Legal Manufacturing teamed up with Chattanooga Shooting Supply (CSS) earlier this year to produce Glock 19 pistols with the NIB Battleworn finish. It would seem that these were commercially successful as CSS is set to show a new Battleworn Glock 19 with relief cuts at the SHOT Show next month.

The guns are third generation G19 pistols that have extensive machine work done on the slide surface. Relief cuts are made on the top and sides of the slide. This machine work includes the addition of forward slide serrations, parallelograms, a Tetris shape and flowchart arrowheads. (Well, the company may call them something different, but that’s what they look like to me.)

The slides are then finished with the NIB Battleworn process. This process gives the slide a Rockwell hardness of 70 while also reducing friction and increasing resistance to corrosion. While these are all good things, let’s be honest: many (most?) are opting for the Battleworn finish because of the looks.

With the finish, high surfaces have a light grey color as if they have been worn down by years of hard use. Recessed areas have a darker grey appearance that both highlights the machine work and gives authenticity to the look.

The finish looks good in my opinion. I just wonder if this is the gun world’s equivalent of buying pre-ripped designer jeans. Regardless, I like it better than the Pumpkin flavored G19 and the gold inlayed one. The MSRP on the new gun is $629.