Firearm with enhanced corrosion and wear resistance properties

Abstract

This invention encompasses articles, compositions, and methods that provide enhanced corrosion resistance and wear resistance to firearms, firearm components, and firearm accessories. In one aspect, for example, a substrate comprising a firearm component is coated with a first layer of a corrosion-resistant material such as a first metal, followed by a second thin film layer of an abrasion-resistant material such as a second metal, a ceramic material such as a metal nitride, diamond-like carbon material, or other materials.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A non-projectile firearm component or accessory, wherein the firearm component or accessory is selected from a frame, a slide, a barrel, a receiver, or any constituent thereof, comprising:
 a. a substrate comprising a base material of the firearm component or accessory, the substrate having an external surface, and the substrate comprising a metal or metal alloy material selected from the group comprising carbon steel, low-carbon steel, alloy steel, tin-free steel, killed steel, semikilled steel, capped steel, rimmed steel, aluminum killed steel, bake hardenable steel, stainless steel, austenitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, or any combination thereof;   b. a first layer substantially covering at least a portion of the external surface of the substrate and having corrosion resistance properties, the first layer comprising at least one corrosion resistant metal or metal alloy plating, the first layer having no carbon fiber; and   c. at least one additional layer applied over at least a portion of the first layer, the at least one additional layer comprising a coating of a wear resistant material selected from the group comprising a ceramic material, metal nitride, a metal carbon nitride, intermetallic compound, metal carbide, metal sulfide, diamond-like carbon (DLC), a carbon material, or any combination thereof;   wherein the first layer is different than the at least one additional layer, and wherein the at least one additional layer defines an exposed external surface of the firearm component or accessory, other than an internal surface defined by a bore of a firearm barrel.   
     
     
         34 . The firearm component or accessory of claim  1 , wherein the coating of the at least one additional layer further includes a coating selected from the group comprising zirconium nitride, boron nitride, titanium nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, titanium carbonitride, chromium nitride, chromium carbonitride, tungsten nitride, tungsten carbide, tungsten/tungsten carbide, boron carbide, aluminum chromium nitride, chromium carbide, molybdenum disulfide, molybdenum, nickel, copper, rhenium, tungsten, chromium, graphite, amorphous carbon, amorphous hydrogenated carbon, copper or any combination thereof.