Firearms Coating

[Zach757]

I apologize in advance if this post is in the wrong spot but what kind of coating do y'all use? I am looking to get my AR coated in OD green and have only really looked at Cerakote and Duracoat so far. Any cheaper alternatives out there that someone has had luck with?

Thanks!

 

[Rookie]

Rustoleum.

 

[Zach757]

Rustoleum.

Have you had any problems with it cooking off the barrel or anything? I mean i suppose that'll happen eventually anyhow but i don't want to be painting it every month.

 

[Squirt239]

You get what you pay for. If you want durability and something that looks good,you'll pat for it. If you want a quick fix that may or may not do the job, rattle can it. I will say though, if you're unhappy with the spray can, it's not terribly difficult to change it

 

[Psode27]

Check out Gun kote too. While not as good as cerakote, I've had really good luck spraying it. I'm definitely not a painter, and I've had great results. Its very this as well so no tolerance issues.
I would be wary of durakote. Not saying its bad, but its thicker, and doesn't wear as well.
Here's a quick picture of my budget oven.....

Not pretty but it does the trick!

 

[AllenM]

Check out Gun kote too. While not as good as cerakote, I've had really good luck spraying it. I'm definitely not a painter, and I've had great results. Its very this as well so no tolerance issues.
I would be wary of durakote. Not saying its bad, but its thicker, and doesn't wear as well.
Here's a quick picture of my budget oven.....

Not pretty but it does the trick!

Not bad.

I agree with everything in this post and kudos on the home made setup. Gunkote is very durable when done right and much easier to spray the cerakote.
Squirt239 is dead on too.
You get what you pay for. If you want something that looks professional and holds up, it is going to cost. if you will be satisfied with just a different color that looks like rattle can work go for it. As Squirt said it is not hard to remove and redo....which means it is not to durable either

 

[BOVindy]

Out of curiosity, do you guys have much experience in the metal plating/coating side of things. I'm curious to know what you think about NP3, TiN, TiAN, Melonite, and the like.

 

[churchmouse]

I apologize in advance if this post is in the wrong spot but what kind of coating do y'all use? I am looking to get my AR coated in OD green and have only really looked at Cerakote and Duracoat so far. Any cheaper alternatives out there that someone has had luck with?

Thanks!

Man I hate it when the word "Cheap" is used in reference to a firearm.
You get what you pay for in a coating.
Dura is not the best thing going in my humble opinion.
Ceracoat is what I have used on any guns I get color coated and it is far better than Dura again, from my own personal experience.
This is a multi-step process that properly done does take some time. Every "Cheap" I got a killer deal re-coat I have seen does not wear well if at all.
Contact AllenM (my go to guy) or any number of qualified people in the area to get this done.

 

[churchmouse]

Rustoleum.

 

[Rookie]

Hey, he asked for cheaper!

 

[TheHive]

I have access to a Ecoat line good PPG stuff,its a perfect base to work with, then you can paint it olive drab and if you don't like it just use acetone and back down to the Ecoat you go.

 

[padawan]

I've Cerakoted receivers and parts and its tuff as folks say. Also rattle canned a handguard to match Magpul OD Green. Sure it has some dings after a few years but still shoots. We don't plan on dragging it behind a car.

YMMV and what everyone else said about getting what you pay for.

 

[frenchiectfd2203]

AllenM is the go to guy. I recently got back my springy op light and he did an amazing job, well done Allen!!

 

[AllenM]

AllenM is the go to guy. I recently got back my springy op light and he did an amazing job, well done Allen!!

Thank you

 

[CountryBoy19]

As already stated duracoat is generally an inferior coating, the minimum I would recommend is KG Guncoat (I've done several of my own guns in this). For the most durable, ceracoat.

My general recommendation is that if you're looking for DIY and you don't have professional coatings experience & equipment, do the KG Guncoat, it's easier to apply. If you're a professional, or you're looking to pay a professional, get ceracoat.

I have not done my own ceracoat but from what I've read it is more difficult to apply properly.

 

[smidrow]

I often wondered if I could just POWDER COAT my guns I have everything I need to do this would this be the same as cerakote or not ?

 

[frenchiectfd2203]

I would think that powder coating would be too thick for such tight tolerances that most guns are machines for. I'm no expert Vince why I took mine to an expert.

 

[Psode27]

Yeah, I'd probably say no in most cases to powder coat, though there are some people who swear they have good luck with it. On an AK, maybe, a 1911, I can't see that working...

 

[88E30M50]

Duracoat can work well, but it has to be done right. I've Duracoated a bunch of pistols and the ones that were done over a blasted or parkerized finish held up very well. I've cold blued a gun before doing the Duracoat and that worked well to. But, Duracoat over bare, unprepped metal will not hold up at all. Also, Duracoat is very sensitive to the mix ratios and seems to work better when reduced to spray well, then bake to cure. I had one CZ 75 that I had even Duracoated the barrel on and it held up well beyond 1000 rounds. It would probably still be fine, but I had done it in Magpul FDE and got tired of it after a while. It was a PITA to bead blast off the gun.

If you have a gun worth some money and want it done right, Cerakote is the answer and AllenM is the man. But, if you are experimenting and don't mind getting your hands dirty, Duracoat can work well if you are detail minded.

 

[Zach757]

Thanks everyone, I've decided on H series Cerakote. Already have everything i need equipment wise and since the AR is only partially assembled at the moment it should go pretty smooth after i take it apart and go through the whole rigamarole of degreasing and pre-heating the parts. It doesn't seem as complicated as some make it seem and simply put i cannot afford to have it professionally done. I'm hoping with the H series i wont feel the need to ever coat it again and i'll be sure to post pictures of it on this thread as soon as i get it done and include any hiccups or lessons learned during the process.