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Would you coat your firearms?


  • Total voters
    63
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Would you refinish your firearm with the new coatings that are available? I personally dont see a need to put a digital desert camo paint job on my rifle or sidearm as I dont live or hunt in the desert. I also think most of these coatings ruin (asthetics) the firearm rather than make it better. The only exception to me would be the hard chrome refinishing. I know this will start a spirited debate but please keep it civil.
 
I've went back and forth about getting a duracoat. My worry is that after a year or 2 of hard use that it will look cheap and beatup. I also think chroming a pistol slide or doing some other metal finish work is about as good as it gets. I would like to see a torture test done on a duracoat finish. If I could see what it would withstand I might consider it more. I do like the look of some of the patterns out there. Not many but some. As far as chroming goes I've been reluctant to do that because I picture being in a shtf situation and your sidearm reflects light thus giving up your position. Not that it is a likely situation but I always talk myself into black being the best
 
In my opinion - and we all know about opinions - all the different finishes and coatings only appeal to one's vanity. Do they really enhance the performance of the firearm? Doubtful. Attend to your weapons/firearms as you would your personal hygiene and they will remain as serviceable as you are. Bead blasting will mitigate bright surfaces if that's a problem.
 
Cerekote is a better finish than any firearm manufacturing finish period and will make the guns last and look that much better. I camo some guns for hunting. My AR's are camo because nothing in the woods is black. If you don't hunt or go out in rain I guess you really don't need too but it looks better in my eyes.

The important thing is to pick the company to do the job. I have seen horrible jobs and very good jobs. One horrible job was my own. But I am going to keep practicing with a cheap 10/22.
 
there's a time and place or various finishes. blue, for instance, is a terrible firearm finish- i will parkerize and/or paint any blued gun that comes into my possession. if i had the capabilities, i'd switch parker for melonite- but that's an investment i won't be making anytime soon.

if it's easy, and better, why wouldn't you?
 
I voted yes, but should qualify. There is a time and place for everything, and that is no different with refinishing guns. Certain guns look just fine with cerakote or any of the other spray-on/bake-on finishes. I currently have one AR ceramic coated, and another being sprayed by a local guy. It can be an excellent way to make an otherwise very commonplace looking "black rifle" into something more personal. One of mine is in a gray, the other will be sand colored (just because). Even some semi-auto pistols would look good with this treatment. Glock slides with the EXO or hard-chrome (not a spray on, but in the same group for aesthetic purposes, in my opinion) for instance look very good sometimes. I've seen two-tone or even one color 1911's that come out looking pretty good as well.

Parkerizing also has its place. Its a much more rough looking finish to me. But nothing else would look right on an M1 Garand or a 1903a3 rifle. The key with parkerizing is to make sure the individual doing the work uses the proper chemical. One style of parkerizing will leave the metal gray with a slight green tinge (Zinc). Another will make it almost black (manganese). Both work well as a basecoat for the above spray on finishes (like cerakote).

Hot dip bluing also has its place. Perhaps more important that the actual bluing, is the level of polish that the metal is prepped to before it is dipped. A Colt Python, older S&W revolver, or Weatherby Mark V deluxe would look very odd to me in anything but the mirror polish that they came from the factory with. Likewise, other guns look very odd in anything but a matte black bead-blast finish. Most (not all, but most) guns that come from the factory with any sort of polish beyond matte black bead blast, I would be hesitant to coat or refinish any way other than polished and blued. I've seen Winchester 94's and S&W Model 19's in cerakote style finishes, and they just don't look right. On occasion, there is less of an option, due to other factors, such as massive pitting or copper washed receivers (see Winchester 94's). But given the choice, I prefer a good polish and blue on guns that started as such.

So in summary, while I voted yes, there are times and places for everything. Some guns look really cool in cerakote, hardchrome, or other aftermarket finishes. Other guns, in my opinion, are ruined by them. All in eyes of the beholder I suppose...
 
I camo some guns for hunting. My AR's are camo because nothing in the woods is black. If you don't hunt or go out in rain I guess you really don't need too but it looks better in my eyes.

The important thing is to pick the company to do the job. I have seen horrible jobs and very good jobs. One horrible job was my own. But I am going to keep practicing with a cheap 10/22.

Good point. I hunt in the desert mostly. Thats why I had my eye on a few of the desert style coats. I guess finding a good company to do it is most important. Could you or anyone else recomend a company within reasonable distance from Salem to coat an AR15, pistol or 10/22 properly? I think I will have my 10/22 coated just as sort of a trial to see how tough it is and if I like it I think I might have a couple other guns done to match.

also, whats the turn around time usually? Is this something you could have done within a weeks time? Any recomendations or more info would be greatly appreciated. let this thread be a resource so to speak

Thanks in advance

I really like this webbed tiger stripe design that Duracoat NW does...I believe it would be good for both woods/desert. what do you think?

