Got my 9mm Walther PPS and .40 S&W Beretta PX4 Storm back from ROBAR -- PICS

General Firearms Handguns - Semi Auto
1

I got my 9mm PPS and .40 S&W PX4 Storm back from ROBAR late last week, and my .40 S&W PPS is now with them to get the same treatment. I opted to get their latest new NP3 PLUS finish put on my handguns. According to ROBAR, this new improved NP3 PLUS has even better resistance to corrosion than the original standard NP3 finish. In fact, they claim it has the best corrosion resistance of anything on the market. The finish is also known for providing lubricity. So the guns now need very little lube at all to function.

This is what my 9mm PPS now looks like with the NP3 PLUS finish:

Every metal part of the PPS gets treated, so the gun becomes totally protected from corrosion. Here is a photo of the inside of the slide and the frame, so you can see all of the interior work that is done:

They actually told me that they get quite a few PPS pistols to work on.

I had them do my full size Beretta PX4 Storm in .40 S&W in the NP3 Plus as well, and it came out looking absolutely gorgeous too:

My initial observations are all very favorable so far. Not only does the new finish look great, but the claims that the NP3 and NP3 PLUS provide lubricity appears to be very real. I still have a tad of grease and oil in the guns, but operating the slides on both guns feels radically different now. It is like there is no friction whatsoever between the slide and the frame anymore. ZERO. The actions could not feel more slick. Some roughness in the trigger pull on the Walther PPS is now gone as well. Weight of pull seems the same, but there is a noticeable improvement in smoothness. The trigger pull on my PX4 Storm, which was already very good, has not noticeably changed.

The only negative part of my experience with ROBAR was the long 3 1/2 month turnaround time to get the work done. ROBAR had indicated in their paperwork for my order that a 2 month turnaround was typical. But they apparently have been backed up a lot worse this year. I guess that demand for their services must be up. And that is certainly understandable, as they do such quality work.

So I have to say that I definitely recommend their work and am satisfied with the work that they did on these two pistols. If you send your pistol into them, though, just don’t count on it being back in 2 months. For it could take 3 or even potentially 4 months. Hopefully they will get it back to a 2 month turnaround again sometime in the future.

If you would like to read more about the NP3 PLUS finish, here is ROBAR’s info page about it:

http://www.robarguns.com/np3%20plus.html

.

2

Excellent work there sir! I’m a big fan of NP3/+ finish and have it on several of my pistols, including a Beretta. Sometimes I go out looking for a hand gun at the store just to refinish.

3

Good looking pistols!

ROBAR did a very fine job for you.

4

Robar does great work. They are located here in Phoenix and tend to be less busy in the winter. Your pistols look great.

5

They had a big discount sale for Shot Show this year, and I sent my guns in right at the tail end of the promotion. So I probably sent them in the very worst time of the entire year for turnaround. So I’m partially to blame myself.

Bottom line, though, is that I got a good price, and the guns came out fabulous. So I really have nothing to complain about. I just thought that I would give folks a heads up that the turnaround can end up being longer than 2 months.

.

6

That is awesome. I’ve done hard chrome on polymer gun slides many, many times. I need try Robar once.

7

Well, it is not as hard and tough as chrome. But the finish comes out very even and complete. And it is said to have corrosion resistance second to none ( which is the feature I mainly wanted ), as well as lubricity that is so good hardly any lubrication is needed.

I used a flash with these photos, and the PPS came out looking really bright in its photo due to reflection off the metal from the intense light of the flash. The rear part of the slide in the photo of the PX4 Storm better represents what the finish looks like in normal lighting, as it is not reflecting light from the flash. So the finish is not as bright as some chrome finishes that I have seen. Still quite attractive, though.

.

8

I have a PX4 as well. If I ever get NP3 on a gun, it would likely be that one. The slickness of the finish would be great for the rotating design of the PX4 barrel

9

The action on both guns are like night and day compared to how they felt before. It feels so different working the action of either gun now. It is like there is ZERO friction now.

Just saying the word slick doesn’t quite fully describe how it feels. But words fail me in how to better describe it.

.