Can you ceramic coat firearms? (2023)

Can I ceramic coat my gun?

Yes, ceramic coatings can be applied using a spray gun.

Black Oxide (Bluing)

As one of the least expensive corrosion-resistant finishes on the market, black oxide is often the preferred finish used on gun barrels and small components. Gun oil is important to this type of finish to avoid rusting. Methods used are either a hot or cold process.

Cerakote for Your Firearm

The ceramic coating benefits the firearm by providing and enhancing physical components including: Improving the wear and tear over time. Providing abrasion, corrosion, and chemical resistance. Improving strength and durability.

Cerakote™ is a ceramic coating that is most commonly applied to metals but is nearly limitless to the number of applications it can be used for. Unlike other “Ceramic” coatings, Cerakote™ is formulated from the molecular level.

Longevity: 5+ Years. Sometimes when the two are visually compared side by side in the same camouflage pattern, there may be a difference in color saturation. With cerakote, color is applied directly to the surface of the gun, which may slightly alter the tone depending on the color of the surface prior to application.

Here are some of the reasons why Cerakote is superior to other gun coatings: Cerakote is extremely durable and resistant to scratches and wear.

Parkerizing (Phosphate Finish)

Parkerizing, also known as phosphating or bonderizing, is a gun metal treatment that provides a tougher finish than bluing with an increased resistance to corrosion, nicks and scratches.

Cerakote ceramic coatings provide the durability and corrosion protection you need with the color you want, making it the perfect alternative to blueing. For the best in corrosion protection, Finish Strong™ with Cerakote.

Gun Bluing (Black Oxide)

Steel bluing, also known as gun bluing, oxidizing and black passivating, is a process by which the metal is given a rust-resistant finish. Bluing guns are achieved by an electrochemical process in which the iron in steel is converted to magnetite, or black oxide.

Yes, our military and armed forces do currently and widely use cerakote AR's and other weapons coated in cerakote. Cerakote is one of the toughest and durable coatings out there for firearms which of course is important to the military as they beat on their guns and put high round counts through them.

Is Cerakote permanent?

Thus, Cerakote adds a ceramic layer that is permanent on the gun's exterior, enhancing its durability. One advantage of applying Cerakote is that it is easily applicable on the gun's surface, including steel, plastic, and even wooden parts.

Traditionally, Powder Coat has been known as the go-to coating solution for automotive components, however, as of recent, many fab shops and individuals have discovered and transitioned to Cerakote. Cerakote is compatible with more automotive components thanks to its ultra-thin finish and high-temp tolerance.

Cured Cerakote absolutely beats cured DuraCoat in every measurable respect with regard to finish quality, abrasion resistance, and overall toughness.

Cerakote Offers

Cerakote is a liquid sprayable coating that is designed to be used with an HVLP spray gun. It is not a dip, roll, or brush coating.

Industry leaders choose Cerakote as an affordable alternative to PVD or DLC. Cerakote offers superior durability, consistency, color selection and improved turnaround time. Cerakote is made in the U.S., and can be applied anywhere in the world, making it a safe and accessible coating for any application.

The finish can shave ounces off a frame compared to powder coat or wet paint. Cerakote also is excellent for parts that flex or bend, like spokes, he said. "You can bend a part in half and it won't crack," he said. Unlike powder coat, Cerakote will cover sharp-edged details like frame lugs.

As far as wear, it's natural for items to wear due to heat and friction. Cerakote isn't the cure-all, end-all solution but it will last if it is properly taken care of. I often use a silicon cloth to wipe down my slide. It helps reduce friction and prolong your Cerakote finish.

(1mL) bottle of Cerakote (a part B catalyst is included with some as not all colors are air cure) to touch up any marks or scratches on your parts during assembly. We try to use High Temp C series of Cerakote for our touch up kits.

Developed by NIC Industries, Cerakote is a thin-film ceramic coating that offers a hard finish that is resistant to abrasion, corrosion and chemicals—and looks great at the same time. The thinness (0.001-inch thick) of the coating makes it ideally suited to the often-tight tolerances of firearms.

For optimal cure, place the coated pieces in a 250°F oven and cure for 2 hours. For a quick cure, 1 hour at 300°F is sufficient. If the substrate material is heat-sensitive (such as plastic or wood) then a 200°F cure for 2 hours is adequate.

Why is my Cerakote rough?

