Oxpho Blue or Duracoat?

[ezra650]

I'm considering my options to coat my "used new" 2011 open gun that is in the white. I'm not looking to spend $500 on a coating, but I do want the finish to protect the gun from corrosion and to look decent. My friend does duracoat at home and has done multiple projects.I have used Brownells oxpho blue in the past and had great results. Seeing as I have all the materials on hand and it would cost nothing other than time I'm quite tempted to blue the gun myself. It's actually a combination of heating the parts and browning them and then using cold blue on top of that for a dark deep color. At the worst I can always easily remove it if needed.

 

Anyway regarding duracoat I'm worried about how it could effect tolerances and if I needed to remove it how difficult it would be.  I've also heard duracoat doesn't look too great up close and I am having 2nd thoughts about it. Also I want to coat the comp and I'm curious how duracoat will hold up there and also concerned about bluing there.

 

PS: Don't hate on my cheap coating options. I'd rather spend the money on ammo and this is a franken gun built on a frame from 1992..... so yeah.

[zzt]

Oxpho blue is cold blueing and does not last as long as hot blue, nor is it as rust resistant.  You can send the gun down to Primary Bruce and have him send it out for black nitriding.  Less than $200.

 

An advantage is the gun surfaces will be hard after treatment, so you won't get any more wear.

Edited April 15, 2019 by zzt

[MikeBurgess]

any of the paint on finishes (duracoat, Cerakote, KG Gunkote) will work fine on a open gun, yes you will likely have to remove some when refitting the gun after finishing, it really is not difficult at all, some fine sand paper works or a stone or just cycling it by hand a few times to wear off the high spots.

 

I have done a few guns with the KG Gunkote product and am pretty happy with the results, it wears about as well as bluing on my guns that go in kydex (aka it wears off the contact points at about the same speed as bluing) I think its about $20 with shipping for enough to do about 2 pistols, depending on the color. I like it because it is a no mix bake on product. you just shake it up spray it on and bake it, as soon as its cool its ready to go, from what I understand duracote is not fully cured for a month or so, and cerakote is a bit more expensive and anything yo mix you have to use or toss.

 

[ezra650]

17 hours ago, MikeBurgess said:

any of the paint on finishes (duracoat, Cerakote, KG Gunkote) will work fine on a open gun, yes you will likely have to remove some when refitting the gun after finishing, it really is not difficult at all, some fine sand paper works or a stone or just cycling it by hand a few times to wear off the high spots.

 

I have done a few guns with the KG Gunkote product and am pretty happy with the results, it wears about as well as bluing on my guns that go in kydex (aka it wears off the contact points at about the same speed as bluing) I think its about $20 with shipping for enough to do about 2 pistols, depending on the color. I like it because it is a no mix bake on product. you just shake it up spray it on and bake it, as soon as its cool its ready to go, from what I understand duracote is not fully cured for a month or so, and cerakote is a bit more expensive and anything yo mix you have to use or toss.

 

That's good to hear. My buddy has all the equipment to spray duracoat and has done about 20 guns so I was going to let him do it while I shut up and watch haha. He waits 72 hours for duracoat to cure. I think I'll stick with the duracoat. 

[GBertolet]

Ditto on the Primary Bruce. That black nitride is hard, and leaves a low friction matte finish. As long as your gun is not too hogged up, it can make a beater look presentable. Last work I had done, it was $60 for the bare frame and $60 for the bare slide + piecework price, for all the other small parts. Bruce beadblasts and preps each piece before sending out for nitriding. $200 seems about right for the complete gun. If interested, contact him @ Primary Machine for a quote.

[ezra650]

2 hours ago, GBertolet said:

Ditto on the Primary Bruce. That black nitride is hard, and leaves a low friction matte finish. As long as your gun is not too hogged up, it can make a beater look presentable. Last work I had done, it was $60 for the bare frame and $60 for the bare slide + piecework price, for all the other small parts. Bruce beadblasts and preps each piece before sending out for nitriding. $200 seems about right for the complete gun. If interested, contact him @ Primary Machine for a quote.

