FNX-9 - Black or stainless finish?

My FNP's slides are melonite and they live in holster's and they show no sign of wear (two years for the 9, almost a year for the 45). I think the melonite will hold up for a very long time, so really it would be a personal preference. I don't know if the plain stainless will scratch easier or not though.

I've had both on the FNP-45. Here's what I've found:

The plain stainless will get covered with soot soon after you start shooting. It does not come off easily. It looks nice when cleaned up.

The "black" slide is a flat dark gray. Any oil on the slide will be very noticeable, including that from your skin when you handle it.

If I had to pick between the two, I'd go with the black slide. They are both made from identical materials. The only difference is the black coating. The choice comes down to cleaning, IMO. I've had a plain stainless steel slide XD(m) and FNP-45 and both were a pain to clean completely. Be aware that the black coating still isn't as easy to clean as the glossy surface of a Glock slide. Those take me the least amount of time to clean up due to the materials, coatings, and simplistic design. The FNP-45 has lots of nooks, crannies, and sharp surfaces. It would appear the FNX is similar in this regard.

I've found the melonite pretty easy to clean. Most of the carbon just comes off with a rag and a little pressure in my experience. The FDE frame on the other hand, is a bit of a PITA to get looking decent again.

Melonite is harder and "slicker" (from a wear/rubbing standpoint) than plain stainless. Not sure if it would have an effect on life, but it's something to keep in mind.

its not just plain stainless. the "stainless" finish is actually a passivate coating :?

me personally I dont care for any bling so black it is

Passivate isn't a coating per se, it's a process to remove any ferrite from the surface of the stainless so it won't get rust speckles. It will also leave a thin clear oxide on the surface also, but the primary purpose in stainless is generally to remove ferrite that is left by the fabrication process and machining tools.

gearhead said:

Passivate isn't a coating per se, it's a process to remove any ferrite from the surface of the stainless so it won't get rust speckles. It will also leave a thin clear oxide on the surface also, but the primary purpose in stainless is generally to remove ferrite that is left by the fabrication process and machining tools.

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:?

That's interesting. I found more "passivate" info here:

http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/how-to-passivate-stainless-steel-parts

I would be happy with either finish so I suppose I'll just get what is available, but I'm leaning toward "tactical black".

I think the black is all that is available at the moment anyway.

Both finishes are available. When I ordered my FNX-9, I was asked which finish I wanted and was told both were available. I chose the black finish.

djv38 said:

I think the black is all that is available at the moment anyway.

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Yeah, I found some for sale after I posted that. All the local ones were the all black.