Duracoat Opinions/Experience

[Gtek]

Never played with or know anybody who has. Going to save one externally pitted 336. Your thoughts- Thanks Gtek

[TheCelt]

I had a bright stainless steel rifle Duracoated Wolf Gray. While I am pleased overall with the coating, it does tend to wear off sharp edges rather quickly. All in all I'd say it was worth it though.

[Liberty'sSon]

Look into cerakote. I don't have direct experience with it but from what I've heard/read, it is a better product that duracoat.

[Awsar]

ive used the duracoat on some ugly pitted guns for a friend. worked great
you can put more lighter coats on to make it thicker.
also use an airbrush if you have one works good.

[alrighty]

I have used duracoat on a couple of projects.They make a filler to help but it is very hard to hide pitting.I don't know if you intend to use their gun blue color or a camo pattern.A camo pattern will hide more and I have found that if you use the hardener it is pretty durable.

[waksupi]

You can use a good epoxy (Acraglas), and fill the pits. Sand down and Duracote. If you did a good job, the pits disappear.

[HeavyMetal]

I've used duracoat on several guns, a few badly pitted as well.

Follow the directions and it is a durable finish easy to apply and less trouble than a bluing set up, LOL!

Sand blasting is suggested by Duracoat to give bite, as well as the hardner.

For pits I've filled with lab metal and or liquid steel then filed or sanded smooth then sandblast.

as for durablity? well nothing last forever, I've had the slide on my 1911 re blued at least 4 times since I've owned it, Nickel can get rubbed through, so a little wear on sharp edges is, and can be, expected with with any finish.

Duracoat has a ton of options, the AR they show on the web site with the aluminum diamond plate pattern is very cool, I'm juat to lazy to attempt it, LOL!

Follow the instructions and be aware that both halves of the product have a short shelf life so only buy what you need when your ready for it!

[Gtek]

Thanks for the responses, I have a cabinet blaster and access to several others that all have different abrasives for desired finish (we set it up that way). I was thinking about heavy, hard blast then JB weld, Acra, etc. in pits, file/sand then medium blast again to coat. I have been in the game for a while and I know what finish I like under the park and blue jobs, just never played with painting guns. Barrel is actually worse than slabs, pulled it today and I will spin up in lathe for some clean up. I will admit to Marlinitis and I have way more than I should, but I gotta save this one just cause, I am sure some of you understand. Gtek

[seanhagerty]

I have used durabake, duracoat with the prevail sprayer and duracoat with an airbrush. They all work ok. I dont like the bake so much, its a pain in the butt, and getting oven time makes the wife mad. Durability is ok, make sure you let everything cure recommended times before messing with it.

The thing I have found most true is you must prep the item you are painting. Spend two or three times as much time prepping as you think you need to. Then do it again. Degrease everything, sandblast with the recommended media, blow it off with an air hose, the degrease again. I like to make a lot of thin layers on the rifles i painted. Thinnner coats, if you miss a spot, hit it next coat. Do not go back after it, there is too much a chance of runs. I did the inside of the action on my savages, seems the bolts dont have as much slop as they did before.

I have never tried cerakote, so I cant speak to the differences in durability, but I didn't like their website, it seems to push cerakote applications to professionals, duracoat says anyone can do it.

Sean

[olereb]

I have used Durakote several times along with Cerakote and with a gun that's pitted i'd go with Durakote,Cerakote works good but I have found with pitting that duracoat works better after you use a filler on the pitting. I Cerakoted 2 AK's about 6 months ago and while very easy to do it doesn't seem to hold up as good as Durakote,the Cerakote flaked off in a few places and allowed rust to form where Durakote has never done that. Durakote just seems to be a bit heavier duty,i have done about 8 rifles in Durakote and 3 with Cerakote.