Powder coating a magazine?

I like the idea of powder coated mags. My concern would be how thick the coating is. Too thick and it could be tough inserting into the mag well. How expensive would something like that be? Have you considered DuraCoat or something similar?

I've always been under the impression that powder coating was too thick for metal-to-metal firearm applications. I might be wrong, in fact i'd like to be wrong, powder coating is cheap.

Hey guys! I've had "Black-T" coating done on Mini 14 magazines, years ago. I paid $10 ea, but that was some time ago.
http://www.black-t.com/
I'd call for pricing, but their web site says $15 for extra mags with a firearm. (601-939-7448) You will never again have to worry about the finish, won't chip or rust, even if you store them in salt water. (really)W.E. Birdsong is well renound for his coating process.
All the alphabet soup agencies have their arms coated by them, Available in 3 colors.
A link for some other testimonials; http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-re...ne-seen-factory-birdsong-green-4-629-5-a.html

I know about black and green t. Still wondering about powder coating....I wouldn't have to send my gun to Mississippi LOL

bainter1212 said:

I know about black and green t. Still wondering about powder coating....I wouldn't have to send my gun to Mississippi LOL

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Gun? I thought we were talking magazines. I wouldn't want to let my firearms get very far away right now either.

We apply powder coat as part of our Tuff-Gun # 2 finish. We have used it on mags and it works well but beware of a couple of things. It can cause issues with feeding if it get's inside the mag. It will tighten up the fit of the mag in the mag well so if it's snug now, it will be tight afterwards. Unless it's a special high heat powder, powder coat isn't real good on heat resistance.
Just FYI: We no longer use our TG-2 with powder coat finish on mags because of the issues. Keep yer powder dry, Mac. (No pun intended! That's my signature!)
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All.
Mac's Shootin' Irons
http://www.shootiniron.com

Perfect Mac, that's just the kind of info I was looking for. About the heat resistance thing.....wondering if it could handle, say, a barreled action??

Mac's said:

We apply powder coat as part of our Tuff-Gun # 2 finish. We have used it on mags and it works well but beware of a couple of things. It can cause issues with feeding if it get's inside the mag. It will tighten up the fit of the mag in the mag well so if it's snug now, it will be tight afterwards. Unless it's a special high heat powder, powder coat isn't real good on heat resistance.
Just FYI: We no longer use our TG-2 with powder coat finish on mags because of the issues. Keep yer powder dry, Mac. (No pun intended! That's my signature!)
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All.
Mac's Shootin' Irons
http://www.shootiniron.com

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Quick question. I know this is about coating mags but what about doing all the metal on a gun with powder coating? Is that possible? Does it hold up to the heat on a barrel? I know people have the exhausts done on cars. Is there any problems that can arise from this? Like heat retention on the barrel or other complications?

Our TG-2 finish is a very durable finish but it has limitations that our TG-1 finish does not have. It's not nearly as heat resistant nor is it as resistant to chemicals. We beat the low chemical resistance issues by applying the powder coat under the Gunkote 2400 Series resin. (Zinc Parkerizing, then powder coat, then Gunkote) The Gunkote 2400 Series resin pretty much doesn't care what chemicals you expose it too...as long as you clean it afterwards. In other words: If you lay a warm rifle down on a glacier and then find that it has melted into the ice and gotten seriously frozen stuck, it's ok to drain a little fuel from the planes tank to melt the ice away as long as you rinse it off with water afterwards. The stocks finish may be ruined but the Tuff-Gun finish on the metal won't be affected. (Yes! It happened!!!)

However, there are major clearance problems and heat resistance issues with TG-2. It's thicker and will cause interference issues with close tolerance moving parts. It will not burnish. It will change color and texture with exposure to high heat. Yes, there are powders that are for high heat. They're even thicker than the "normal" powders. Numbers and letters blurred by the finish are for rookies.

We offer our TG-2 finish with limitations. Bolt action rifle bolt handles, certain bipod legs, floor plates, etc. Things that don't fit tight, move, get super hot and are not exposed to "tension shock". That's what I call it but I'm sure it has a really scientific name. It's what happens to metal during the actual fired shot. It expands, stretches, twists, etc. I would not use powder coat on a .300 Magnum muzzle brake but it's fine on a .22 caliber. A super etxra heavy really hard finish is not good for metal that is subjected to stress. The finish can crack and shatter. A more flexible finish is able to move around some.

Regarding heat retention: Absolutely! Some finishes are designed to conduct heat. The Gunkote that we use is one of those. It conducts heat and that helps to eliminate hot spots. I use it on my model race boats engines. Those things get HOT! http://www.shootiniron.com/BOAT.html
However, anything that is added to the metal surface can also act as insulation and increase heat retention....like powder coat. On a car's exhaust system, it's fine to retain heat. In fact, the system will work better because the gasses flow better and faster when hot. That's what "header wrap" is for. On a firearm, it's not so good. A powder coated firearm will run hotter because the powder acts as an insulator. Hope this helps. Keep yer powder dry, Mac. (It's not a pun, it's my signature)
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All.
Mac's Shootin' Irons
http://www.shootiniron.com

No issues with Black-T in those reguards! Mags or whole firearms, everything except the bore!
They guarantee it!
I'm a beliver!

