JHenry
Member
How hard is it do? it seems fairly straight forward and i might wanna try to do it myself in the future but im just curious if anyone here has attempted it yet?
Dura coat and Gun Kote application?
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Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
I've done both. For my money, GunKote is a better choice.
Dura Coat is very thick and can cause problems if it goes places it shouldn't. It also softens and changes the lines of the gun.
How hard it is to do will depend on your handiness. I'd say it's easy, but I build and make things for both a living and hobbies. You need to know your way around an airbrush, and a sandblaster (with GunKote, at least) and you'll need to be able to get whatever it is hung up in your oven for the curing without dinging up the finish.
Not hard, but not easy like spray-painting your name on the neighbor's cow, either!
Dura Coat is very thick and can cause problems if it goes places it shouldn't. It also softens and changes the lines of the gun.
How hard it is to do will depend on your handiness. I'd say it's easy, but I build and make things for both a living and hobbies. You need to know your way around an airbrush, and a sandblaster (with GunKote, at least) and you'll need to be able to get whatever it is hung up in your oven for the curing without dinging up the finish.
Not hard, but not easy like spray-painting your name on the neighbor's cow, either!
"Not as easy as spray painting your name on the neighbors cow"? Huh? It's only easy if the cow with horns doesn't take exception to it! When I was a kid, I visited my cousin in the country. We did this thing called cow riding. You lured them over to the fence and then jumped on their back. They would plod around and complain. Then you jumped off and did it to another one. My cousin, the country kid suggested that I, the city kid, ride that one that had handles on his head for me to hang onto. Note: I SAID I was a city kid, ok! Well, I lured him over, jumped on and my world exploded. I hit the ground an hour later (or so it seemed) and couldn't breath but I was able to jump up and RUN! That was almost fifty years ago and to this day, I can still hear my cousin screaming: Run faster! He's gaining on you!. Ok, sorry! I was having a flashback!
Anyway, Sam1911 is correct. Gunkote is better in that it's much more durable to things that firearms come into contact with. Salt water, chemicals, heat, cold, rain, snow, etc. Plus, it requires much less lube so it's not a dirt magnet. It can be applied to all internals as well as the externals and will burnish to a perfect fit. I've been using it for close to thirty years as part of our Tuff-Gun finish.
Now, having siad that: It does require preparation work to make it come out right. Curing can be done in the kitchen oven but be forewarned: It stinks horrible, releases a lot of nasty fumes and you will have to clean the oven afterwards. It transfers solids onto the inside of the oven. Do NOT do it if the Lady of the house is home and use plenty of ventilation. Keep yer powder dry, Mac.
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All.
Mac's Shootin' Irons.
http://www.shootiniron.com
Anyway, Sam1911 is correct. Gunkote is better in that it's much more durable to things that firearms come into contact with. Salt water, chemicals, heat, cold, rain, snow, etc. Plus, it requires much less lube so it's not a dirt magnet. It can be applied to all internals as well as the externals and will burnish to a perfect fit. I've been using it for close to thirty years as part of our Tuff-Gun finish.
Now, having siad that: It does require preparation work to make it come out right. Curing can be done in the kitchen oven but be forewarned: It stinks horrible, releases a lot of nasty fumes and you will have to clean the oven afterwards. It transfers solids onto the inside of the oven. Do NOT do it if the Lady of the house is home and use plenty of ventilation. Keep yer powder dry, Mac.
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All.
Mac's Shootin' Irons.
http://www.shootiniron.com
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
(Man...I guess that painting livestock thing must be harder than I thought! ... )
)Man, I got to throw my 1st post on here about Macs story.
I feel for you on the cow riding. We used to do that as kids, last time I did it my arm scraped the wooden fence, it was from elbow to wrist a bloody raw piece of meat.
Thought I'd learned my lesson....but a yr later me and my cousin, being kids, had our bb guns out shooting spatsys. We was walking back up to the house along the inside of the pastor, and low and behold came up on our uncles bull with his back to us. Now me and my cousin, being the angels that we were, pumped up our bb guns 10 pumps. (back then they had the bb guns that 10 pumps could kill a human). Put them bb guns up to our shoulders and put the sights right on those swinging balls and let it rip.
That bull squeeled like a pig, did a mid air flip/twist and landed running straight at us. Being 9 yrs old, we both dropped our bb guns and took off across the 40 acre pasture screaming like 2 little girls , with a bull charging right on our butt. You never seen 2 fat boys run as fast as we did. That dang bull went thru 2 electric fences, and chased us into the barn. We had to hide in the loft, for what seemed like eternity, till our uncle got there to feed the cows. He heard our story after getting the bull put up...laughed like there was no tomorrow, made us help fix the fences and took us to get our guns and took us home on the tractor. We thought for sure our butts would get the belt from our dads, but they laughed and laughed when they heard the story. Now I look back this is from the 2 fathers who used to tell us to go get a stick and beat the ground on hornets nests...soooo.....
I feel for you on the cow riding. We used to do that as kids, last time I did it my arm scraped the wooden fence, it was from elbow to wrist a bloody raw piece of meat.
Thought I'd learned my lesson....but a yr later me and my cousin, being kids, had our bb guns out shooting spatsys. We was walking back up to the house along the inside of the pastor, and low and behold came up on our uncles bull with his back to us. Now me and my cousin, being the angels that we were, pumped up our bb guns 10 pumps. (back then they had the bb guns that 10 pumps could kill a human). Put them bb guns up to our shoulders and put the sights right on those swinging balls and let it rip.
That bull squeeled like a pig, did a mid air flip/twist and landed running straight at us. Being 9 yrs old, we both dropped our bb guns and took off across the 40 acre pasture screaming like 2 little girls , with a bull charging right on our butt. You never seen 2 fat boys run as fast as we did. That dang bull went thru 2 electric fences, and chased us into the barn. We had to hide in the loft, for what seemed like eternity, till our uncle got there to feed the cows. He heard our story after getting the bull put up...laughed like there was no tomorrow, made us help fix the fences and took us to get our guns and took us home on the tractor. We thought for sure our butts would get the belt from our dads, but they laughed and laughed when they heard the story. Now I look back this is from the 2 fathers who used to tell us to go get a stick and beat the ground on hornets nests...soooo.....
SorenityNow
Member
dagger dog
Member
Sam1911 speaks the truth
DuraCoat needs to be applied in very thin light coats which is not easy to do without the correct tools, the 2 stage epoxy paint sets up very fast, which can dry in your spray gun or disposable aerosol sprayer.
I had was too much paint in the barrel opening on the slide of a Sig 226,the barrel was binding in the opening, couldn't rack the slide far enough to strip around off the top of the mag, had to chuck up some emory cloth on a dowel and spin it with a drill to remove enough to solve the problem.
Once the DuraCoat sets up on a prepped surface (bead blasted) it wears and holds like an iron skin!
DuraCoat needs to be applied in very thin light coats which is not easy to do without the correct tools, the 2 stage epoxy paint sets up very fast, which can dry in your spray gun or disposable aerosol sprayer.
I had was too much paint in the barrel opening on the slide of a Sig 226,the barrel was binding in the opening, couldn't rack the slide far enough to strip around off the top of the mag, had to chuck up some emory cloth on a dowel and spin it with a drill to remove enough to solve the problem.
Once the DuraCoat sets up on a prepped surface (bead blasted) it wears and holds like an iron skin!
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Well, to a point. If you DuraCoat an AK, the safety lever WILL wear a scratch through the finish by the end of your first shooting session. Don't know if the GunKote would have held up much better, but I suppose I doubt it.
rem22long40x
Member
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I use Dura coat all the time and have never had a problem with it drying in my sprayer , if you use the right amount of hardener . you can get a glossier finish by increasing the amount of hardener but should only do it on the last coat , and have all prep work done and be ready to spray before mixing paint with extra hardener . I spray it in light coats , as many as it takes to get the coverage I am looking for .
crossrhodes
Member
Coatings
I do a lot of both myself, same as SAM1911 for a hobby and a living. As far as the AK safety, it's like the action arms on pump shotguns and no matter what it's going rub through the finish it's just a matter of time. KG gunkote is far better for ware and heat management along with lubricity. I've used KG gearcoat on some bolts with good results. I mostly use dura coat for old single shot 22's or shotguns for a low cost refinishing job for customers. I've done a few revolvers with gunkote and they have held up well. I will say that your metal prep is the key to a good coating. Dura coat...if your piece is looking ragged something is better then nothing.
I do a lot of both myself, same as SAM1911 for a hobby and a living. As far as the AK safety, it's like the action arms on pump shotguns and no matter what it's going rub through the finish it's just a matter of time. KG gunkote is far better for ware and heat management along with lubricity. I've used KG gearcoat on some bolts with good results. I mostly use dura coat for old single shot 22's or shotguns for a low cost refinishing job for customers. I've done a few revolvers with gunkote and they have held up well. I will say that your metal prep is the key to a good coating. Dura coat...if your piece is looking ragged something is better then nothing.
Wachtelhund
Member
I've used Dura Coat for several rifles. It works well on handguns, .22 rimfire rifles and shot guns. It does not work good on high velocity rifles, as the muzzle blast will eventually remove the finish from the barrel muzzel.
If you have ever done any spray painting with spray guns, you'll have no trouble if you follow the directions. Do your prep work and degrease several times. When mixed properly Dura Coat is thin and sprays on in thin coats with an air brush, you do not need an expensive air brush.
I build a box for the action, lined with aluminum foil, shiney side out as a clean spraying area. Place a brass rod through the action and extending through both ends on the box. Rotate the action and barrel while spraying. Prior to spraying and when done spraying I set a double Halgon shop work light two feet in front of the box. This heats the metal and opens the pours and help cure the Dura Coat finish.
If you have ever done any spray painting with spray guns, you'll have no trouble if you follow the directions. Do your prep work and degrease several times. When mixed properly Dura Coat is thin and sprays on in thin coats with an air brush, you do not need an expensive air brush.
I build a box for the action, lined with aluminum foil, shiney side out as a clean spraying area. Place a brass rod through the action and extending through both ends on the box. Rotate the action and barrel while spraying. Prior to spraying and when done spraying I set a double Halgon shop work light two feet in front of the box. This heats the metal and opens the pours and help cure the Dura Coat finish.
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