Anyone Ever Powder Coat Gun Parts?

[Misery Loves Shotguns]

I've done a lot of sandblasting lately and I've been using Rustoleum spray matte black on various parts for years. I had never heard of powder coating until just a few months ago, bought some matte black and I'm considering trying it on a knife, maybe a few magazines to see how it turns out. Word on the street is that it's a really durable finish but we'll see. Thoughts?

[JenniferG]

Powder coating adds to the thickness of whatever it is your coating. It's very durable, much more so than enamel paints. It is dissolved by gasket remover or aircraft paint stripper.

[Noah_Zark]

Not personally, but I've had to clean up the aftermath of three powder coated guns, one that could not be assembled because the "professional" that coated the pistol with his $29.95 Harbor Freight gun applied the coating in a thickness range from 0.003" to 0.010". Nothing fit. Holes had to be reamed, slides "shaved", etc. The adjustable sight was transformed into a fixed sight.

Another guy had his AK powder coated and a couple drum mags of ammo later it was charring on the barrel and gas cylinder.

To my knowledge, the only firearm manufacturer who powder coats their product is MKS High Point.

Friends don't let friends powder coat their firearms; it's great for a durable finish for McDonalds or Chipotle restaurant furniture, not guns. Go with Cerakote.

Noah

[titleiiredneck]

Cerakote all the way, powder coat is meant for heavy equip and furniture at Golden corral.

[SWIGIN]

You just have to be smarter then the powder.

I PC all kinds of things you wouldn't think could be done.


If you are surprised that if you get powdered Plastic in a hole or other critical place and melt it, then get mad because the parts don't just go together I think you need to just stay way from tools in general.

[Bang]

I think I just saw a teachable moment lost.

[dkf]

Better off with KG Gunkote, Cerakote or even Duracoat IMO. Of course you need something to spray those. I usually use KG Gunkote and it is a very thin coating so it doesn't really build up causing issues.(when applied properly)

[Misery Loves Shotguns]

I think I just saw a teachable moment lost.

I agree. I was curious how he does it but after reading the lower paragraph, I don't care. I ordered cerakote for my 92 and already sandblasted it. Now I wait.

[Misery Loves Shotguns]

You just have to be smarter then the powder.

I PC all kinds of things you wouldn't think could be done.


If you are surprised that if you get powdered Plastic in a hole or other critical place and melt it, then get mad because the parts don't just go together I think you need to just stay way from tools in general.

So, here's a teachable moment. That photo is rubbish. If you want to show someone your powder coating work, take the rifle outside on an overcast day and take the pictures there. Natural light is the best thing for showing details but if it's too bright, it will come out dark and the photos will be equally rubbish. Don't use a flash. Ever.

Inside photo but with natural light


Outside on an overcast day

[Noah_Zark]

. . . If you are surprised that if you get powdered Plastic in a hole or other critical place and melt it, then get mad because the parts don't just go together I think you need to just stay way from tools in general.

I totally understand it, but the boneheads that powdercoated these three guns did not. They didn't plug mask the holes, or tape mask slide rails, etc. Guys like this watch a couple youtube videos and buy a PC gun off the Interwebz or from Harbor Freight, then they use an ordinary lower-temp resin powder to coat RIFLE BARRELS, and fancy themselves to be professional metal finishers. Not.

Noah