Cerakote and Duracoat

[frostop]

Is it absolutely necessary to disassemble say a boat action to do an acceptable finish?
Specifically remove the barrel from the action? The rest of the disassembly isn't a big deal but would rather not remove the barrel if I can avoid it, it's not that I can't just that I just got this thing shooting well and don't have go no go gauges etc.??


Gary

 

[ofdscooby]

No bed your rifle and get everything ready lastly I have the barreled action and any other parts that I want protected painted. Be advised i have messed around with dura coat and its not that durable. Cerakote is the way to go.

 

[frostop]

Ok, Good to know on the Duracoat!

 

[Hired Gun]

There is no need to remove the barrel. It just takes longer to perform the gas out procedure because oil hides in the barrel threads. It will dry up but it will take a few soaks and gas outs to get it to dry up. Duracoat is just paint. Cerakote is actual ground up ceramic suspended in epoxy. On a custom rifle build Cerakote is usually the very last step after bedding and engraving.

 

[Edd]

Do you put Cerakote on a stock?

 

[Hired Gun]

Sure.

 

[stomp442]

I usually degrease and heat the barreled action at least three times just to make sure there is no residual oils or anything that could seep out. Most factory rifles or one just built generally don't have much to worry about but if you get an old military rifle like an old Mauser or something like that you will be pulling oils and cosmoline like crazy when you heat them up. As far as stocks go I much prefer to use Duracoat on those as the heat requirement is not nearly as high and cures quickly. It makes me nervous to put a $500 stock in the oven.

 

[Hired Gun]

Cerakote has a cold cure formula for heat sensitive items. We really don't have much demand to coat fiberglass stocks.

For the OP. When pulling a barrel there is no need for gauges to put it back. A witness mark will get it exactly how it was. Even without a mark having the barrel twisted 1/16 of an inch one way or another doesn't make a meaningful change on headspace.

 

[frostop]

Hired gun, Thank you for your responses, you have confirmed my thoughts.

I had the rifle put together by PacNor, stainless barrel on chrome moly action. Should have had them cerakote, but didn't want to spend the money until I knew how it would shoot, well it shoots great and wanted to learn how to do cerakote myself.

Gary

 

[jrock]

I've been wondering if you Cerakote the barreled action and then down the road swap barrels, will it crack or spall at the barrel to action joint since it's been painted over? Same for muzzle breaks? Would it be better to mask the contact surfaces and do each separately?

 

[Hired Gun]

Being Cerakote is not paint it doesn't stick to anything. It's a ceramic coating that is mechanically locked into the surface. Since it can not even stick to itself it doesn't skin over seams like paint. Without the jagged peaks and valleys created by the aluminum oxide blast based structure it cannot bond. The barrel or brake will come apart as clean as if they were all done separately and go back just as clean.