Cheapest durable glossy gold finish?

ScottInPDX · Mar 21, 2020

I have a Raven MP-25 that I want to get completely covered in a shiny gold finish because the thought of it is so absurd it makes me laugh.

I've never been into any finishes besides wood and blued or black metal, so I've been reading up on different options including gold cerakote, TiN, gold plating, spray paint, and a few others.

Any suggestions for the cheapest way to get a shiny gold finish that will be durable?

P7M13 · Mar 21, 2020

Durable is relative to your use pattern.
Gold leaf then clear coat most likely the best. Gold Plating the most durable and prolly most expensive.

ScottInPDX · Mar 21, 2020

P7id10T said:
Durable is relative to your use pattern.
Gold leaf then clear coat most likely the best. Gold Plating the most durable and prolly most expensive.

Infrequent shooting, thorough cleaning every time. I'm looking for something that won't dissolve under CLP.

Kruel J · Mar 21, 2020

Cerakote

Ura-Ki · Mar 21, 2020

There is a "spray" that can be applied that will replicate polished gold, don't know if anyone in the area can do it, but it's out there!

Jonnyuma · Mar 21, 2020

Ura-Ki said:
There is a "spray" that can be applied that will replicate polished gold, don't know if anyone in the area can do it, but it's out there!

I didn't watch the video, but that looks like the paint Alsa developed in the early 2000s... probably been copied by other manufacturers by now.

It's a two or three stage urethane that gets shot over a gloss black base coat (vs a flat sealer)... takes some practice to shoot and perfect prep just to get it to stick, much less make it look right.

Cool stuff.

F2CMaDMaXX · Mar 21, 2020

Is gold cerakote out there? Any good?

NCW_Robert · Apr 1, 2020

For durability and cost effectiveness consider powder coating. You can chose between different finish effects, shiny or flat and there are choices for who can apply it.

If you are a solid DIY guy you can even apply it yourself. If some day you decide that gold was cool but you then want to change over to some type of regular looking finish you can chemically or with media blasting strip it and re-coat it any color you like.

My CZ 97 is powder coated by the factory. I want to have it hard chromed but might just strip it and powder coat it in a chrome like finish because I can get what ever version I want. I can emulate shiny or flat chrome finish or any where in between. If I screw it up I can strip and refinish.

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