Dura Coat?
- Thread starter 25 Otter
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
roaddog1m
Well-Known Member
I've been wondering the same thing. Looking at possibly using it on my sniper rifle.
benchracer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2009
- Messages
- 1,659
Duracoat is fine for painting stocks. There are better finishes out there for metal IMO.
Bottom line, though, do what makes you happy with your rifle.
Bottom line, though, do what makes you happy with your rifle.
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
I've never found anything that's indestructable!
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
Bead blast and re-blue, KG GunKote, Ceracoat. GunKote & CeraCoat are a coating , so they help 'seal' the surfaces, that are coated, from the elements. You still have to take care or the un-coated areas such as the bore, ect., ect. Bead blast and re-blue has the same corrosion protection bluing has, not much, needs to have a coat of oil or light grease for best protection.
benchracer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2009
- Messages
- 1,659
Rifle coating can be done by the hobbyist. It is not difficult to do. It does, however, require some extra tools/equipment. What, exactly, is required varies with the type of finish one plans to apply.
If you are only planning to do one rifle, it is probably more cost effective to have a smith do it.
If you plan to do more than one rifle or if you are simply interested in tinkering, then it might be worth it to gather the tools and equipment for metal finishing/coating.
I have experience with Duracoat and Brownells Gunkote.
Duracoat is pretty simple to apply. All you really need is media blasting equipment and an airbrush.
If you use Gunkote, you will need a curing oven in addition to media blasting equipment. Gunkote is available in a spray can or in a bottle, so it can be used with or without an airbrush. With a little bit of ingenuity, it is possible to build your own curing oven on the cheap.
It is my understanding that the durability of both Duracoat and Gunkote is at its best when applied over a parkerized finish. So far, I have only applied these finishes to bare metal and I am satisfied with the results. I am, however, preparing to experiment with Gunkote applied over parkerization.
Between Duracoat and Gunkote, I like Gunkote better. I strongly suspect that I will like Gunkote applied over park even more.
If you are only planning to do one rifle, it is probably more cost effective to have a smith do it.
If you plan to do more than one rifle or if you are simply interested in tinkering, then it might be worth it to gather the tools and equipment for metal finishing/coating.
I have experience with Duracoat and Brownells Gunkote.
Duracoat is pretty simple to apply. All you really need is media blasting equipment and an airbrush.
If you use Gunkote, you will need a curing oven in addition to media blasting equipment. Gunkote is available in a spray can or in a bottle, so it can be used with or without an airbrush. With a little bit of ingenuity, it is possible to build your own curing oven on the cheap.
It is my understanding that the durability of both Duracoat and Gunkote is at its best when applied over a parkerized finish. So far, I have only applied these finishes to bare metal and I am satisfied with the results. I am, however, preparing to experiment with Gunkote applied over parkerization.
Between Duracoat and Gunkote, I like Gunkote better. I strongly suspect that I will like Gunkote applied over park even more.
I have done 3 rigs with Duracoat over the last couple years. It has held up well and was easy to apply with an airbrush. It is ten times more durable than the old standby camo Krylon.
I would guess it is not as durable as say ceracoat, but it is something affordable, that anyone can do with good effect and durability. There are numerous you-tube videos if you want to see how easy it is.
If you have an air compressor, all you need is a $15 airbrush kit from Harbor Freight. If you don't have a compressor, you can purchase canned air for use with airbrush kits.
I would guess it is not as durable as say ceracoat, but it is something affordable, that anyone can do with good effect and durability. There are numerous you-tube videos if you want to see how easy it is.
If you have an air compressor, all you need is a $15 airbrush kit from Harbor Freight. If you don't have a compressor, you can purchase canned air for use with airbrush kits.
