Firearm Finishes

jimsouth · March 29, 2018, 01:24 PM

I had a look at an over & under 16 gauge Browning that a friend had refinished with ( I believe ) DuraCoat. Sort of an epoxy finish. Normally, I'd go with professional re-bluing, but the Browning had surface issues, and although still an excellent hunting shotgun, it would never be a collectible. The DuraCoat finish did look nice. How long it will last, I do not know.

johnwilliamson062 · March 29, 2018, 05:10 PM

How long it will last seems to depend mostly on prep. If the prep is done properly they seem to last well. Abrasion/friction points not so much, but on an O/U there aren't all that many places that rub.

jimsouth · March 30, 2018, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwilliamson062

How long it will last seems to depend mostly on prep. If the prep is done properly they seem to last well. Abrasion/friction points not so much, but on an O/U there aren't all that many places that rub.

The FIL had a SA .380 Beretta that he brought back after WW2 ( war prize paperwork & all ). He deliberately removed the bluing; and don't ask me why. I believe he was considering nickel plating; but never got around to it. Now long gone, but removing the original finish really cut the value. It was a 1939. If it had been a 1937, that was the one most sought after by collectors; or so I've been told.

**Aguila Blanca** · March 30, 2018, 10:50 AM

Lauer Weaponry has a new finish they call Durablue. It's a Duracoat product that is supposed to very closely replicate the look of traditional bluing. I haven't tried it yet, but I expect to do so very soon.

johnwilliamson062 · March 30, 2018, 03:24 PM

Quote:

The FIL had a SA .380 Beretta that he brought back after WW2 ( war prize paperwork & all ). He deliberately removed the bluing; and don't ask me why. I believe he was considering nickel plating; but never got around to it. Now long gone, but removing the original finish really cut the value. It was a 1939. If it had been a 1937, that was the one most sought after by collectors; or so I've been told.

??

jimsouth · April 1, 2018, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwilliamson062

??

italian army issue model1934 beretta pistol ……rare 1937 ... - Pre98
https://www.pre98.com/.../italian-ar...re-1937-dated-...

johnwilliamson062 · April 1, 2018, 09:04 PM

Are you going to duracote the pistol? Did he duracote the pistol? I'm not seeing the tie-in.

In The Ten Ring · April 1, 2018, 09:12 PM

The black finish on the slide on my Hi Power "Practical" seems very heavy.....it was made in 1994 and has held up to lots of shooting.

I prefer rust bluing but it's easily scratched and flash rusted.....stainless is probably best but I haven't tried any Cerokoats.

KEYBEAR · April 2, 2018, 07:49 AM

I have a Ruger Blackhawk three screw in 44 Mag . Two years ago I had it Coated with Duracoat in a shop that does a lot of firearm coating . I went with a gloss black as the firearm was going to be my every day shooter . The finish lasted six months and looked very bad so I had a local shop redo it . That has been a year and a half ago it still looks good . This old Ruger has shot a lot of lead and only the front and side of the cylinder shows loss of coating . I clean the Ruger once a week in the summer and use brake cleaner . This Handgun is just a tool but still looks good .

jimsouth · April 15, 2018, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KEYBEAR

I have a Ruger Blackhawk three screw in 44 Mag . Two years ago I had it Coated with Duracoat in a shop that does a lot of firearm coating . I went with a gloss black as the firearm was going to be my every day shooter . The finish lasted six months and looked very bad so I had a local shop redo it . That has been a year and a half ago it still looks good . This old Ruger has shot a lot of lead and only the front and side of the cylinder shows loss of coating . I clean the Ruger once a week in the summer and use brake cleaner . This Handgun is just a tool but still looks good .

I always clean with original Liquid Wrench.

TrueBlue711 · April 16, 2018, 04:32 PM

Quote:

How long it will last seems to depend mostly on prep.

Exactly this. Duracoat is a great firearm finish and will last a long time, but depends on who did it and how well they prepped the surface. If the guy had it professionally Duracoated, then it should last you a good while. But if he did it himself in the garage, you don't know how well he prepped the surface. The reason why professionally done vs done in the garage is better is because they prep the surface (usually) with a bead blaster and giant solvent baths for best surface prep work. Not many people have those in their garage.

I'm not saying all Duracoat work done from garages are bad, it's just a gamble. I personally Duracoat a lot of my own guns. Pain in the butt, but I sand everything down by hand since I do not have a bead blaster. Some of my guns I Duracoated a few years ago have minor wear and tear, which doesn't bother me personally.

All that being said, if you plan on refinishing that Browning again, go with Cerakote. Probably the best firearm finish there is out there.

FITASC · April 16, 2018, 04:39 PM

I'm just trying to picture a Duracoated Browning O/U......................

March 29, 2018, 01:24 PM	#1
jimsouth Member Join Date: February 22, 2018 Posts: 77	Firearm Finishes I had a look at an over & under 16 gauge Browning that a friend had refinished with ( I believe ) DuraCoat. Sort of an epoxy finish. Normally, I'd go with professional re-bluing, but the Browning had surface issues, and although still an excellent hunting shotgun, it would never be a collectible. The DuraCoat finish did look nice. How long it will last, I do not know.

April 16, 2018, 04:39 PM	#12
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,440	I'm just trying to picture a Duracoated Browning O/U...................... __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

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March 29, 2018, 05:10 PM	#2
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	How long it will last seems to depend mostly on prep. If the prep is done properly they seem to last well. Abrasion/friction points not so much, but on an O/U there aren't all that many places that rub.

March 30, 2018, 10:50 AM	#4
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,457	Lauer Weaponry has a new finish they call Durablue. It's a Duracoat product that is supposed to very closely replicate the look of traditional bluing. I haven't tried it yet, but I expect to do so very soon.

April 1, 2018, 09:04 PM	#7
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	Are you going to duracote the pistol? Did he duracote the pistol? I'm not seeing the tie-in.

April 1, 2018, 09:12 PM	#8
In The Ten Ring Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2018 Posts: 380	The black finish on the slide on my Hi Power "Practical" seems very heavy.....it was made in 1994 and has held up to lots of shooting. I prefer rust bluing but it's easily scratched and flash rusted.....stainless is probably best but I haven't tried any Cerokoats.

April 2, 2018, 07:49 AM	#9
KEYBEAR Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2012 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,059	I have a Ruger Blackhawk three screw in 44 Mag . Two years ago I had it Coated with Duracoat in a shop that does a lot of firearm coating . I went with a gloss black as the firearm was going to be my every day shooter . The finish lasted six months and looked very bad so I had a local shop redo it . That has been a year and a half ago it still looks good . This old Ruger has shot a lot of lead and only the front and side of the cylinder shows loss of coating . I clean the Ruger once a week in the summer and use brake cleaner . This Handgun is just a tool but still looks good .