Handgun re-finishing

S

Servo

New member
I have been looking at re-finishing some pistols. The factory bluing wears off fast so I am not a fan of having them re-blued. I would also like something more corrosion resistant than bluing.

The matte black finish (is it called phosphate?) is fine with me. I do not know if this is the same as the traditional parkerizing but either is OK with me. Only black or very dark gray appeal to me.

I looked on line to see what was available with regard to do it yourself kits. I also contacted some local gun shops who can do it but have quite a backlog. The more I read the more confused I am.

I would like to know what experiences anyone has had with re-finishing, either professionally done or do it yourself.
 
Parkerizing is a common-use term for one of the phosphate finishes, it has become synonymous with phosphate finishes, just like kleenex has come to mean any facial tissue or band-aids are any self adhesive bandage

Depending on the way the 'park' is done, it can look light gray, dark gray, almost black, olive green, etc. I just purchased an AR that has the olive green park, looks very similar to the receiver on my 1944 M1 rifle. I like the dark olive green look of that type of parkersization. In fact I think this might be one of the hallmarks of actual parkerization as opposed to other phosphate finishes

Products like duracoat exist, too

http://duracoat-firearm-finishes.com/

Never done it but people seem happy with the product. You must carry a lot to wear off factory bluing so fast
 
I have done paint and body work professionally for over 30 years.

I had a buddy talk me into spraying three of his guns with "DuraHeat" made by Duracoat.

It is very very easy! I used one of my spray guns with a 1.4 fluid tip and it looked like the gun was brand new when he put it back together. He has put over 1,000 rounds through one of the guns and the paint still looks GREAT!

I'm ready to do another one...............
 
Attention: Mr. Servo

Your thread regarding the refinishing of firearms, should have been posted in the "smithy" section. There is already a tremendous amount of information regarding that subject in that section of the forum.

Thanks !!!!!

Guru1911
 
Unless, you have a great deal of experience with firearm re finishing, it's generally not a DYI project, if you are expecting a top of the line finish. It's also not cost efficient either, as you will almost never re coop the cost of a re finish. All of that being said, if it would please you go ahead and re finish to your hearts desire.
 
I used Cerakote on a CZ-82 and was very impressed with the results. It requires sandblasting and baking the Cerakote to get it to cure, so it wasn't easy (or cheap), but I'm happy how it turned out. I like to tinker, so this was a fun project for me!
 
You should check with the manufacturer about refinishing, some manufacturers warn against certain refinishing measures such as heating or sand blasting.

CCE Raceframes is an example - I'm just using them as an example, taken from CCF's FAQ:

Refinishing my aluminum frame

Is there any problem with my gunsmith refinishing one of your aluminum frames to put a camo or other color finish on it?

We strongly recommend you DO NOT REMOVE OR STRIP the finish on the aluminum frame. And even more strongly caution you to not use a finish that requires any heat involved in it's finish process. A number of spray or wet coat finishes, such as Duracoat, are very durable & are fine, applied directly onto the anodized finished your frame is supplied with and in fact the existing anodized finish serves as an excellent primer surface for most if not all of the wet coat finishes.
Click to expand...

So you should check with the manufacturer to see what they say about it before starting.
 
I bead blasted the ones I did. I dont remember anything about Parkerizing before using the paint.
Dura-Coat told me on the phone that the product could be sprayed directly to bare metal.
Its very easy..............
 
The factory bluing wears off fast so I am not a fan of having them re-blued.
Click to expand...

How did you wear the blue off so fast? What you may need is a plating rather than a coating fr durability. (And maybe a bit of carpet to put on the concrete bench for when you lay it down between strings.)
 
I compete in local matches, IPSC and IDPA. After a few years of use my 1911is showing the holster wear from many matches.

The pistol does not look terrible but it could use some improvement.
 
Plate-coating treatments...

For a carry/duty/defense/outdoor handgun, revolver or semi auto pistol, you can't go wrong with a high quality treatment or coating.
I've posted some of the more popular coatings-plate firms.
www.Bearcoat.com www.APWcogan.com www.Robarguns.com www.Black-T.com . I like NIC-Cetakote, NP3+, Robar Black Oxide(steel parts), Black-T/Green-T.
Metal-life is another popular after-market treatment too.
If you have a carry or duty pistol, I suggest having a few extra magazines plated or coated also.

Prices & wait times may vary but with the poor economy you may find a few specials or offers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top