View attachment 189796
 
Could you or anyone else recomend a company within reasonable distance from Salem to coat an AR15, pistol or 10/22 properly? I think I will have my 10/22 coated just as sort of a trial to see how tough it is and if I like it I think I might have a couple other guns done to match.

also, whats the turn around time usually? Is this something you could have done within a weeks time? Any recomendations or more info would be greatly appreciated. let this thread be a resource so to speak

Thanks in advance

I really like this webbed tiger stripe design that Duracoat NW does...I believe it would be good for both woods/desert. what do you think?

View attachment 189794

Rallysoob, I had Mike at Columbia Firearms Services (formerly Custom Firearm Stands) Cerakote the slide and beavertail safety on my Taurus PT1911 and it turned out great. Before it was coated, the blueing looked really thin and dull. Finished product below.

You can get ahold of Mike at 503-819-6166
1911after1.jpg

You can get ahold of Mike at 503-819-6166
 
I have/had numerous handguns refinished in either hard chrome or NP3. Recently I had a HK P7M8 done in hardchrome and a P7M13 in NP3+. It has nothing to do with them looking pretty or tacticool but that is an added benefit. Our weather in the PNW is hard on a firearms finish and those are the best two I have found with melonite running hand in hand. Before I retired my duty weapon was a S&W 4566 that I special ordered from S&W in black melonite and I have that finish on most of my 1911s. You can take a knife to it and not scratch it!! In terms of the do it yourself finishes personally I think your better off having a pro do it and as far as camo goes, might as well puke on your guns!!
 
I'm fairly traditional in my tastes of what a firearm is "supposed" to look like. I think hardly anything looks better than gloss blue and walnut, and it doesn't matter if it's a rifle or a handgun. On some handguns chrome or nickle can catch my eye.

Stainless guns have taken a while to grow on me, but the lower maintenance of them is very appealing. My daily carry gun is a stainless 1911. I have absolutely no desire to coat that gun with anything. In fact I find most coatings unattractive.

But, I hunt in the Cascade Range in the fall and it can be an incredibly wet environment. I recently assembled a stainless, synthetic stocked rifle for that. It was a bright stainless and I blasted the exterior so that it is now a matte finish. I still really like the looks of that gun but am seriously considering having it coated to a matte color, preferably one that mimics a matte blue.

Anyone got a recommendation of a durable coating that won't look like a paint job or like it's a plastic gun?
 
The only refinishing I have had done is had my Springfield 1911 hard chromed. I am really happy with it.
Guns002.jpg
I refinished a stock for my ex-wife, never again.
 
I tried some cheap coating ..after 2 hard hunting seasons it looked like crap! I think the only way I would do it again is professional products. It was extremely difficult to clean off . has any one had a coating done they are very happy with( durable Hunting Gun) not one that sits in the safe because I hunt in rough stuff.
 
man.. i understand some of you guys come from some weird generation and/or corner of the world where you can somehow use a gun and still have it stay in pristine, unscratched condition... but where i come from, a pretty gun is a FAGGY gun. a used gun has wear- not just "minor holster wear," but SCRAPES and GOUGES and RUST STAINS and shiny metal showing through whatever finish you have on it, from melonite to krylon to OEM blue. because it gets shot- and not just slow-fired on sunny days on a pad at the range, but drug through the mud and blood and dropped and run into bubblegum and used for things other than shooting and so forth. and if your gun does not show signs of these activities, i'm gonna find it pretty difficult to believe you know how to use it.

[/rant]

:D
 
I hope I am reading this wrong, but asking for advice on a quality coating that lasts means you have a "faggy gun"or to question ones shooting ability. no I do not use my rifle as a pry bar or jack handle as some members do! I hoped for some help from experienced members not to get kicked in the teeth.. most would not run their mouth so in a FTF
Brutis
 
I'd probably only do that to a Glock, because they're ugly no matter what you do to them.

I'm a fan of leaving things in their original condition though.
 
I hope I am reading this wrong, but asking for advice on a quality coating that lasts means you have a "faggy gun"or to question ones shooting ability. no I do not use my rifle as a pry bar or jack handle as some members do! I hoped for some help from experienced members not to get kicked in the teeth.. most would not run their mouth so in a FTF
Brutis

IMO you are reading it both right and wrong. It’s not a personal attack, don’t take it that way. I get what bkb0000 is saying and agree 100%. When one truly uses their weapons those weapons will bear marks of that use, it’s normal.
 
I agree with Mountain bear in the respect that there is a time and place. I would mostly coat a weapon that really has no collector value, rather made to use such as a Glock or AR that get used, but you still want to have them look good. In other respects I agree with bkb0000, a good hunting rifle that was mass produced such as a Savage 340 or 99 with the "used" look adds character. in some instances there is no way that I would refinish a firearm...original colt 1911 DTD from 1911 or some other rare/collectable firearm. JMHO.
 
Thank you guys I have cooled down,I completely agree I only buy guns to shoot not collectors . my rem 700bdl bdl blue is gone in several places some minor rust pits just wondered if it is worth the price for coating on a gun that sees alot of rain snow and brush. not because I want it pretty just protected, If the coatings don't hold up then I will paint it my self so I can touch up easy and save money for more important things (AMMO)
 
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