[IrishCop]

Like I told you guys many moons ago, I picked up a Colt's Officer's Model real cheap a while back. It has turned out to be a reliable little gun (at least with hardball). It is pretty rough in the appearance department. It's finished in a flat black, or grey really, and has quite a bit of holster wear. I've been kicking around the idea of refinishing it.

I've done the cold blue bit a few times, and have never been happy with the results. I've been looking at other options, and Dura Coat has caught my eye...no pre heating or baking the metal to set the finish, just disassemble, degrease, tape off what you don't want coated, spray it on in thin coats and let it cure.

Anybody ever use this stuff? Does it live up to it's sales pitch? Does it need special ventilation or can I use it in my little gun room in the house?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[kg5388]

I painted an old 22 rifle with rustolem once Does that count?

I don't know much about them but like with all paint and coatings prep work is the number one thing to worry about.

call Mary or Brad they have some new coatings and platings that they do that are not that expensive with some of them have a limited lifetime warranty.
423-639-8924
www.ccrrefinishing.com

Todd does great work and his laser engraving is reasonable
http://www.customizedcreationz.com/
FFL Licensed Certified Sig/Glock Armorer!
586.232.3422 10am-5pm Eastern

I'm about to send my M&P slide in for his new serrations he does for them and have it engraved and refinished in black chrome.

 

[stand watie]

IrishCop,

as i told someone else on another thread, BBQ PIT paint works GREAT on "working guns". (fwiw, i think of Jack Benny as a "spendthrift"!) = once it cures, (about 24-48 hours) you can hardly get it off with SANDPAPER!

it comes in flat black, "high gloss" & "satin" ("satin black" is my choice.) at about 7-8.oo a can. one can will do (using two thin coats) several handguns and/or 3-4 long-guns.

look for BBQ PIT paint in the "BBQ department" at HD or Lowes, rather than in the "paint department".

yours, sw

 

[ArmyCPT]

Irish, if you're willing to spend slightly more, here's an option to consider: salt bath nitriding. It's better than a finish, per se, as it's a bonding done at the molecular level...and it'll never wear off. Ever.

IIRC, Drake's can do this for a good price, with a quick turn-around.

http://www.drakesgunworks.com/Refinishing.html

 

[IrishCop]

KG, Rustoleum just doesn't seem quite right to me. :lol:

Hmmm, SW, I'd a never thought you were on the cheap side of Jack Benny! Well!..... :wink:

ArmyCpt, thanks. I had never heard of that finish. I liked what I saw on the web site. :thumbsup:

 

[Skeptic49]

A year or so ago, everybody and his third cousin, twice removed, was doing spray on gun coloring. Now, I don't think I've seen one advertised this year.

Anybody know what happened? Market saturation? People got tired of Pink Pistols?

Geoff
Who likes brushed stainless steel, but the finish on his SWaMPy is just fine.

 

[IrishCop]

A year or so ago, everybody and his third cousin, twice removed, was doing spray on gun coloring. Now, I don't think I've seen one advertised this year.

Anybody know what happened? Market saturation? People got tired of Pink Pistols?

Geoff
Who likes brushed stainless steel, but the finish on his SWaMPy is just fine.

Geoff, I don't know. Dura Coat finishes sure seems popular, especially with all of their "camo" kits (everything from woodland to digital patterns and then some) designed for them nasty ol' black rifles. As far as retail finishes, I still see a few purple and pink revolvers in gun stores, but I think it's not 'cause they're popular, it's 'cause they're not selling!

 

[IrishCop]

Okay, after a few days of mulling it over, I decided to order the Dura Coat kit from Brownell's. Under $40.00 delivered.

Now, those of you who have been around a bit know that I make no claims to be particularly good with my hands...I'm actually more of a Tim Taylor kinda guy. Anyway, when the package arrived, I busted it open, read the simple but very brief directions on packaging, and started work.

I detail stripped the Officer's Model and stored everything that I wasn't gonna refinished. I then degreased all the parts to be sprayed and worked them over with the green Scotchbrite pad provided. Let everything set overnight -my plan, not required.

Mixed Matte Black coating and hardener solution. About my only real complaint is that they give you no directions or amounts to mix...it's kinda an all or nothing thing. And there is MORE than enough mixture to do several guns.

Started the spraying. Had to start over a few times - my fault, not the products. I was having trouble getting the requisite "thin coats" when I sprayed. Took a few turns to get, or almost get, the hang of it.

I think the results are really amazing. The finish is a deep, dark matte black. Looks a lot like a Glocks Tennifer finish. There's a couple places where I screwed up, but they are minor, and I'm not bothered by them. What was an old, beat up looking gun is now a very presentable firearm. Directions say it cures enough to reassemble overnight, but give it 3-4 weeks to fully cure. For under $40, I am very pleased. I've got a very old Bersa .380 I'm gonna try next.

If anyone has an old gun laying around that you'd like to refinish, and don't care about a polished blue, give this a try. It is really pretty impressive.

 

[stand watie]

ArmyCPT et.al.,

fyi, i emailed Mr Drake & received an email from him this PM that he is NOT taking on any more work for the foreseeable future, as he has many uncompleted projects in his shop.

just thought that everyone would want to save themself/him some time.

yours, sw

 

[threefeathers]

After seeing the results on a close friend's AR's and 1911's I'm having both an AR and 1911 duracoated. He has a waiting list so I should be able to put pics in a couple of months.

 

[ArmyCPT]

ArmyCPT et.al.,

fyi, i emailed Mr Drake & received an email from him this PM that he is NOT taking on any more work for the foreseeable future, as he has many uncompleted projects in his shop.

just thought that everyone would want to save themself/him some time.

yours, sw

Guess he's covered up - which is obviously a good thing. There are others. For example:

http://coalcreekarmory.com/custom_finis ... l#Melonite