PURPOSE: To protect a piston ring against scuff and wear by the base material of the piston ring located on the upper side of a spray coated layer, by burying a spray coated layer in an annular groove formed around the outer peripheral surface of the piston ring at its center portion, and chamfering the upper marginal portion of the slide surface to extend to the upper portion of the spray coated layer.

CONSTITUTION: A piston ring 10 is made from steel wire. The steel wire is formed with a groove at one side thereof at the time of drawing, and then it is bent into a circular form such that said groove is located on the outside. Finally, the steel wire is cut to a proper length. After applying shot blasting to the outer peripheral surface of the ring member 10, spray coating of a metal such as Mo, Ni, Cr, Fe, etc. is applied to the ring member 10. Then, the slide surface 11 is shaped into a barrel-like form by abrading the outer surface of the ring member 10, so that the spray coated layer 12 is left only in the annular groove 13. Then, the upper peripheral portion 14 of the ring member 10 is chamfered into a tapered form by way of abrasion.