Those of you who have rifles cerakoted:

What do you think of it?

Does it essentially make the rifle maintenence free (other than cleaning the barrel)?

Are there any downsides? Thanks.

I’ve had several guns that were cerekoated correctly by very good gunsmiths and I’m not a fan. Neither are the gunsmiths that I’ve used. It seems to scratch very easily….if you use your rifle as an honest tool, expect it not to wear as well as you had hoped.

I’ve had better luck, as have others, with Gunkote from Brownells. NOT the $15-$20 spray can…the good stuff you have to buy by the quart (pint, gallon, whatever). Much more durable.

Some here have said it nothing special…not worth the cost…

My experience has been different. I’ve had several rifles cerakoted and I think it’s great stuff! I will say this however: a lot depends on the prep and application. My rifles were cerakoted by Eddie Fosnaugh several years ago. He is very meticulous and did a great job!

To answer your question: Yes, once cerakoted you can consider the rifle weatherproof other than the bore.

Godogs57, above says Duracoat is more durable. My experience has been completely opposite. But it isn’t scratch proof. If your barrel contacts a rock or metal on metal it’s going to scratch just like it would if your barrel was blued. But, if you don’t drag your gun through the mud(I don’t…that’s called abuse/neglect)it’ll likely wear well and look good for years….mine still look basically new and they were cerakoted 5+ years ago. The sharp edges of a barrel muzzle or triggerguard will wear some(similar to bluing wear but the cerakote on my rifles has not chipped or flaked off at all.

I wouldn’t hesitate to use it more in the future.

Leftybolt

It will scratch and it will wear. It can make an action a little stiffer. It does help some with weather proofing.

As mentioned, how it's applied matters. I've had some turn out really well and some not so well. I had a rifle and stainless rings done by a local guy recently....big mistake. When I was wiping down the top of the action and the rings with degreaser before putting the rings on some of the coating wiped off. Use someone with a good reputation if you do it.

JCMCUBIC,

I did a stainless barreled action a few years ago too(graphite black cerakote) and wouldn’t do it again. Reason being if you get a scratch or slight wear at the muzzle you can’t touch it up easily. Plus, it’s pointless to cerakote a stainless rifle, unless you do stainless cerakote.

A chrome moly barreled action can be touched up with cold blue occasionally and you’ll never notice it(speaking of graphite black or darker colors).

Leftybolt

For my money, give me dull-blasted stainless. If it's a cosmetic thing, like wanting darker steel for a walnut stock or something, then I can see using it on top of stainless. The bore matters most, and I personally hate the trend of manufacturers using coatings instead of SS steel these days, charging more than they used to for the SS option, and then calling it "all-weather" or some such thing.

I had a stainless Tikka cerakoted, I should have just bought a can of Krylon, just as durable and way cheaper. Three hunting seasons later, its mostly Krylon anyway because of all the scratches.

I’ve had good luck with it. If you go in thinking it’s bullet proof you’ll be disappointed. Like anything, use it hard enough and it will show some wear.

I have 2 rifles that I had cerakoted. One Rem 700 and one Win M-70. They were done by to different guys. One turned out awesome, looks great. Its tough as nails. The other one, not so much. It must make a big difference in prep and product used. Also the experience of who ever is doing the job. All Cerakote jobs are not the same. If you are considering having it done, do your homework and use someone that comes highly recommended. I agree with JPro. from now on I just buy dull-blasted stainless.

Great input! Thanks, men. I’m looking at a factory coated M70. Is is safe to assume Winchester knows what they are doing??

I have a original custom shop AWR with the Trynite coating that’s the best finish I’ve had on a gun. I’ve often wondered if a person could find someone that applies it at a reasonable price.

At the end of the day it is a spray applied coating. It will wear, chip and peel in time. I have had a few and if you use your rifle and not totally baby it then it will look like crap in short order. The dull bead blast is the way to go if that is an option

Have posted this before: Cerakote needs to be heat-cured after applying, and if the steel is properly prepared and then properly cured it is VERY tough. But too many folks who apply it don't even go to the trouble of reading the directions--which is why it "will, wear, chip and peel in time."

Have hunted a lot with rifles where Cerakote was properly applied, and none showed any wear-finish more than a slight amount around "edges," such as the corners of the muzzle crown--even after years of travel and hard use.

But yes, Cerakote will rapidly chip, peel, etc. if not applied or correctly cured.

Follow-up question: How do you get the crap off a rifle?

Sandblast it.

I will add that whomever you get to cerakote a gun should be a gunsmith. They will pay closer attention to details like clearances where stacking tolerances could become a problem. That advice came from Eddie Fosnaugh.

I have a Howa that came with Cerakote. Its been carried a good bit on the front rack of a 4-wheeler, bounced around in a Jeep, and gone lotsa miles in a saddle scabbard. Holding up very well.

