of a three week turn around and got it back this week with a new slide and slide stop. I called customer service and asked about the stainless already showing on the bottom of the slide from only being fired once at Kahr. Told by the gunsmith this is normal.

Next week time to run a couple of hundred rounds through it for a practical eval of the work done.

[Ol'coot]

My daily carry is a PM9 that is just over a 14 months old with the DLC finish in a crossbreed mini-tuck IWB holster. I have close to 2000 rounds through it and it still has no wear areas like you describe. The only area with any wear is a very small area inside the slide just above the magazine. I would say that the coating is very durable at least in my case.

I would be unhappy and complaining to Kahr CS if I were you.

[OldLincoln]

Based on the old literature, DLC should be tough and resistant to rubs and scratches. Over a long time some wear will show, but not like you described. We need Jocko, John or someone from Kahr to step in here because I just went to Kahr and found no reference to DLC. Instead there was this referencing "Blackened Stainless steel":

Blackened Stainless
The KP3834 matte stainless slide is blackened using an ultra hard and super thin coating. This coating has been used successfully in the knife industry to protect blades from corrosion and scratches.
===============
Note the difference... The old DLC info stated a treatment that converted the surface molecules into a super hard surface. This sounds like paint. Perhaps someone can check this out with Kahr.

[garyb]

That is sincerely disappointing to hear. My PM40 is not that old, but it has had a ton of use: shooting, dry fire practice, racking, in and out of holsters, daily pocket carry, cleaning once a week, etc... It does not show any wear other than a slight amount at the bottom of the slide, which should be expected (wear points). I would send it back ASAP and complain. It should not scratch. I'd demand prompt action. Sorry to hear it.

[marswalker]

Thanks for all the replies - i will be calling Kahr CS and I'll post back with their response.

A little disappointed - we'll see how they respond - other than this I am very happy with the pistol - still not quite sure how they justify price compared to others but choice was limited - I have had a sig p238 and a ruger lcp which had nicer fit and finish than the Kahr (yes really) but was a horrible gun to fire -

Thanks again

[ltxi]

Based on the old literature, DLC should be tough and resistant to rubs and scratches. Over a long time some wear will show, but not like you described. We need Jocko, John or someone from Kahr to step in here because I just went to Kahr and found no reference to DLC. Instead there was this referencing "Blackened Stainless steel":

Blackened Stainless
The KP3834 matte stainless slide is blackened using an ultra hard and super thin coating. This coating has been used successfully in the knife industry to protect blades from corrosion and scratches.
===============
Note the difference... The old DLC info stated a treatment that converted the surface molecules into a super hard surface. This sounds like paint. Perhaps someone can check this out with Kahr.

Interesting. My 2 1/2 y/o PM9, daily carry, somewhere under 3000 rounds through it, shows zero wear to the DLC finish. The kind of wear described in the first two posts is much like the old blackened carbon slides. I have a K9 with one of those....just look at it hard and you have bright edges and wear marks.

[BroncoAZ]

My PM9 is the black finish, billed as DLC when I got it last May. I haven't noticed any abnormal wear, but the PM9 is a weekend carry piece for me. One thing I noticed is that the black finish grabs lint when cleaning it; it seems on the rough side. When I ordered my P380 I got the stainless model over the DLC. I figured in a pocket carry gun the regular stainless may draw smoother and the stainless is easier to remove scratches from.

[kramm]

I have a pm45 that I carry every day. It's 11 months old and has right at 1000 rds. through it.
The only wear I can find is on the slide around the slide lock pin hole. I carry it in a leather holster, iwb. As others have suggested, contact Kahr. It should have the same type finish as others.