Abstract The article presents the results of a study examining the effectiveness of copper ion implantation in the steel surface for a similar friction pair without lubricant. It is shown that under steady-state friction conditions with implanted ions at irradiation doses of 1017 and 5 × 1017 ion/cm2, the steel wear resistance increases by 2 and 1.5 times, respectively. The effect of preliminary implantation of iron ions at a dose of 1016 ion/cm2 is examined. It is found that the use of preliminary implantation leads to a 2.5-fold increase in wear resistance. The friction surface of samples pre-implanted with iron ions exhibits minimal damage and the highest wear resistance. The article describes structural changes in the surface plastic deformation zone during sliding friction of steel with a copper-based coating. It is shown that the increase in wear resistance is associated with the presence of a “long-range effect,” which contributes to an increase in the wear resistance of surface layers. The mechanism of the long-range effect in ion-alloyed metallic materials under contact deformation conditions is discussed.