Have both Cerakote and Black Nitride finished guns. The Black Nitride process (nitrocarburizing) is a surface hardening treatment for steel, which makes it harder and more corrosion resistant than chrome. It is not a coating, so it does not change part dimensions. It’s sort of like case hardening.

I’ve read that Black Nitride treatment also improves bore longevity. Can’t say from personal experience, as I don’t shoot in sufficient volume to test that, though my treated guns most certainly shoot with satisfactory precision.









Check it out online.

I said Gunkote, not Duracoat.

JB’s comments are dead on. Heat curing is the secret for Cerekote. But even then I’ve found heat cured Gunkote to be better in my little world than heat cured Cerekote. Your mileage may vary.

I’ve had as good of luck using rattlecan paint jobs on my hard hunting, indestructible go-to-rifles as several buddies have had with expensive Cerakote jobs. I can touch it up easy enough and the exterior coated metal is just as protected from the elements as a Cerakoted weapon. My hunting rifles are used hard and maintained perfectly but they have scrapes and scratches and look like they’ve been used. None of that is permanent and an hour in the blasting cabinet takes it back to square one.

As JB said: read ALL the directions and follow them exactly……
There isn’t any applied finish that is bullet proof. All of them will eventually show some level of wear. How well it was applied will be reflected in how much wear it will show over the years.
That being said, I prefer slow rust bluing….. and walnut.
They both are like fine wine aged to perfection.

I once gave a rifle to a gunsmith with a very good reputation. Either he didn't properly prepare and cure the job, or he subbed it out to an idiot who didn't know how. Said gunsmith is now singing with the choir eternal so he won't be making that mistake again.

My mistake was not sending the rifle out separately to a specialist.

Yep--there are apparently a bunch of those, who think you just have to spray it on.

If done right it's among the tougher finishes I've had on my rifles.

There are also a bunch of the customers (suckers?) of such appliers, who refuse to believe how good Cerakote can be if done right.

Well, I was a sucker on that occasion. I would try cerokote again, but I've learned from my mistake.

From the looks of that it's KG Gun-Kote rebranded.

I much prefer the KG Gun-Kote to Cerakote. Much more durable.

We do a lot of different color applications and an AR Ceracoated upper will show wear on the shell defector pretty fast.

The Grey/Black are popular and that Grey KG Gun-Kote holds up pretty well.




Cerakote used to sell an Air Cure version that they claimed was just as good. I don't think they sell it any more.

Sounds like a problem with the gunsmith doing the application. I have quite a few cerokoted and haven’t had problems

A buddy of mine has a lathe in his garage. He does so much competition shooting that he chambers his own barrels and he does the same for all of us in the group. He doesn’t cerokote, so I just used Brownell‘s Aluma hide epoxy based spray and have done quite a good job on a few barrels. Beware though because cleaning solvent takes it off around the muzzle.

There's gunsmiths (and even writers) that are utterly clueless, hence that title is utterly f'ing meaningless. Cerakote needs to be applied correctly, no discussion needed in this regard.

Rattle can finish will never have the solvent resistance of Cerakote, ever. It can be just the ticket for some things.

Gun-Kote is indeed Gun-Kote. LOL

The most widely used, H-series is 1-2 mil, Elite is 0.6-1.1 mil, and others as thin as 0.25 mil. Bunch of guessing can be eliminated with a little bit of focused reading.

C-series are air cured. Some of the the hardest are clearcoats that are one part and oven-cured.

Great resource
https://www.cerakote.com/resources/documents

For black and hard, nitride is a phenomenal treatment and gets the bore. It's super sexy and won't be done in the garage, or by a smith, or a writer.

Carry-on

The biggest problem isn't the Cerakote product - it's used in all kinds of industrial applications and has a good reputation. The problem is human error - specifically in the applicator's preparation. Cerakote's adherence strength is not a chemical bond with the surface, but a physical, mechanical lock. If the surface is bead-blasted the finish will fail; Cerakote is clear and upfront about this and emphasizes the use of appropriately-sized silica or garnet based media, which results in a surface of micro-crevices and uniform roughness so that promotes penetration of the Cerakote and serves as an anchor for the coating when cured. Bead blasting just peens the surface and leaves it smooth. The other critical step is proper degreasing in acetone after media blasting. A fulltime applicator knows this, doesn't forget it, and doesn't take short cuts out of ignorance or laziness.

Bottomline: Unless I personally knew the guy, I would only use someone who is a dedicated Cerakote applicator.

This^^
Cerakote is a two component ureathane type epoxy with ceramic added. A lot of companies make a similar product but cerakote is a quality product that has done a good job marketing to the firearms industry, and has also done a good job emphasizing prep and application.

Offshoreman is correct about sandblasting/etching the surface. Smoother the surface the less “bite” and mechanical lock the coating has. Consequently Cerakote isn’t the best choice for a real smooth more glossy type finish.

Ask your applicator what media and grit he's using. If its outside the 80 to 150 range and something other than aluminum oxide or garnet......walk away.

