Cerakote opinions please

[matty]

I am in the early stages of a new rifle build ( hunting / tactical ) My action is a bead blasted bat repeater with ss barrel.
Am considering a ( profesionaly done ) cerakote finish to break up the stainless and I thinks it looks cool. I have done a little research on the product and it appears to be the most durable finish on the market. However I DO NOT want to do anything that would interact the craftsmanship of the action itself ( short term or long )
I have -0- experiance with this product and would apprieciate any advice. Have no idea how long its suppose to last, how durable, will it flake off in five years and look like sh## ????
Want to hear it from someone other than a salesman ( no offense if you are )
Thank you in advance, Matty

 

[joshb]

I'm considering it for one of my builds and am 80 percent sold on it. My action will need a corrosion protective coating and I did a lot of research. The coating is very thin, comes in lots of different colors and lasts a long time . When done professionally, it should last the life of the gun.Depending on your action tolerances, you may want and be able to coat the bolt, too. I liked the relatively low temps needed to do ceracoating compared to some other coatings I looked at. More knowledgable guys will chime in, hopefully.

 

[Pulpit]

A very close friend of mine is a professional cerakote applicator and takes great pride in his work. He has done many of my rifles and all have turned out very well. From factory rifles to full customs.

He states that the prep is key and he invested in a very high quality spray gun (among other items) which along with the applicator's skill, the finish is durable and good looking.

My rifles have never been treated roughly, but some are hunted with and the coating has held up flawlessly over the few years I've had them since coating. They don't scratch easily, the metal is protected, and I like the way they look...but it's not for everyone.

I wouldn't hesitate having a rifle cerakoted, but getting with someone who has experience cannot be overstated.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I have had great and not so great experience with it. You have to have a good guy do it. A friend of mine does them for me and they come out excellent. Be carefully on the Bat they are tight and I bet if you coat the action and the bolt you have have a problem.

 

[Mr.Spradlin]

http://www.blackicecoatings.com/

They have been around the longest I think.
Do your homework on the different coatings. The big three are ceramic based, molly based and teflon based.
And also do your homework on the coater.

I have seen my share of bad coat jobs these days.

 

[Trapper243]

I have one of my hunting rifles coated with the stuff and I have used the rifle hard. It is tuff. Rocks can scratch it, but not easily. I have worn through it slightly in a few spots also, such as the bolt handle but I don't ever see it peeling. It has never chipped anywhere even with impact. As long as the job is done right I bet you will be happy.

 

[stinnett1981]

Everyone is 100% correct about saying you MUST have a professional do it. I have had 1 bad experience with a guy who does it out of his garage. It didn't turn out well. I bit the bullet and found somebody else redo the the rifle. The second place I found is Josh @ http://www.2boyzblasting.com/
After Josh CeraKoted my barreled action I then understood what a properly done CeraKote job looks and feels like! I have now had Josh do 4 custom barreled actions for me and all my bolts for my Stiller TAC 30 have been micro slicked. It's a much smoother type of CeraKote. They slide in the receiver like glass! When done properly CeraKote actually looks like it absorbs into the steel. It looks and feels extremely durable. A bad CeraKote job looks like paint. It looks and feels like it could simply scratch and chip off. CeraKoting is a type of job that must be done 100% properly and perfectly step by step. And yes, prep is 90% of the work. Choose wisely!

 

[Cigarcop]

I've Cerakoted many but I would not recommend doing the bolt body or inside the action on the Bat.
They have much closer tolerances than factory actions. I personally would tape of the inside and bolt body/lug area and Cerakote the rest.
The finished product should come out like a fine paint job!

 

[ShootDots]

I have had great and not so great experience with it. You have to have a good guy do it. A friend of mine does them for me and they come out excellent. Be carefully on the Bat they are tight and I bet if you coat the action and the bolt you have have a problem.

++++ ^^^^^ What Alex said also goes for the Kelbly Panda's..

 

[ballistic64]

How does the coating hold up from getting cleaning solvent on it?

 

[Mr.Spradlin]

How does the coating hold up from getting cleaning solvent on it?

You should be just fine. A properly done coating job is very durable.

 

[boltfluter]

How does the coating hold up from getting cleaning solvent on it?

Solvent will not do anything to a correctly applied Cerakote job. Incredibly tough product. Beautiful work Cigarcop.

Regards, Paul

www.boltfluting.com

 

[FN in MT]

I agree that the preparation is the key. I used a Pro in Billings for my 6.5 x 47 L a few yrs back. Still looks like the day it was picked up. The finish is very durable. I also had my last duty gun a SIG 229 redone in cerakote as the finish was about 50% worn off from my holster. That one has held up very well too.

 

[DHD]

As stated, properly applied Ceracote will not be effected by any gun cleaning solvents. And also as stated, some actions that are snug already will be too tight after coating. The microslick is a very thin air dry coating that will wear pretty quickly, but the lubricating properties will remain for quite a while. I got to take my hat off to the guys that Ceracote for a living (or part of a living anyway) because it is a lot of work to do it properly.

How does the coating hold up from getting cleaning solvent on it?