After reading the last post, I think I need to clarify something.

Our Tuff-Gun # Two finish..aka TG-2 has limitations as to what kind of parts it can be applied to. I explained those limitations but think I may have confused the issue between finishes. Our TG-2 finish has powder coat sandwhiched between the Parkerizing and the resin.

Our Tuff-Gun # One finish...aka TG-1 has only one limitation: That it be applied to metal parts due to the application and curing heat. Other than that, it has no limitations. We apply it to all external and internal parts of any firearm with no issues or problems. (Except bores). Sears, large pivot pins, bolts, extractors, barrels, etc. Most springs can't be coated but only because they won't hold enough heat for enough time to apply the finish. (Mass versus surface area) Keep yer powder dry, Mac.
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All.
Mac's Shootin' Irons
http://www.shootiniron.com

Thanks Mac. I was considering Black T in the future when I restore my No 4 mk 1* enfield. I want to replicate the original black paint without actually using paint LOL. I will now consider your TG1 finish as a possibility as well.

I am waiting for Criterion to start producing new mil spec barrels for these rifles, which they promised me that they are setting up to do. After the new barrel, off to be refinished.

So Mac, what your saying is that if I want my action and barrel done I should do it in the Tg1. And I can do my stock and other parts in tg2. I am just looking for clarification. I am in the process of researching to building a custom large bore brush gun used mainly in the northwest rainy areas and Alaska. I am looking for durability as it comes to traveling on atvs planes and 4x4s. I have another thread about this. I really want the look of a wood grain stock but want the durability of a synthetic. I want something basically rust proof on the metal parts. Being near sea water is part of the reason for this. I have looked at your site online and like what I see. I do plan on having a magnaported barrel. I noticed you said your coating can cause some problems with this, can the magnaporting be one after the coating is on? I am looking at building a lever action 20" barreled open sights .416 Rigby or .375 Ruger. Tell me how I can benefit of having your coating on my gun verses other options. I don't want something shiny either. I do like a flat stainless look or the flat black look. Not much into the greens or other stuff. If I am interested, I may do some customizing to my 10/22 and ship it down to you to get it done. I understand how to mail guns through ffl's what about gun parts does that still apply or can those go through the standard mail?

Greycliff Gunman: Here's what can be done.

None of our Tuff-Gun finishes will work on the stock. They have a fairly high application and curing heat.

Our TG-2 will work on the on things that don't get hot, move in a close tolerance fitting or are subjected to tension shock. That really doesn't leave much on a big bore lever action rifle.

Our TG-1 is for all metal parts..internal and external...sears, firing pins, safeties, triggers, levers, hammers, muzzle brakes, bolt bodies, etc. etc. Any and all metal parts except for Brass, bores, chambers, springs and little pins.

The resin does not bond well on Brass. Bores and chambers are not finished for obvious reasons. Springs and little pins don't finish well due to their not holding enough heat for a long enough time for the resin to be applied. All application and curing heat is very strictly controlled. The problem with springs and little pins is that they have to much surface area versus their weight. They loose the heat to fast. (The heat is NEVER high enough to EVER change the temper)

Regarding shipping: Long guns can be mailed via the Post Office or shjpped UPS or FedEx Ground. No FFL is needed on your end. Our FFL will cover it both ways and it would be returned directly back to your front door. However, I'm not sure how that applies to Alaska since any Ground shipping would go thru Canada. Parts would not be a problem but they may consider a receiver the gun. You should check with a local shop there in your area. Keep yer powder dry, Mac.
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All.
Mac's Shootin' Irons
http://www.shootiniron.com

Odd Job said:

I'm not sure how thick the powder coating is, either.
Duracoat (where I buy the kit) will be quite expensive, more than powder coating (the company I spoke to will powder coat all 8 magazines and a bunch of other items for around £60). I don't know whether a company will charge less if they Duracoat the stuff, I have to Google around.
Is Duracoat going to be a more resilient option than powder coat? That's another thing I don't know...

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No,

Duracoat sucks.

If you want a tough corrosion resistant finish go with parkerized base and kg gun kote over that. This is the same thing and way of coating that the us navy seals use on their Firearms. The finish has some what of a powdery look to it. Most companies would do 6 mags for about 10.00 per mag here.

Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.

Odd Job said:

What about Ceracoat?

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Cerakote is excellent. I have a cerakoted Mossberg 500. Pic is below.



No matter which you do cerakote, dura coat, kg gun kote (moly), bear coat (Teflon), norells moly resin, etc you need a parkerized base. Not only does it adhere better and give a better surface for the paint but the parkerization gives an additional level of protection. The paints will eventually wear off. Without the parkerized base then rust will begin. Personally, I think if parkerization and kg gun kote is tough enough for navy seals guns it's more than tough enough for us civillians.

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Odd Job said:

That Cerakote looks the business!
Unfortunately around these parts the quote I got was £20 per magazine!

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I don't know much about pounds and how it converts to us dollars.

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Odd Job said:

£20 is around $30

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Damn that's robbery most places charge 10 here in the us.

Sent from my mind using ninja telepathy.