I have coated a lot of guns and this is easily the most important part to good adhesion and durability. If you're getting similar results with other non catalyzed, non heat cured products.....you got duped.

I never mix my media and dump it between bead and cerakote jobs to avoid contamination. It's all part of the reason it is expensive.....there's a lot of steps to a good job.

Thanks for all the contributions! Quite enlightening.

So, bottom line: would Winchester be considered a “dedicated Cerakote applicator”?

John,

Here's the CZ 550 9.3x62 I purchased 20 years ago from a local store, then shortly thereafter had Serengeti Rifles (now Kilimanjaro Rifles) in Kalispell restock with one of their fancy laminated pieces of walnut, and Cerakote. Since then it has been hunted in several states and countries from Alaska to Africa, riding in saddle scabbards, on float planes, boats and safari cars, and been carried through stuff from thornbush to mixed conifers and rocks. Along the way it's taken a bunch of big game, of probably a couple dozen species.

The photos show the extent of the wear on the Cerakote, which include scratches through the coating on the bolt-handle and trigger guard, and wear around the muzzle.





Once in Tanzania did encounter an idiot PH who claimed the rifle was rusting after a day of driving around a very dusty plain. I said, "No, that's just dust." (Like a lot of Africa, the soil was a red-brick color.) He disagreed, quite firmly, so I grabbed one of the water bottles in the cooler, and poured some on the barrel, which immediately turned blue-black again. He didn't say anything.

I agree witH MD. The quality of the application with Cerakote makes a big difference. I have a rifle tHat was cerakoted some years ago and it has proven to be exceptionally tough and weather resistant. I had it done by a professional company that does industrial cerakoting and was already cerakoting aerospace parts for our company.

Cerakote has proven to be a very good solution for me, if properly done.

Might also mention that I had two other rifles which were properly Cerakoted, a custom 7x57 from Serengeti, and a custom .338 Winchester, which was Cerakoted by another company. I sold both rifles in the past couple of years, but the 7x57 was hunted even more than the 9.3x62, and held up similarly.

JB,

I am not saying Cerakote is "bad".

I am saying that KG Gun-Kote is much better and more durable.

I have extensivley used both from a end user prospective and as a rifle builder.

If you have an example from 20 years of hard use, would like to see it.

LOL.

If your happy with Cerakote then rock on.

Many poster's in this thread have found Cerakote to be less durable than expected.

Having used both Cerakote and Gun-Kote I much prefer the KG product because it's better.

If you want an example I have sand paper, Gun-Koted guns, gas, and time to meet to test durability of both coatings.

Let me know.

KG is on the list to try out. I have seen elsewhere it's said to be equivalent in durability. Don't see why not, however, not being a catalyzed coating, can't imagine it being also as chemical resistant as Cerakote H or E series. Interesting that it's applied to pre-warmed parts. Carry-on.

John,

Have done considerable research, both among gunsmith friends and on the Internet, and the general consensus is that the heat-cured version of Cerakote (which is what my rifles have been done with), applied by somebody who knows what they're doing, is tougher than KG Gun-Kote. Though they also say KG is good stuff.

Many also noted that quite a few Cerakote applications are done by people who don't know what they're doing, and just spray it on like Krylon--whereupon it works about as well as Krylon.

Tell us about the Cerakote. Who did it?

This has been a good read and interesting as I've painted a lot of rifle and shotgun stocks over the past several years with Duracoat. I have only painted a few actions and barrels, and don't like doing metal with it, tolerances are tight and if you don't mask properly you're screwed. Duracoat is a 2 part paint and hardener that doesn't require baking. Like concrete it will be hard enough to handle in 24 hours or so, but to reach full hardness takes at least 2 weeks. Bump it firmly during this time and it will mar the finish.

Just like cerakote PREP IS KEY! Any oil left will cause the duracoat to peel. Like high_country said, black oxide or garnet on the stock first. Gloves only from here on, no finger oils. Scrub it with acetone or the duracoat degreaser. Then really scrub it again. Seriously, scrub it!! From Make sure its warm and not 50 degrees either. Give it time to flash off and look it over to make sure its clean. Now start the coating process.

Bottom line, those that know what they're doing aren't cheap and typically don't have very short turn around times for good reason. Done right with proper prep many of these coatings will serve their purpose for years. Skimp on the prep and it'll show in short order.

Having the advantage of using both products personally under hard use I would disagree.

It's not hard to test out.

Whats your schedule look like this spring?

Might be an interesting article.

Hey, John, when you two meet up and do your testing, don't forget to mention who did the Cerakote on the rifle you show him.

If it wasn't you.

LOl.

I don't do CeraKote any more because I prefer GunKote.

So it would be a bit silly for me to provide any Cerakote samples.

JB is gonna have to come up with top flight CeraKote to abuse.

It would be interesting to see different treatments gettting abused.

Who here would read that article?

I had really good luck with ceracote by Eddie Fosnaugh. Not a light duty rifle either.

CK really is worth it with a cm action and ss barrel.