What is up with the Cerakoting trend?

My recently built 10mm Commander has a black shield coating, durability and less wear than traditional coatings.

Cerakote, DuraCoat, or whatever coat, don't forget that preparation of the surface is the key to a durable coating - that won't flake and peel off! Wearing like iron is no good if it doesn't stick to the surface.

Woody

Many years ago it was neither as cheap or as easy to customize the finish of your gun. The last several years have seen a huge expansion of the colors and patterns available in good, durable finishes.

People like to customize almost everything they own. Cell phones, wallets, cars, bags... the list goes on. With available finishes that allow neat colors and patterns without compromising durability it's inevitable that folks will use them.

I don't think there's any correlation at all to gun color vs. training with it. Folks just want their stuff to look cool.

Dr.Mall Ninja said:

I just wonder if these people are taking as much time training as they are pimpin guns.:banghead:

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The nerve of those people, having different priorities than me.


Lighten up, Francis.

It sounds like the good Doctor has been on a vacation overseas for a while. Customizing guns is hardly a new trend as gun magazines have been writing about them years and years. Ceracoat is just another finish joining the ranks of blue, nickel, electroless nickel, hard chrome, NP3 and on and on.

I had a chance to handle a CZ-82 a while back that had been Ceracoated. I was very impressed with on smooth it made the frame & slide rails. Plus having a choice of colors makes having it done fun.

I've always been all about function over aesthetics myself so I kinda don't get it either. Give me an ugly gun that I can take out in the field or just shoot well at the range any day over a pretty safe queen.

vamo said:

I've always been all about function over aesthetics myself so I kinda don't get it either. Give me an ugly gun that I can take out in the field or just shoot well at the range any day over a pretty safe queen.

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I didn't realize a gun had to be ugly to function.

I didn't realize a gun had to be ugly to function.

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Ok I went off on a bit of a tangent there, but my point was if it shoots well then I don't care what it actually looks like.

Dr.Mall Ninja said:

It seems like everywhere I look people are changing the coating and the grips of their guns especially on all the FB groups. It seems a couple years ago, I had almost never saw someone customize there guns to this extent. I just wonder if these people are taking as much time training as they are pimpin guns.:banghead:

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A Mall Ninja upset because others are upgrading the finish of their guns? Strange.

Besides, this isn't a recent trend. People who train frequently with their firearms cause a lot of wear on them, it isn't beyond reason to have them refinished (exterior & interior) with the latest protective coatingsavailable to them. I've been having my shootin' irons refinished with advanced coatings, polymers and hard chrome, since about 1995-1996. Serious shooters had been doing this since the Armand Swenson started hard-chroming 1911s back in the early 1970's, possibly earlier.

I wouldn't exactly say it's a top priority or anything, but I see nothing wrong with customizing a gun's color(s). I've never done it yet, but I most likely will at some point. The only downside is it could damage resale value. For many people, that isn't a concern.

My wife and I have discussed doing a "his and hers" color scheme for our carry guns. Kinda dorky but whatever.

The nerve of these people... wait, I AM one!
I had several guns that were corroding badly and decided to go all-out when I refinished them. I don't regret it and carry my Colt Defender often. No one has to like but me. For what it's worth, I picked out the colors and pattern for my Defender based on a rumored finish on certain Chinese military pistols.

I don't think there's anything wrong with "pimping" your guns. I mean, it's been done for years with the Ruger 10/22 and 1911's. Guns are not just for SD, target, or competition. For some, it's a hobby and it should be fun. For others, they're prepping for the worst case scenario at every corner. Who cares, just be glad we can...

I have Cerakoted or duracoated 3 AR lowers. Two were lower receivers that had been engraved and needed it. I got them done in a color as close to the original black as possible and a 3rd was a blemish that looked like it had been tossed across the sidewalk... So since the rest of the gun was FDE I did this one in FDE. I was not completely impressed on how cerakoting scratches ALOT easier than they claimed.

Oh well, I wouldn't mind doing it on some guns but thus far I have only done it to fix cosmetic issues, not for decoration.

The local guy that does it here has become fairly big. He is constantly dipping 4 wheeler accessories and car panels (dashboards, door panels, etc) rims, all kinds of stuff. He does alot of hunting trophies too. I never in my wildest dreams thought somoeone wouldwant their deer antlers dipped in a rebel flag pattern...

I think Cerakote and some of the others are a great way, when done properly, to improve the durability of the gun's finish or allow a bit more camouflage than standard black or stainless, if need be. I can also see the pinks and other "vanity" finishes being used to bring in new shooters.

What baffles me is the Krylon craze. I understand it's cheap and easy to remove, and I'm never going to tell someone they can't do something to their gun, but the first person who tries to sell me a gun with a flakey, $12 homemade finish.....

Pimping guns is at least centuries old, in one fashion or another.

Take a look at the ornate brass cannons history has to offer. Custom carved rifle stocks, ornate butt pieces on old muzzle loading pistols, gold bead sights, custom grips on old revolvers, nickle plating, elegant hand engraving, and more.

Lighten up, Francis.

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Excellent Stripes reference.

People have always spent more time pimping and talking about their guns. There was probably a guy with a flint lock carving on the stock and bragging about it. Methods have changed, that they do it has not.

Cerakote is a good product. It has excellent corrosion resistant properties. Beside that, its nice to be able to make your gun yours. I can sell 100 Glock 19's and they all look the same. Products like Cerakote, Durakote, and KG allow the end user (sometimes with help) to personalize their gun. Look at the Colt Defender that Havok posted. Personally I don't like the color choice, but there's no mistaking it's his gun. Doesn't matter what other people think.

I will refrain from commenting on the irony of a poster with the handle MallNinja commenting on pimping guns...

Cerakoted parts don't rust. IMHO, it's 10x better than Parkerized.

RetiredUSNChief said:

Pimping guns is at least centuries old, in one fashion or another.

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Definitely a practice that has existed since firearms became common enough to carry. This wheellock was made for the Holy Roman Emperor about 500 years ago. Gold is is a great anti-rust coating!

My daily carry, a Kimber Compact CDP II is coming up on 20 years with that much holster wear. I might give it a DuraCoat in matte black soon.

Woody

I thought about Cerakoting my 9mm Spartan, going to send it to Birdsong instead.

I wasn't going to do anything fancy anyway. However, I was considering an olive drab frame with black everything else, simply because that's how it looks on my phone (due to the LED flash), it looks cool, the idea got old.

There is more and more accessorizing going on in the firearms world as more folks get into guns. It's just a natural progression, more people and more ideas as to what they want their gun to look like.
My opinion doesn't matter, as I am old fashioned and believe in basics. Mainly for safety sake, a kid could mistake one for a toy.
But if the gun is properly secured it should be ok. It would make a heck of a law suit if someone was shot or shot someone else, with what he or she claimed they thought was a toy gun.

It seems like everywhere I look people are changing the coating and the grips of their guns especially on all the FB groups

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I have had several pistols hardchromed after all of the bluing was gone from hard use. I also have customized the grip on several of my 2011 competition guns. What's wrong with that?

I just wonder if these people are taking as much time training as they are pimpin guns.

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Followed by:

They never have.

They never will.

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Wow, painting with a pretty wide brush there.