<p>NiW pulsed electrodeposition was performed on substrate-tempered martensitic AISI 4150 steel for gun barrel applications, achieving a 22.5% reduction in surface roughness. The intrinsic hardness (<i>H</i>_o) and material characteristic length (<i>h</i>^*) of the NiW coatings were determined to be 6.33 ± 0.35 GPa and 143.07 ± 7.50 nm, respectively, from indentation size effect studies. Friction coefficient and wear rate analyses were conducted using both cylindrical and spherical NiW-coated pins, with worn groove volumes converted to weight loss to evaluate the wear rate of an oxygen-free copper counter-disk. The primary wear mechanisms for spherical NiW pins included adhesion (smashed region), delamination, and oxidation, while for cylindrical NiW pins, adhesion (lip formation), abrasion, and oxidation were observed, with wear severity increasing at 300&#xa0;°C. The NiW coatings exhibited a friction coefficient range of 0.19-0.84 and wear rate range of (2-38) × 10⁻⁸&#xa0;g&#xa0;N⁻¹&#xa0;m⁻¹, respectively, against the copper disk.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>