So You Wanna Paint Your Gun?

It’s a given that we all would like to have the coolest gun at the range. The determining factors of what makes a gun cool are subjective. Some people will base their opinions off of the exclusivity of the gun, maybe off of the aftermarket gun parts, the accessories, the paint, or a combination of all of these factors.

Painting is usually one of the first thought about gun modifications that people would like to make but most people don’t know the first steps to get their gun painted properly.

There are a few different options available to the consumer when it comes to painting a gun. The options vary based on price, durability, and quality.

The first option most people tend to consider is spray paint, obviously because of the price point and the ease of application. However, it’s worth noting that all spray paints aren’t made equally though. You’ve got spray paints that while they are cheaper to apply and can look as good as some of your more expensive coatings (if applied correctly), some don’t tend to offer the same protections such as being corrosion resistant like your other coatings. Some spray paints can attract and trap moisture and create rust underneath the surface of the paint.

One of the cons of going the spray paint route is that spraypaint may not be as durable as other options and can potentially scratch or scrape off. On the other side of that coin though, it could be as simple as simply respraying that area to restore the look.

If you are into the whole DIY idea of spraypainting your firearm, be sure to look into properly prepping your firearm to make sure all oils and debris is removed first. The paint will have a more difficult time sticking to the metal if it hasn’t been prepped properly.

If going the DIY route isn’t for you, there are professional options that may appease you. Professional Cerakote & DuraCoat applications are the way to go if doing a DIY spraypaint application on your firearm isn’t for you.

Cerakote is a specialized ceramic coating that can be applied to wood, polymer, plastics, and metals which is what makes it perfect for firearms.

Cerakote is offered in over 100 colors and can be applied with stencils, patterns, and more to achieve any design the customer could possibly want.

On top of it applying well to firearms, Cerakote tends to act as a lubricant and attracts less dirt and dust than other applications. Users have reported the need to not use as much gun lubricant when their firearms have been sprayed with Cerakote. It also has other advantages such as being more resistant to oxidation and corrosion. Depending on how the firearm is used, this can be very important, especially for those people using firearms exposed to a lot of sweat, marine environments, or extremely dusty environments.

Cerakote can get expensive if going thru a professional applicator. For one, the firearm must be completely disassembled, not just field stripped, and applicators usually charge just for disassembly. And while you CAN apply Cerakote yourself, it’s DEFINITELY NOT recommended. You can paint your own car but you choose to let the professionals do it. The same should apply for your firearm. For one, Cerakote is toxic and frankly, it probably (and more than likely) won’t have the same quality and durability than if a professional did it. Here you can find certified Cerakote applicators in your area.

DuraCoat is another coating that people tend to turn to as an option for painting their firearms. It’s similar to Cerakote in that it comes in many colors. And that’s where the similarities stop. DuraCoat can take about a month to fully cure versus Cerakote (C-series) only taking about 5 days to cure. However, the application process for DuraCoat is much easier than for Cerakote, and this is what makes it so attractive for the DIY crowd. The main difference is that DuraCoat won’t hold up as long as Cerakote and may potentially need a refinishing just like spray paint.

It’s worth doing your own research on the different applications and definitely worth doing the research on the various Cerakote/DuraCoat applicators in your area if that’s the route you choose to go.