Dry spray has a rough, sandpaper like appearance and is typically caused from poor solvent transfer during application. Cerakote should always have a smooth slick finish after product has been fully cured. During the application process it is very important to "Wet Out" the coating to avoid any possible dry spray.

How durable is DuraCoat®? With normal use, a firearm finished with DuraCoat® will last several lifetimes. What is DuraCoat®? DuraCoat® is a two-part chemical coating.

The Traditions™ Performance Firearms barrel protected by Cerakote took 150x longer to show visible signs of corrosion than the barrel treated with Black Nitride Rust Proofing by CVA®. This test video shows that when corrosion protection matters, Cerakote outlasts and outperforms, making it the obvious choice.

Fortunately, there are many options, from “old school” finishes such as hot salt bluing and Parkerizing, to modern new coatings. Changing the finish is an exciting way to make your gun reflect something about you.

Sure will. It makes an old tattered guns look amazing, and prevents any further deterioration. Cerakote won't restore metal that is pitted to a smooth finish, but with proper application, it will adhere fully and dramatically improve the appearance while stopping rust in its tracks for good.

If you are fortunate enough to own a transferable machine gun, or if you like to "blaze" with your semi-auto, do not put DuraCoat on your barrel, as your barrel temperature will rise to over 1,000 degrees F. In those cases, use Cerakote. Our Cerakote coating can handle temperatures up to 1,800 degrees F.

Cerakote and Duracoat will adhere to aluminum, steel, and stainless steel, Titanium, Scandium or 'pot metal'. Previously plated surfaces that are peeling or chipped like nickel, hard chrome must be stripped prior to coating.

Anodizing. For aluminum and titanium parts. Anodizing is the most popular finish you'll find on any AR-15 or tactical rifle.

In colloquial use, thin coatings of black oxide are often termed 'gun bluing', while heavier coatings are termed 'black oxide'. Both refer to the same chemical process for providing true gun bluing.

If you have a firearm completely refinished in Cerakote or Duracoat, a period of 200 to 300 rounds is typically required for break in with quality gun oil or grease. After this period you can run your weapon lightly lubricated!

What is tungsten Cerakote finish?

Description: Cerakote Tungsten is a dark graphite grey with silver metallic. *NOTE: This product comes with a catalyst and requires a 100 Mesh Strainer (SE-275). Cerakote H Series coatings are durable, corrosion-resistant, and provide unparalleled levels of hardness and adhesion.

Cerakote™ Gen II coatings are designed to conform to the N-IR reflectivity standards outlined in United States Military Specification MIL-C-53039D¹.

Will Cerakote cover scratches? This is a tricky question with no definitive answer. If the scratches on your gun are superficial (they only scratched the existing finish), then, yes. Part of the application process is to remove the existing finish by sandblasting the part at a specific PSI using specific blast media.

APPLICATION. The steps are relatively simple: disassembly, sandblasting, cleaning, painting, and baking. But, of course, simple doesn't mean easy. Cerakote is ridiculously thin.

Most Cerakote applications, especially on firearms, involve a coating and curing process that leaves you with a 1 mil final thickness on top of the part, though this can be as low as a quarter of a mil, depending on the Cerakote Series. While this coating is thin, it will affect the fit and finish of the firearm.

Cerakote High Temp

Additionally, the C-Series Ambient Cure Ceramic Coatings are formulated to withstand extreme temperatures (~1200*F) without discoloring. This makes the coating ideal for exhausts, pistons and other components for high temperature systems.

Cerakote is not prone to the chipping and blistering commonly found in existing paint finishes, and is not affected by chemicals such as road oil and tar, chain lube and brake fluid.

Cerakote® is a ceramic polymer based proprietary formulation that offers industry-leading durability, hardness, scratch resistance, corrosion resistance, flexibility, heat, and chemical resistance.

Cerakote vs Hydrographics

If you're looking for something to genuinely protect your gun from wear and tear then Cerakote is likely your best bet. Hydrographics, on the other hand, is a coating process that can be used to leave intricate designs and patterns on a firearm.

DuraCoat is permanent. With normal use, a firearm finished with DuraCoat will last several lifetimes. What is DuraCoat? DuraCoat is a two part chemical coating.

What colors does Cerakote come in?

At Coating Systems, we can apply Cerakote to just about any blade you can imagine. Our anti-corrosion coating makes your blades virtually weather, chemical, and corrosion proof, drastically improving their durability and performance.

