DuraCoat or Reblue?

gedenke · January 15, 2008, 02:22 AM

As some of you may know, I'm in the process of "fixing up" an old bolt action (sporterized Arisaka 38). I'm already mostly done with the stock, and now it's time to start thinking about the metal. The gun has no collector or historical value, so I just want it to look good and be tough enough to withstand regular use (hunting/target).

Question is: Should I spend the money and have a professional refinish the blueing, or should I give a spray on finish such as DuraCoat a try. I'm pretty good at painting and I have an airbrush already, not to mention enough patience to properly do the prep-work. I would probably bead blast first and then paint either matte black or semi-gloss black in an attempt to closely match the matte black finish on my scope.

Let me know what you guys think.

Scorch · January 15, 2008, 02:38 AM

If I were going to coat a gun rather than rebluing, I would use Brownells GunKote. It is a bake-on epoxy with molybdenum disulfide (moly) in it, and if properly applied, it is nearly impossible to remove. It comes in a variety of colors to match your needs or desires.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/sto...20GUN%20FINISH

Brownells also has another product that is similar, but has both PTFE and moly in it.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/sto...20GUN%20FINISH
Either looks very good when applied properly, and will protect the gun from scratches and rust. I refinished a gun years ago that had Brownells bake-on finish on it, and I had to sandblast it to get it off.

That said, I prefer the look of bluing. But bluing rusts and wears off eventually.

Ruger1280 · January 15, 2008, 11:53 PM

The guncoat will work on most types of guns - but if it is a revolver I would consider nothing other that blueing. Coating will "burn off" around the cylinder and gap. I don't care who tells you it won't happen - it will. It is almost impossible to keep coatings on revolvers. I tried all kinds and with coatings you have to keep stripping and reappling, no thank you I'm done with that.

I have some guns that have the gunkkote and the brownells coating, but they are autopistols and boltguns.

If it were mine i'd Blue it - and have a lot less headaches.

Dave

gedenke · January 16, 2008, 01:10 AM

Thanks for the tips on pistols, Dave, but like I said in the first sentence of my post, I'm refinishing a bolt gun (AKA bolt action rifle). Sorry, I should've been more specific.

Anyway, I'm really leaning toward trying DuraCoat or maybe even Gun-Kote. I've been poking around on the net and have seen some nice rifles done with these finishes.

As I mentioned before, I'm hoping for durability and looks, as well as cost effectiveness (I bought the rifle for $150

). I just thought I'd tap into you guy's vast pool of knowledge and experience, and maybe get a few opinions too.

MrApathy · January 16, 2008, 01:25 AM

first get it parkerized then have it coated 2 finishes are better than one specially when the finish isnt Rust to begin with.

gedenke · January 16, 2008, 07:29 PM

Good point MrA, I'll check with my gunsmith to see how much he'd charge. I need to send it over to him and have the muzzle crowned anyway, so I bet he could do them both at the same time. (preferrably crown 1st, then park)

Ruger1280 · January 16, 2008, 08:35 PM

Sorry gedenke;

Here is my Turk in 35 Whelen

This gun is done with the Duracoat. I am pretty happy with the way this turned out. It seems to be pretty tough. I applied it with an HVLP gun and let it fully cure before I reassembled. A guy that distributes this stuff here said that is the way to get the best results. It is going to take some time to see if it is as durable as the Brownell's Gunkote, but so far I am pleased.

The barrel is a flat black and the stock is the Urban camaflage color pattern.

Dave

gedenke · January 17, 2008, 08:13 AM

Dave, nice gun! That paint job looks pretty sweet.

rgitzlaff · January 17, 2008, 08:57 AM

+1 for Duracoat! It's what I use on my rifles.

ocharry · January 17, 2008, 08:10 PM

i put duracoat on my hk this summer,, hk black,, it was a perfect match color wise,,,taped everything up and blasted it,, put the paint to it and went on vacation,,,, like dave said i let i cure fully,, hung around in the hot garage for 29 days,,,,it was all i could do to keep my hands off of it and not put it together

these rifles are noted for being hard on the ejection port,, this paint hasn't chipped yet

i'm real happy with it,, looks good too.... YMMV

ocharry

gedenke · September 26, 2008, 06:07 PM

This thread is old, I know, but I finally got around to finishing my gun and wanted to post some pics. After some research, I decided to go with KG Gunkote instead of DuraCoat. I went with the matte black and it matches my scope almost perfectly. After curing, this finish seems to be very tough a looks great. Here it is:

View Poll Results: DuraCoat (black) or Reblue?
DuraCoat (semi-gloss or matte black)	13	72.22%
Professionally reblue	5	27.78%
Voters: 18. You may not vote on this poll

January 15, 2008, 02:22 AM	#1
gedenke Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2007 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 381	DuraCoat or Reblue? As some of you may know, I'm in the process of "fixing up" an old bolt action (sporterized Arisaka 38). I'm already mostly done with the stock, and now it's time to start thinking about the metal. The gun has no collector or historical value, so I just want it to look good and be tough enough to withstand regular use (hunting/target). Question is: Should I spend the money and have a professional refinish the blueing, or should I give a spray on finish such as DuraCoat a try. I'm pretty good at painting and I have an airbrush already, not to mention enough patience to properly do the prep-work. I would probably bead blast first and then paint either matte black or semi-gloss black in an attempt to closely match the matte black finish on my scope. Let me know what you guys think. __________________ There's an art...to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss!

