The study on the wear characteristics of compound layers formed during gaseous nitrocarburising in the medium carbon boron steels and the plain carbon steel has been carried out by using a pin-on-disc type wear test machine under the oil lubricating condition at room temperature and by varying applied loads, sliding speeds and wear distances. Values of friction coefficient measured at the sliding speed of 0.4m/sec under the oil lubricating condition have been shown to decrease considerably with increasing applied load and become gradually a constant value as load is increased to a higher value, showing that the transition load for friction coefficient appears at an applied load of 247.2N. The length and volume wear rates of compound layer have been revealed to relatively constantly increase, also showing that the wear life per unit thickness of compound layer turns out to be superior as porous layer has a denser and thinner appearance. As the sliding speed increases during wear test performed by varying sliding speed at a load of 63.2N under the oil lubricating condition for medium carbon boron steel nitrocarburised in gas atmosphere, the wear rate has been found to increase, the friction coefficient to decrease and the wear life per unit thickness of compound layer to decrease considerably.