I just duracoated one of my pistols and it covered up the serial number...

[Guest sling]

I've duracoated countless guns and have never had this happen... ever. Its all due to shallow engraving. Does this mean something bad can happen, etc? What needs to be done? Anyone ever have this happen to them?

The original box has the serial number... etc. But i dont know if that makes a difference.

[Marswolf]

GCA of 1968

§ 922. Unlawful acts (k) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to transport, ship, or receive, in interstate or foreign commerce, any firearm which has had the importer's or manufacturer's serial number removed, obliterated, or altered or to possess or receive any firearm which has had the importer's or manufacturer's serial number removed, obliterated, or altered and has, at any time, been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.

I don't think you actually removed, altered or obliterated the sn but the BATFE might argue that the intention of the law is to make the weapon easily identifiable. They may claim that you erased it by covering it up. I suspect they would argue that.

[Guest sling]

Figures.. time to get out the knife...

The serial number is on the frame and slide... and match obviously. Surely i can just uncover one of them and be ok.

Edit: I scraped the paint off over the serial number so that it shows now...

Its not too huge of an eye sore...

Edited May 4, 2008 by sling

[MemphisMechanic]

What kind of gun was it, and how thick were these coats?

I did 3 super-thin coats on my slide (5 on the sides where the holster wears most) and the lettering is still every bit as legible as the factory finish.

I use a cheap ($10ish) harbor freight airbrush for duracoat. Unlike expensive ones, it'll spray duracoat un-reduced. I have had better results adding some reducer to thin it, so that the coats are lighter, though.

Pictures here:

http://glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=786852&highlight=duracoat

[poak]

Hmmm... Maybe you should strip it, let someone "over-engrave" the S/N, so it's atleast as deep as the other slide markings, then you can re-coat it.

Now, I've never used duracoat, so I dont know if it will actually strip off that easily.

[Guest atomemphis]

just write it in with a sharpie and call it day

[poak]

... or write it on masking tape, that way you can swap around S/Ns whenever you see fit.

[nightrunner]

... or write it on masking tape, that way you can swap around S/Ns whenever you see fit.

:D

[Guest sling]

Its fixed guys. Its just a HK P7 for carry. The blueing that kept rubbing off really started to get to me. I can't even express how shallow the engraving is for the serial number and the german proof mark. A quick swipe with the knife before the paint completely cured fix the problem. The slight blemish isnt really noticeable and the serial number shows. Its a tool... not a safe queen.

3 coats on the frame and 2 on the slide... with a little bit nicer of an airbrush than a $10 bit from Freight harbor. I paint quite a bit of stuff.

[NuTcAsE]

I would write it in Crayon, and write some of the letters backwards....my $0.25 worth

[Guest eyebedam]

how about posting some pics of your duracoat jobs especially if youse done anything really unique. I always like looking at peoples custom work.

[Warbird]

That's one of the reasons I do not try to Duracoat anything myself. It's popular I know, but that's just me. Now those places where you scraped the coat off you could have rusting.

I would never Duracoat a P7. The P7 is designed to have very tight tolerances and it works off of very precise engineering. Any additional material on the metal can easily cause the gas operated system to have problems. That is why P7 owners have finishes put on their guns which do not add to the metal, they transform the metal itself and imbed in it.

[Marswolf]

I've never heard of the P7 being pickey. I would think with the piston retarding movement of the slide, it would be very unpickey, unless you mess up the piston assembly or the tube it runs in.

[Warbird]

I've never heard of the P7 being picky. I would think with the piston retarding movement of the slide, it would be very unpicky, unless you mess up the piston assembly or the tube it runs in.

Well that's my understanding Mars. I have had only 2 of them so I am not an expert and neither were refinished at all. But, my engineering undergrad probably exerts itself here and I am likely far pickier than most on this type of thing, probably too picky. There are advantages to that type of surface and disadvantages. I like what I like and am glad others like what they do. Also I have nothing against durable finishes, in fact I insist on them on my combat carry pieces. I don't want a presentation piece on my hip.

As I said to each his own. in general my opinion is not to coat over a surface. I was told by several gun builders not to do so on the P7. I am well aware quite a few have and with no problems, but again that's just me. From an old school perspective and as a person who hangs out with collectors to me it's sacrilege to put such a finish on a weapon that is a better investment than most of them. In a couple of years they will be very high in price yet again. So if I was to put put on a new finish it would be done as good as one can get.

Again that is just me, no offense meant to sling or any of the other the duracoaters of pistols out there.