Cerakote Graphite Black is a satin black. This color was developed for Crye Precision Multicam® Black. *NOTE: This product comes with a catalyst and requires a 150 Mesh Strainer (SE-276). Cerakote H Series coatings are durable, corrosion-resistant, and provide unparalleled levels of hardness and adhesion.

As a high gloss, air cured, ceramic clear coating, MC-160 can be used as a top coat over several materials such as metals, paints, composites, plastics, hydrographics, PVD and more. Click here to be sure you're using the best Cerakote Clear for your project.

Cerakote Elite is a new Cerakote finishing option that offers increased hardness, improved abrasion resistance, and improved lubricity in an application formula that is thinner than ever before.

GLOCK uses a unique polymer coating to create a durable and reliable pistol magazine. This proprietary polymer formula reduces the damage that might occur when a normal magazine is dropped and protects the internal metal frame of the magazine from corrosion.

NP3® Technical Terms: NP3 is a surface treatment for steel and metal alloys that combines sub-micron particles of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), otherwise known as Teflon, with electroless nickel. The application of NP3 is auto-catalytic, that is, not requiring any form of electricity.

Another great option to increase the performance and durability of your firearm is to choose an effective firearm coating like a Cerakote Elite protective coating. These types of Ceramic Coating Services are proven to be an invaluable investment.

Cerakote. Cerakote is becoming extremely popular in today's gun market and for good reason. It can be produced in a myriad of colors, applied to a variety of surfaces, and is one of the most durable finishes available today.

Cured Cerakote absolutely beats cured DuraCoat in every measurable respect with regard to finish quality, abrasion resistance, and overall toughness.

Which Cerakote is best for guns?

Even though there are many types of Cerakote to choose from, the H-series is the recommended one for firearms and any other weapons. This offers a high level of protection for firearms.

Abrasive blasting is a common and effective method for removing layers of cerakote from a surface, and aluminum oxide is a common way to get the job done. Cerakote, which is a ceramic-based coating, is used to protect against wear and corrosion. This is typically difficult to remove without using abrasive blasting.

Cerakote ceramic coatings provide the durability and corrosion protection you need with the color you want, making it the perfect alternative to blueing. For the best in corrosion protection, Finish Strong™ with Cerakote.

Traditionally, Powder Coat has been known as the go-to coating solution for automotive components, however, as of recent, many fab shops and individuals have discovered and transitioned to Cerakote. Cerakote is compatible with more automotive components thanks to its ultra-thin finish and high-temp tolerance.

(1mL) bottle of Cerakote (a part B catalyst is included with some as not all colors are air cure) to touch up any marks or scratches on your parts during assembly. We try to use High Temp C series of Cerakote for our touch up kits.

Gun Bluing (Black Oxide)

Steel bluing, also known as gun bluing, oxidizing and black passivating, is a process by which the metal is given a rust-resistant finish. Bluing guns are achieved by an electrochemical process in which the iron in steel is converted to magnetite, or black oxide.

Bluing is a passivation process of treating steel to prevent rust. The chemical process results in a blue-black finish, hence the name. Not only does bluing provide rust protection, but it leaves a cosmetically pleasing finish on the gun.

How durable is DuraCoat®? With normal use, a firearm finished with DuraCoat® will last several lifetimes. What is DuraCoat®? DuraCoat® is a two-part chemical coating.

Cerakote can be cured at the maximum Recommended Cure Temperature listed in the All in one TDS, based on color and substrate. Standardized curing temperature for H-Series is done at 250°F for 2 hours following a 15 minute ambient flash time.

APPLICATION. The steps are relatively simple: disassembly, sandblasting, cleaning, painting, and baking. But, of course, simple doesn't mean easy. Cerakote is ridiculously thin.

Can you air brush Cerakote?

This airbrush can achieve fine details even with thicker products such as DuraCoat and Cerakote. If you are painting detailed projects, the Iwata Eclipse HP CS is the airbrush to get.

Cerakote Offers

Cerakote is a liquid sprayable coating that is designed to be used with an HVLP spray gun. It is not a dip, roll, or brush coating.

Cerakote should be applied using an HVLP Spray Gun with a 0.8mm tip. NIC uses, and highly recommends the Iwata LPH-80 spray gun to apply Cerakote products.