Brownell's Gun-Kote

[EricW]

Anybody actually *used* Brownell's Gun-Kote spray on gun finish? I'm curious as to the quality of application that one could get out of the spray can. I'm also curious as to if it can be removed prior to baking if for some reason the application was unsatisfactory.

Thanks in advance.

E

[sfinney]

Hi Eric,

I've used the bake on Brownells Teflon/Moly Coat in a couple colors, and had great luck with it..... Gun-Kote is the branded version, costs a little more, not sure if its really much different.

Did lower for a .22 1911 conversion, on the cheap .. came out very profesional looking. Also a couple rifles, in black , and Olive drab.

It's like painting a car....... the prep is the key. Make sure you have a textured surface (matte, scuffed, or bead blasted) and its THOUROUGHLY degreased.

Heat parts to about 110 - 120 or so - Put it on in 2-3 light coats, or it will run on ya.... it looks fairly grainy or peely when dry before baking - about a half hour at 350, have patience. The baking really locks it in and "smooths" it out. Doesn't look much different than any other Black-T or similar professional job, if done carefully.

Mine have held up to pretty normal use with little or no wear.... but if you don't prep the metal right, it will flake or scratch on you.

Shouldn't be to hard to remove it before baking, but it will require solvent and scrubbing. I just sanded out any runs/rough spots with wet/dry and repainted til satisfied. But once its baked on, supposedly sanding or blasting is only way to fully remove.

Give it a try, for the price. I'd think twice about doing a high use competiton pistol due the extreme rough handling (but I know some do), but it should hold up fairly well to "normal" use. Of course, if it wears, you could always just repaint it every once and a while

[kimel]

How bad was the smell during baking? As in, do I need to arrange for the wife to go on an extended holiday so I can clean the oven and air out the house or can I just send her on a shopping spree for the day?

[ORCA]

I can't speak to the Brownell's Gun Kote, but the KG Gun-Kote is excellent. If you contact KG they will send you a couple of pages of information on surface prep and how to apply it. You really need an airbrush though. The coating looks the same going into the oven as it does when it comes out (with flat black, other colors?). If you screw up when applying it, which is hard to do with an air brush, it wipes off with a little paint thinner. Surface prep is the key, it needs to be sand blasted and wiped down with a solvent, MEK, acetone, brake cleaner, ect. One bottle goes a long way, I've coated three guns and still have over half a bottle left.

The guns in the photos were both done with KG Gun-Kote flat black. The limited gun is going on a year, and I've whacked it on stuff a few times and the finish hasn't shown any marks from the abuse. I'm not sure why the open gun's finish looks like the black is different shades, I guess it's the flash, the angle, or something, looking at it in my hands it all looks the same. The finish on the guns also looks identicle when the are side by side.

Two home made guns

You will definetly want thier Phos-S too, its a rust proofing treatment that is suppose to give 2000 hours of immertion resistance. It goes sprays on with an air brush and is dry in 20 min. It helps the coating adhere to the parts. I use the Phos-S on all kinds of tools.

The coating doesn't smell very strong when being applied or baked, the solvents used to wipe it down.....

The best rack I've found for suspending the parts in the oven is a wire suspention file rack the the office supply stores sell for five or six bucks in two packs, and you'll want two.

[EricW]

Thanks for the reviews guys. I'm getting ready to go after a 1911 and I'm trying to figure out how to best change the frame color (for commercial reasons). By the time I mess around with $30 in paint + the undercoat + bead blasting, I think I might as well just have the sucker plated and get it done right. I didn't realize that there was so much prep needed. Oops...

[sfinney]

Oh yeah, the smell part..... my wife complains very loudly whenever I bake a painted part in the oven, its not overpowering, but there most definitely IS a smell that sorta lingers for a few hours..... all that solvent baked out I guess.

I usually do it when she will be out for a few hours or better yet away for a couple days (its not that bad, but my wife is ANAL about the kitchen)

An Airbrush would be prefered, if you know how, but for those on a budget and/or ease of use, the spray cans work pretty well, if you're careful.

[eric nielsen]

Buddies of mine have done several guns or top ends that way.

Not pretty, not my cup of tea, but it works.

Main benefit would be the gun never leaves your hands & it's quick.

A good blue-ing job isn't much more expensive.

[Kingman]

I am going to try the duracoat from lauer custom next weekend. I will let you know how that goes as well. I have $58 in two colors, parkerizing solution, and stripper.

They actually have good instructions on their website.

[Paul B]

I've done several guns with Gun Kote from 10 Ring Precision http://www.tenring.com/ and they come out great. You have to heat the part first, then apply the paint and then bake. It comes out very very tough. Much more wear resistance than blueing or black oxide. This stuff is tougher than the paint Para is using on it's LTD slides.

You have to prepare the surface and degrease really well and it should be put on with an air brush, but it looks great and comes in colors. I bought a pint of this stuff about five years ago and have coated 10 or so pistols and still have a half pint left. You don't need much.

The really good thing about it is what was said before the gun never leaves your hands and the finish looks great.

[Derek45]

Use a cheap toaster oven, it's cheaper than a divorse lawyer.

[9MX]

This is my latest project, a SAMSCOR (Armscor Hi-cap Frame, SAM Slide)

In the meantime, I'm thinking of using Gun-Kote on it.

My question is, is still advisable to get it hardchromed later if I use Gun-Kote first?

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

[hitman]

I have used both Gun & Dura.

Both are good when done right.

Prep is not that bad, if its already blued it has to be blasted.

[olp73]

There friends

I'll try to resurrect this tread before starting a new one since I have problems getting Brownells Gun-Kote to work for me.

The parts look really great, but the coating doesn't stick as I would like it too. Up until now I have tested on some old magazines and small parts but yesterday the top end was back form the gunsmith with a new barrel installed. The top end has gun-kote professionally applied. The cone needed some adjustment hence the original coating was gone.

Yesterday I tried to recoat it and it came out beautiful, but after racking the slide a few times small pits/flaking start to appear. With the exception of letting it dry for 30 min before baking I followed the instructions to the letter.

I sanded and degreased using acetone. Preheated the part. 4 thin coats and dried in-between with a hair dryer. Then baked for 60 min 300 degrees.

The only thing I can think of is that I spray to thin. Can it be that the coating almost dries before it hits the part? The result looks good but a little grainy!

The next part up for coating is the frame, but this one I got sandblasted.....

What I really need is some tips that are possible to preform in a kitchen using products that can be obtained in a normal hardware store!!

Please help!!

Edited June 8, 2010 by olp73