[Guest sling]

And this is exactly why i didnt duracoat the gas piston.... etc.

And no, the spot that was "scraped" wont rust. The blueing is still underneath as well as a thin layer of paint. I've kinda done this before. :-\

No offense taken.

However, i didnt purchase it as a collectors item. More or less because i'm a small guy and its the easiest thing for me to conceal.

[Warbird]

And this is exactly why i didnt duracoat the gas piston.... etc.

And no, the spot that was "scraped" wont rust. The blueing is still underneath as well as a thin layer of paint. I've kinda done this before. :-

No offense taken.

However, i didnt purchase it as a collectors item. More or less because i'm a small guy and its the easiest thing for me to conceal.

That's cool. I admire your gumption to try and do things like that yourself. In rereading your post I see that you have done it before. Oh and I'm a big guy and I think it's one of the best to conceal too.

[Marswolf]

Well, no - you obviously shouldn't coat the piston or inside the chamber in which it rides, any more than you would coat the inside of the barrel.

But I'm a bit baffled by the other thoughts. The P7 has a fixed barrel relative to the frame. You also wouldn't coat the channels that the slide moves on.

I have an engineering degree. This sounds like an extremely reliable, if expensive, way to design and build a handgun. Only thing I've ever considered in terms of reliability is whether the piston pivot could handle the stress.

Guess we should make a P7 topic if we want to continue this.

[Warbird]

Well, no - you obviously shouldn't coat the piston or inside the chamber in which it rides, any more than you would coat the inside of the barrel.

But I'm a bit baffled by the other thoughts. The P7 has a fixed barrel relative to the frame. You also wouldn't coat the channels that the slide moves on.

I have an engineering degree. This sounds like an extremely reliable, if expensive, way to design and build a handgun. Only thing I've ever considered in terms of reliability is whether the piston pivot could handle the stress.

Guess we should make a P7 topic if we want to continue this.

I agree that it is a very reliable system. Perhaps the conversation related to the cylinder accidentally being coated. Obviously rails channels and barrels shouldn't be coated. I am remembering off of old conversations and that well may be what I was not remembering of the talks.

As I said though, if that is what the owner wants of his firearm all good and well. Shoot what you like how you like. If it is reliable to them great, that's what's important.

[Guest sling]

As far as rail channels go... Its interesting to note how incredibly tight the tolerances are on pretty much every German firearm out there... and even their "American" produced counter parts.. (Exeter, NH Sigs, etc). If the rails do receive a small layer of duracoat... it doesnt really hurt it. Typically racking the slide several several times before it has cured will strip the duracoat off the slide and everything is dandy. Just make sure to disassemble and clean off the stripped paint!

Here are a few pics for your enjoyment. Yes, the lettering on the P7 is fully painted but the light in my bathroom makes it look... off. I tried switching angles but alas it didnt help. These are pics of a Sig P226 that i worked on... plus the grips... and then the P7. Please ignore the foot. :-P

Edited May 7, 2008 by sling

[Guest atomemphis]

oooh oooh! I have an engineering degree too!

[Warbird]

Do any of you with engineering degrees actually work in that field? Mine is in aerospace, the most worthless of all of them, too specialized. And no I do not work in that field. The closest I came was as a pilot and then as a lobbyist for the aerospace industry.

You DO NOT want me designing or engineering anything that you would fly, trust me. My brain occasionally will think like an engineer, for instance when I am around guns or planes, but that's pretty much it. We all have to know our limitations. And I know mine, I am adequate at best as an engineer. I only majored in it to be a flyboy. I hated, HATED the math.

By the way sling, thanks for the pics, I love the P7. It does look good. I also have a Sig, a 228. We share similar tastes in weapons.

Edited May 6, 2008 by Warbird

[Guest atomemphis]

i also don't like the math, but was good at it so I picked Mechanical Engineering. I work currently in HVAC, but am about to depart for law school to pursue patent law. As I see it from my time spent talking with patent attorneys, its a lot like engineering without the math.

And for some bizarre reason, I don't mind paperwork.

[Marswolf]

In my earlier years, between military type stuff, I worked for a couple of engineering companies. Background is as an EE, but I think more like an ME. Then again, I also think like a Psychologist and a Philosopher.

In short, I don't know what I want to do if I ever grow up.

[Guest sling]

Eh, my degree lies in Computer Science... more so with Network Security. I suck at math horribly as well.

Warbird,

Ya just cant beat good solid overly complex German craftmanship. They are the best. Pretty much all i'll buy.

Edited May 6, 2008 by sling