Duracoat a gun yourself?

kurtiss · July 1st, 2008, 04:32 PM

So I saw a another thread where somebody applied duracoat to a 637. It turned out awesome. Who has worked with this stuff? Is this something the average person (ME) could do? What is involved with the process? I would love to do this to a gun, but I am scared I would ruin it! Thanks for the info!

NYcarry · July 1st, 2008, 04:41 PM

That would be great to know as well here, I have a Charter Arms Undercover that could use a refinishing.

dukalmighty · July 1st, 2008, 04:41 PM

I used a KG coating from midway the main thing is surface preperation if you prepare the surface and then follow the instructions the firearm will turn out to look like a pro did it,my coating i used is baked on I put it in a 400 degree oven for an hour and after cooling reassembled and was ready to fire,my gun was a 1911 and I was concerned about the coating making the slide rails bind ,but the coating is so thin it wasn't a problem,once you bake the KG coating they say it has to be sandblasted off,but it is abrasion resistant saltwater resistant and self lubricating but i still put a little clp on the rails

matiki · July 1st, 2008, 04:53 PM

There is a sub-forum at AR15.COM dedicated to refinishing:

AR15.COM :: Forums :: Refinishing

You may be especially interested in the photo thread they have running there:

AR15.COM :: Forums :: Refinishing Forum Picture Thread

I'm about to duracoat my AR and Shotgun... nothing crazy though.

Rustynuts · July 1st, 2008, 07:31 PM

I re-did a pistol slide and my Saiga S-12 recently. Here's a list of stuff I used.

Pancake compressor - for sandblasting, already had it.
Hand held Snap-On Speedblaster - eBay ($30 or so)
Black Diamond blasting media - eBay, got medium but maybe use fine ($25)
Cheap badger air brush - Amazon or somewhere ($30)
Air brush compressor - eBay, didn't skimp here as it will last ($150)
K-phos - cold phosphating for after you blast. worked great
Norrell's Moly Resin - one pint did several pistol slides and a full shotgun.

Blasting toke awhile with a pancake as it can't keep up. Be prepared for media everywhere so do this outside (I didn't use a box). Get the parts blasted well. Clean them in hot soapy water and rinse well. Dry in a warm oven (100 to 170). Once you are sure they are dry take them out and spray a coat of K-phos. Don't worry about any light flash rusting after the blasting and wash. The K-phos will get rid of it and prep the metal to accept the resin. Pop the parts back in the warm oven to reheat.

Take them out and spray with the moly resin. Keep the parts warm and spray light passes so you don't get runs. After spraying put back in the oven at 280-300 for an hour or two. DO NOT SKIP THE BAKING PART. The moly need to be baked to fully harden. If you have some springs left on the gun, lower the temp a little 220-250 and cook for an extra hour or so. Done!

Pics of my PF-9 done be the above procedure. Finish is even and black. Hard to show with the flash on!

Here's the S-12 I finished. Too far away to see the details though.

NYcarry · July 1st, 2008, 08:00 PM

Nice.
Thank you for the writeup.

HotGuns · July 1st, 2008, 08:28 PM

I've DuraCoated several rifles. One of them is on the forum around here some where.

You really need an airbrush to properly apply it. That an mixing the hardener with the paint and really getting it mixed is the key to a good job. Surface preparation is important as well. I usually sandblast my stuff and then airbrush it.

Other than that, its just technique. Don't apply too much, too quickly and take your time. It rakes about 3 weeks to become almost indestructible. When its fully cured, it takes awhile to even sandblast it off.

Rustynuts · July 2nd, 2008, 09:11 PM

With the moly resin there's no mixing, thinning or anything. Straight out of the bottle and into the airbrush. Can't get simpler. Only negative is that it HAS to be heat cured, but then again it comes out harder than Duracoat due to the high heat cure. It does dry to the touch when applying, so it's not super messy getting it to the oven which I initially was worried about.