That does sound like a killer deal, but I don't have $200 to coat a gun right now.

[kk4364]

Oxpho blue! Doesnt look perfect, bit not bad. It also protects some.

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[zzt]

If you use Oxpho Blue, the slide has to be perfectly clean and dry.  Pour the Oxpho into a gallon Ziplock bag.  Drop the slide in and swirl the bag, then quickly zip and shake.  I haven't found any other way to apply that looks even when you are done.

[ezra650]

18 hours ago, zzt said:

If you use Oxpho Blue, the slide has to be perfectly clean and dry.  Pour the Oxpho into a gallon Ziplock bag.  Drop the slide in and swirl the bag, then quickly zip and shake.  I haven't found any other way to apply that looks even when you are done.

I need to post the instructions I made for it. In short here is the method. Strip/Prep/Degrease parts. Heat with propane torch until all moisture is out of piece. Apply Mark Lee Express brown #2 with cotton balls to hot steel. I then apply oxpho blue creme with cotton ball until desired darkness is achieved and you got to coat it in oil when all said and done. 

 

Here were my results on a shotgun I did and it was my first time doing it. Complete 100% re blue job. I can't speak to the durability with heavy use because this gun belongs to my cousin who shoots it about once a year and it lives in the case.

[ezra650]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-CDOJF-TmY&list=FLtNUCyrI_GPasNUlsudnZIg&index=5&t=2s

 

 

I borrowed the idea from this youtube video. However, I made up a bullet point sheet at home so I don't have to rewatch the video everytime lol.

[ezra650]

21 hours ago, kk4364 said:

Oxpho blue! Doesnt look perfect, bit not bad. It also protects some.

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Are those splotches in the first pic just oil smudges?

[kk4364]

Yes but bluing is not evenly coated.

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[Jim Watson]

The gunsmith who refinished my smoke and water damaged guns uses Oxpho Blue.  He has his own method and it came out looking ok on some, good on some, better than new on a couple.  I don't know how it wears, these are "range guns" not subject to holster wear and foul weather, but they look fine now. 

[ezra650]

On 4/17/2019 at 4:12 PM, Jim Watson said:

The gunsmith who refinished my smoke and water damaged guns uses Oxpho Blue.  He has his own method and it came out looking ok on some, good on some, better than new on a couple.  I don't know how it wears, these are "range guns" not subject to holster wear and foul weather, but they look fine now. 

I just did the slide of my open gun with it last night. It took a while, but I got it dark like I wanted. The downside... I couldn't get my frame to blue which was very odd to me. Even with heavy sanding beforehand. Soooo.... I sprayed it with some high heat flat black paint . I guess now I'll re scuff the slide, degrease and paint it too. If it holds up I'm gonna run with it. I really wanted to get ceramic based engine enamel, but the hardware store doesn't carry it. Will have to go to automotive store for it.

[Rob72]

I've done  Brownell's molycoat, Dura, Mark Lee's Express Blue. and Oxpho-blue.  I have to say that's pretty much in order of preference.  The first molycoat I did was sold off, and last I saw it, still looked new (9 years after coating). 

 

Dura is more finiky, for me, if room dried.  Usually, I'll stick in the oven at 100-125* over night, and leave it at room temp for a day before applying lube, and have had excellent success with that. 

 

For me, the Express Blue is the only way to blue, if I have to do it.  It's a semi-hot blue process, gives an incredibly rich finish, and blends evenly, if things are properly degreased. (Express Blue #1 )

 

Oxpho is, "ok".  When the stars align, it gives a decent deep blue (but nothing like I've gotten with Express Blue, first pass), and gives a fair bit of trouble with blending, as noted.

Edited April 29, 2019 by Rob72