Alumahyde vs Duracoat

[TrueBlue711]

Has anybody used both Alumahyde and Duracoat firearm finishes? If so, which of the two did you like more? Of course, neither of these compete with Cerakote.

I've been Duracoating my guns/gear for years and haven't been disappointed. But I'm seeing some reviews saying they thought the Alumahyde was even more durable than the Duracoat, and Alumahyde is about half the price. However, there are complaints that the Alumahyde colors did not match what they wanted (such as Magpul FDE not matching the Magpul FDE furniture on the gun). Just looking for more data points from those who used both. Thanks!

 

[Scorch]

I have refinished a couple of guns with AlumaHyde (usually flat black). It's tough and super durable. Duracoat is not as tough as AlumaHyde IME. Matching colors is hard, I see ARs come into my shop where the forearm and pistol grip don't exactly match, and they're both made by Magpul, so it's not likely a can of epoxy paint will match their color unless you do good surface prep before you shoot the metal.

 

[TrueBlue711]

Thanks for the data point. I've been duracoating for a long time and I do like their color selection. Their colors match what I'm trying to do perfectly. But it sure is expensive compared to Alumahyde. If Alumahyde is more durable, I'm swapping to them. I'll still use Duracoat if I'm really trying to match a color. But for anything else, Alumahyde it is.