Refinishing a handgun... DuraCoat, Parkerizing, etc.

[JimmyJoe69]

I just wanted to get everyone's opinion on refinishing a 1911 pistol. I have heard good things about DuraCoat. Has anyone had a weapon DuraCoated? Or how about parkerizing? I am open to any suggestions and reasoning behind your opinion. The weapon will most likely be a primary weapon for concealed carry. Thanks.

[Guest atomemphis]

From my reading, the self-lubricating finishes are what you want. Also there is hard chroming and black-chrome finishes.

Many of the 1911 manufacturers do their own "tuff-coating", if you send it to them.

I know Nighthawk, Wilson and Kimber do.

[Smith]

I had a FEG Hi-Power clone done in Gun-Kote and it was really nice. It is teflon impregnated which self lubricates. Doesn't mean you don't have to lube it, just don't have to use as much or worry about it as much. Personally, if I were to do it again I would have it Melonited. It just wasn't available then.

You could also go with something like Black-T, but you'll have to wait and spend.

[Guest gsbell]

Take a look at Ion Bond

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46597

[TGO David]

I'm starting to consider Duracoat for an upcoming handgun build for my wife. She'd really like something with a pink slide so this seems like the only way to go about it. Unless one of you is aware of another finish that can be had in feminine colors like pink.

[Guest harbinger]

I just Duracoated a Sig 226. Did the slide in Wheeler's flat black Ceramacoat and the frame in Woodland Tan Duracoat.

If you're going with just black I highly recommend the Wheeler's Ceramacoat. It was just easier to apply being new to refinishing.

If you want a different color, Duracoat worked great, but here's a tip; DO NOT bake it dry, it will alter the color. Get everything ready so it can go in the oven as soon as it's been sprayed.

[Guest sling]

I duracoat handguns all the time and always bake them dry after sitting them outside on warm day for a few hours. Make sure you prep the metal perfectly... and God help you if you've ever used a penetrating lube like break free.

Baking hardens the finish faster and makes it very uniform. Never had any problem whatsoever with discoloration. After about 24 hours its ready for fondling and i'd say after 48 ready for light use.

Edited April 16, 2008 by sling

[BimmerFreak]

We have done both DuraCoat and CeraKoat, and I have had good results with both.

With any finish, its all in the prep.

DuraCoat has a rainbow of color options:

http://www.lauerweaponry.com/duracoatcolors.cfm?colortype=stock&Category=220

While Cerakoat colors are more "industrial":

http://www.larsontactical.com/id24.html

IMHO the best guys in TN doing this sort of work is VOW in Cleveland and Predator in Knox.

[Guest harbinger]

I duracoat handguns all the time and always bake them dry after sitting them outside on warm day for a few hours. Make sure you prep the metal perfectly... and God help you if you've ever used a penetrating lube like break free.

Baking hardens the finish faster and makes it very uniform. Never had any problem whatsoever with discoloration. After about 24 hours its ready for fondling and i'd say after 48 ready for light use.

It was really weird. Every time we would let it dry, then bake it, it turned the frame "Desert Pink" (actually a color that was used in WWII). So, we recoated it and baked it while it was wet and the color came out just fine.

[Guest sling]

Wow, thats interesting harbringer. I've never heard of that happening. :-\

What temperature are you baking at? I typically shove items in the oven for 20 minutes at 175 degrees.

Desert pink, eh? Sounds like you need to email Lauer Custom and suggest a new color to them!

[Guest harbinger]

I just followed the instructions on the can (though I practically had to use a magnifying glass).

I think it was 300F for 15 minutes, but I could be mistaken.

You think they'd give me royalties on a "new" color?

[Guest sling]

They probably should! Did you end up purchasing the duracoat?

[Guest harbinger]

You know, now that I think about it, I used the Durabake; Lauer's paint that comes in the spray can.

It might actually have different properties than their products that come in a paint can.

[Guest sling]

Oh snap. I'm not sure. I always purchase the plastic bottles and use my air brush. To my understanding the spray paint is just the paint and hardener mixed together already. Dunno if the propellant will mess with your spraying or not. Then again, if it did surely they wouldnt make it an aerosol. :-P

[Guest harbinger]

Alls I know, is when we tossed it in the oven with the paint dried it would "burn" the color, giving it the wonderfully pimpilicious pink tint.

Definitely puts one's Man Card in jeopardy.

Edited April 24, 2008 by harbinger

[Guest sling]

Definitely puts one's Man Card in jeopardy.

Yeah like when i go to the opera.

[Guest atomemphis]

So I happened by Ed Mason gunsmiths here in Memphis, off Germantown Rd, and he does a finishing called Arm-Mor. He had a AR-15 Lower piece, a block really, coated in the black finish. It was incredibly.

He handed me a pair of steel channel locks and said, essentially, "go nuts".

So I smacked it, scraped it, and did a bunch of other unspeakable acts to it and it did not scratch. The only scratches were from where he apparently went to town on it with a vice. On those scratches he pulled out a screwdriver to pick at them, and nothing happened. He was showing me that it wouldn't chip.

One of these days before I have to move to Texas, I'm going to get him to do my Kimber's frame (KimPro black finish is a super soft paint).

Waiting time for black is 4 weeks, gray is 6 weeks (he does two batches of black for every gray batch).

Thought I'd pass this along because I was genuinely impressed.

My shot gun barrel may get refinished too.

[Warbird]

I think the bake is good for rifles and shotguns. Because of the moving slides and tolerances of a handgun I would go with another finish that won't add any layer to the metal. Hard chroming, NP3 and Roguard are excellent finishes. I'm especially partial to the first 2. Melonite is also good.

[Guest eyebedam]

Is there anyone local that does hard chroming?

[Guest JavaGuy]

Check out http://theboxotruth.com/docs/edu38.htm, http://theboxotruth.com/docs/edu39.htm,

http://theboxotruth.com/docs/edu40.htm,

http://theboxotruth.com/docs/edu41.htm

These fellows make it look easy.

[Guest 2HOW]

My 1911 is dura coated and I really like it, Cheap and easy. Very user friendly. do it yourself easy.

[HillbillyMafia]

Anybody know how "thick" duracoat or cerakote is when applied?