January 15, 2008, 02:38 AM	#2
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	If I were going to coat a gun rather than rebluing, I would use Brownells GunKote. It is a bake-on epoxy with molybdenum disulfide (moly) in it, and if properly applied, it is nearly impossible to remove. It comes in a variety of colors to match your needs or desires. http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/sto...20GUN%20FINISH Brownells also has another product that is similar, but has both PTFE and moly in it. http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/sto...20GUN%20FINISH Either looks very good when applied properly, and will protect the gun from scratches and rust. I refinished a gun years ago that had Brownells bake-on finish on it, and I had to sandblast it to get it off. That said, I prefer the look of bluing. But bluing rusts and wears off eventually. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

January 15, 2008, 11:53 PM	#3
Ruger1280 Junior Member Join Date: January 1, 2008 Posts: 13	Guncoat or blueing ... The guncoat will work on most types of guns - but if it is a revolver I would consider nothing other that blueing. Coating will "burn off" around the cylinder and gap. I don't care who tells you it won't happen - it will. It is almost impossible to keep coatings on revolvers. I tried all kinds and with coatings you have to keep stripping and reappling, no thank you I'm done with that. I have some guns that have the gunkkote and the brownells coating, but they are autopistols and boltguns. If it were mine i'd Blue it - and have a lot less headaches. Dave

January 16, 2008, 01:10 AM	#4
gedenke Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2007 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 381	Thanks for the tips on pistols, Dave, but like I said in the first sentence of my post, I'm refinishing a bolt gun (AKA bolt action rifle). Sorry, I should've been more specific. Anyway, I'm really leaning toward trying DuraCoat or maybe even Gun-Kote. I've been poking around on the net and have seen some nice rifles done with these finishes. As I mentioned before, I'm hoping for durability and looks, as well as cost effectiveness (I bought the rifle for $150 ). I just thought I'd tap into you guy's vast pool of knowledge and experience, and maybe get a few opinions too. __________________ There's an art...to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss!

January 16, 2008, 01:25 AM	#5
MrApathy Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2004 Posts: 529	first get it parkerized then have it coated 2 finishes are better than one specially when the finish isnt Rust to begin with. __________________ Divided and conquered, Gripped by fear Wishful thinking that it can't happen here It's well underways but nobody knows A repeat of history, That's how it goes

January 16, 2008, 07:29 PM	#6
gedenke Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2007 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 381	Good point MrA, I'll check with my gunsmith to see how much he'd charge. I need to send it over to him and have the muzzle crowned anyway, so I bet he could do them both at the same time. (preferrably crown 1st, then park) __________________ There's an art...to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss!

January 16, 2008, 08:35 PM	#7
Ruger1280 Junior Member Join Date: January 1, 2008 Posts: 13	Sorry gedenke; Here is my Turk in 35 Whelen This gun is done with the Duracoat. I am pretty happy with the way this turned out. It seems to be pretty tough. I applied it with an HVLP gun and let it fully cure before I reassembled. A guy that distributes this stuff here said that is the way to get the best results. It is going to take some time to see if it is as durable as the Brownell's Gunkote, but so far I am pleased. The barrel is a flat black and the stock is the Urban camaflage color pattern. Dave

January 17, 2008, 08:13 AM	#8
gedenke Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2007 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 381	Dave, nice gun! That paint job looks pretty sweet. __________________ There's an art...to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss!

January 17, 2008, 08:57 AM	#9
rgitzlaff Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2006 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 524	+1 for Duracoat! It's what I use on my rifles.

January 17, 2008, 08:10 PM	#10
ocharry Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2006 Posts: 687	i put duracoat on my hk this summer,, hk black,, it was a perfect match color wise,,,taped everything up and blasted it,, put the paint to it and went on vacation,,,, like dave said i let i cure fully,, hung around in the hot garage for 29 days,,,,it was all i could do to keep my hands off of it and not put it together these rifles are noted for being hard on the ejection port,, this paint hasn't chipped yet i'm real happy with it,, looks good too.... YMMV ocharry

September 26, 2008, 06:07 PM	#11
gedenke Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2007 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 381	This thread is old, I know, but I finally got around to finishing my gun and wanted to post some pics. After some research, I decided to go with KG Gunkote instead of DuraCoat. I went with the matte black and it matches my scope almost perfectly. After curing, this finish seems to be very tough a looks great. Here it is: __________________ There's an art...to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss!