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I've not had good luck with Cerakote in around a half dozen guns coated with the crap, echoing many other posters' experience. That includes at least one rifle done by a smith who receives a lot of praise on here for his work, and a couple of factory cerakoted firearms. Sure, the finishes held up better than Aluma-Hyde, but not by enough to justify the cost.
Edit: Forgot about suppressors. The finish on Cerakoted cans has not held up well either, in comparison to cans that had other finishes such as Gun Kote.

Last edited by prairie_goat; 01/06/23.
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Originally Posted by Mule Deer
Art,

Thanks for you response--but out experience has been 5-for-5 since 2006 to 2022.

Which is partly why I'm doing an article on the subject. Thanks for you info--would you mind if I quote some of your post?

John
By all means. I would gladly provide names privately, but if it is not my gun I will leave it to the owner to go public, or not.


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Here's the thing - if the coating is so complicated to apply that it takes a PhD in materials science and a reading of the Necronomicon from a dreary cemetery crypt underneath a full moon in order to go on correctly, it's not a very good product. Especially when by comparison there are other finishes that work fine without all that jazz.

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There’s a reason why this issue comes up so often, because it’s an issue so often,

Too hit and miss for me.

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I was in the gunsmithing business when it caught on. Never applied it myself but saw wildly varied results pertaining to durability in everything from OEM to garage applications.

Built rifles and pistols for multiple people who wanted the “best” in corrosion and wear resistance and insisted on sending the guns out to be coated. In multiple instances they came back after a season wanting it blasted off and nitride finished like we’d suggested in the beginning.

My only personally owned Cerakoted item is a suppressor. I had no choice in finish as there were no options from the manufacturer. Durability was laughable, a couple months of use and all the sharp edges were worn through and there are multiple scuffs and scratches through the finish from tree limbs etc. I don’t fret it since it’s SS underneath but it is pretty ridiculous that a product billed as the toughest thing to come down the pike would fail so easily.

My personal opinion is that manufacturers love it because it’s a quick easy finish without the HazMat and safety issues some chemical finishes like hot bluing or nitride present. Consumers want to like it because of the advertising, multiple available colors, and often no other choice from the manufacturer. And plenty of guys will have good luck with it even if it isn’t a perfect application because they don’t hunt in a style or area that is hard on finishes. Taking a rifle out of a case at the truck and walking 100 yards to a box blind in dry weather isn’t going to show wear like hunting Kodiak island for a rainy week in November.

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Originally Posted by TheKid
Consumers want to like it because of the advertising, multiple available colors, and often no other choice from the manufacturer.

You just explained Legacy's stance...
[Linked Image]

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Mentioning colors is another point... many colors have been shown to be softer than others. Black has been a good color.


Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Originally Posted by Whttail_in_MT
Originally Posted by TheKid
Consumers want to like it because of the advertising, multiple available colors, and often no other choice from the manufacturer.

You just explained Legacy's stance...
[Linked Image]
Bingo!


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Art,

Thanks! But I won't need any specific names, except for quoting you.

Will be describing not only the origins of Cerakote, but how it has worked or not for various people. Am doing it for a publication that doesn't take advertising, so can publish both sides.....

John


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Originally Posted by prairie_goat
Here's the thing - if the coating is so complicated to apply that it takes a PhD in materials science and a reading of the Necronomicon from a dreary cemetery crypt underneath a full moon in order to go on correctly, it's not a very good product. Especially when by comparison there are other finishes that work fine without all that jazz.

Billy,
I remember the big problems with what I recall was your first Cerakoting job.

Am also very aware of the technical hoops recommended by the Cerakote folks for installing it, having read the "manual" more than once--which is why I never even wanted to apply it myself.

But it's a little weird that so many of our Cerakoted rifles haven't had any problem--though all of them were black-coated, which as Art mentioned tends to work better. The exception is the Weatherby Vanguard I got last year, which has a tan coating--which Weatherby calls Dark Earth. Haven't used it enough yet to come to any firm conclusions yet.

While this discussion has been going on I remembered a 6th rifle, a Remington 788 .222 with an well-abused barrel I had rebarreled by E.R. Shaw to .223 nearly 20 years ago, with what was then considered a "fast twist" barrel (1-9). The barrel got Cerakoted, partly because they wanted to know if the coating would keep it cooler during prairie dog shooting. (The origin of Cerakote was as an internal-combustion engine "paint," partly because ceramics--glass--are an efficient heat-transfer coating, helping engines to run cooler.) It did seem to keep the barrel from heating up as fast, and cool down quicker--but there wasn't any other rifle on hand with an uncoated barrel of the same contour, chambered in .223 to compare it to.

Another factor in my experience is that I didn't choose whoever applied it. Instead the rifle/barrel companies did.

John


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My suspicion from early on, is carbon as the color source for black made it harder and bound things tighter.


Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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I wonder how many people that had bad cerakote finishes actually got the C-series air dry type and not the H-series bake on. The bake on actually goes through a composition change and the other doesn't.

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Has anyone tried putting Berryman Carburetor cleaner on Cerakoting to see if it might take it off?


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One great source on Youtube is “Branson cerakote”… he teaches a great deal of “how to”…. Nice guy.

MD - He takes questions over the phone …

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Thanks!

Since yesterday I also remembered another rifle that got Cerakoted, my custom FN Mauser, originally a .270 that I shot the barrel out on. Charlie Sisk rebarreled it to 6.5x55 with a stainless Lilja in 2007, and since I'd restocked it in "California English" walnut I wanted the metal to appear matte blued. If I recall correctly Charlie arranged for the Cerakoting, so might have to ask him who did it. Its finish is also in fine shape, but I haven't hunted with the rifle nearly as much as the 7x57 that Reverend Mike now owns.


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I have a feeling this is going to get interesting.....


The data and opinions contained in these posts are the results of experiences with my equipment. NO CONCLUSIONS SHOULD BE DRAWN FROM ANY DATA PRESENTED, DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, ATTEMPT TO REPLICATE THESE RESULTSj
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Originally Posted by CharlieSisk
I have a feeling this is going to get interesting.....


for sure

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MD,

In the way of exhausting research…

Coating thickness testing is yet another dimension… but I would think people end up on the heavy side more than the light side…
But the only way to check is with a gauge.

Huh.. I could go to a gun store and measure a bunch of commercial coating - I haven’t done that yet.

Here is the one NIC resells - if you get into testing they’d probably loan you one, they aren’t too expensive but past QC they have limited use.
[Linked Image]

Last edited by Spotshooter; 01/10/23.
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I've never seen Cerakote that was worth a flying fhuqk,whether in OEM or Custom guise. Though admittedly,I actually shoot and schlep things Outdoors and we often get something called "weather". Hint.

Due same,I fret bores more than anything and it's S/S or bust for me and I'd just as soon have a butt nekked blasted finish,though Krylon doesn't aspook me. In fairness,I've had some exceptional C/L bores and namely FN SPR's. Hint.

Actual use and Trigger Time,will resolve all and those who swoon Snake Oil most,tend to have fiscal interests in same. No "surprises" there. Hint................


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This whole discussion makes a reader like me who is considering Cerakote on next rifle build what the difference is between the successful applications and the not so successful applications? Is there a prep step that is being overlooked in some applications? Fresher product that hasn't been setting on the shelf as long? Not mixing properly or to the right ratio ? Not spinning a dead cat the right direction?

Seems like the Cerakote manufacturer would be stepping in with all these reports of failure of their product? And if not, why not?


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