July 1st, 2008, 04:32 PM	#1
kurtiss Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: florida Posts: 62	Duracoat a gun yourself? So I saw a another thread where somebody applied duracoat to a 637. It turned out awesome. Who has worked with this stuff? Is this something the average person (ME) could do? What is involved with the process? I would love to do this to a gun, but I am scared I would ruin it! Thanks for the info! __________________ Paracord Survival Bracelets & Lanyards. Help us raise awareness and $'s for our Wounded Warriors! Visit www.SurvivalStraps.com

July 1st, 2008, 04:41 PM	#3
dukalmighty VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: texas Posts: 3,567	I used a KG coating from midway the main thing is surface preperation if you prepare the surface and then follow the instructions the firearm will turn out to look like a pro did it,my coating i used is baked on I put it in a 400 degree oven for an hour and after cooling reassembled and was ready to fire,my gun was a 1911 and I was concerned about the coating making the slide rails bind ,but the coating is so thin it wasn't a problem,once you bake the KG coating they say it has to be sandblasted off,but it is abrasion resistant saltwater resistant and self lubricating but i still put a little clp on the rails __________________ I like Poetry,Long Walks On The Beach,And Poking Dead Things With A Stick

July 1st, 2008, 04:53 PM	#4
matiki VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: N.W. Posts: 2,014	There is a sub-forum at AR15.COM dedicated to refinishing: AR15.COM :: Forums :: Refinishing You may be especially interested in the photo thread they have running there: AR15.COM :: Forums :: Refinishing Forum Picture Thread I'm about to duracoat my AR and Shotgun... nothing crazy though. __________________ Each of us has a natural right - from God - to defend his person, his liberty, and his property. These are the three basic requirements of life, and the preservation of any one of them is completely dependent upon the preservation of the other two. Frederic Bastiat, The Law

July 1st, 2008, 08:28 PM	#7
HotGuns Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arkansas Posts: 5,199	I've DuraCoated several rifles. One of them is on the forum around here some where. You really need an airbrush to properly apply it. That an mixing the hardener with the paint and really getting it mixed is the key to a good job. Surface preparation is important as well. I usually sandblast my stuff and then airbrush it. Other than that, its just technique. Don't apply too much, too quickly and take your time. It rakes about 3 weeks to become almost indestructible. When its fully cured, it takes awhile to even sandblast it off. __________________ AR. CHL Instr. To achieve world government, it is necessary to remove from the minds of men, their individualism, loyalty to family traditions, national patriotism, and religious dogmas.' Dr. G. Brock Chisolm

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July 1st, 2008, 04:41 PM	#2
NYcarry Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 305	That would be great to know as well here, I have a Charter Arms Undercover that could use a refinishing.

July 1st, 2008, 07:31 PM	#5
Rustynuts Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 530	I re-did a pistol slide and my Saiga S-12 recently. Here's a list of stuff I used. Pancake compressor - for sandblasting, already had it. Hand held Snap-On Speedblaster - eBay ($30 or so) Black Diamond blasting media - eBay, got medium but maybe use fine ($25) Cheap badger air brush - Amazon or somewhere ($30) Air brush compressor - eBay, didn't skimp here as it will last ($150) K-phos - cold phosphating for after you blast. worked great Norrell's Moly Resin - one pint did several pistol slides and a full shotgun. Blasting toke awhile with a pancake as it can't keep up. Be prepared for media everywhere so do this outside (I didn't use a box). Get the parts blasted well. Clean them in hot soapy water and rinse well. Dry in a warm oven (100 to 170). Once you are sure they are dry take them out and spray a coat of K-phos. Don't worry about any light flash rusting after the blasting and wash. The K-phos will get rid of it and prep the metal to accept the resin. Pop the parts back in the warm oven to reheat. Take them out and spray with the moly resin. Keep the parts warm and spray light passes so you don't get runs. After spraying put back in the oven at 280-300 for an hour or two. DO NOT SKIP THE BAKING PART. The moly need to be baked to fully harden. If you have some springs left on the gun, lower the temp a little 220-250 and cook for an extra hour or so. Done! Pics of my PF-9 done be the above procedure. Finish is even and black. Hard to show with the flash on! Here's the S-12 I finished. Too far away to see the details though.

July 1st, 2008, 08:00 PM	#6
NYcarry Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 305	Nice. Thank you for the writeup.

July 2nd, 2008, 09:11 PM	#8
Rustynuts Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 530	With the moly resin there's no mixing, thinning or anything. Straight out of the bottle and into the airbrush. Can't get simpler. Only negative is that it HAS to be heat cured, but then again it comes out harder than Duracoat due to the high heat cure. It does dry to the touch when applying, so it's not super messy getting it to the oven which I initially was worried about.