Just got my Taurus back from the Duracoater!

[ConfederateHoosier]

I bought this gun( Taurus 24/7 PRO DS) about a month ago, and never really liked the finish as I have never been a big fan of stainless. So after researching Duracoat I figured I would get some and try it... until I looked on the website and saw a link to view certified finishers in your state. Well come to find out one of them lives about 15 min away, so I gave him a call and for $40(sure beats the hell out of the prices the online guys charge) I got the slide and barrel coated. The barrel was coated black to match the frame and I had the slide done in "Coyote Brown" which from what he said is one of the more popular colors, and it just so happened I wanted a brownish shade so it worked out perfectly! He did an EXCELLENT job, more than I could have ever hoped to accomplish myself, removed the slide, disassembled it, the whole works. Anyway enough talk so here are the pics! (sorry if the pics are bad, took them with my 3.2mp blackberry)

 

[cougfan]

Congrats that looks really good. I have been wanting to get some custom finish work done myself and can't wait for the next local gun show in 3 weeks to shop around and see who has the best prices. $40 is the best I've seen though.

 

[ConfederateHoosier]

Thanks Cougfan, I was actually shocked when he said it would only be $40 for the slide (I didnt even think about the barrel still being stainless,so I mentioned it to him and he did it for free because he had to do another gun in black anyway) I pretty much agreed to it right on the spot as I was expecting more like $70 or maybe even $80. He does alot of work for local LEO's and had just finished an AR for one in the Magpul dark earth color, he was out or I probably would have went with that. But anyway it turned out great, actually better than great cuz it didnt cost me my future first born!

 

[DasFriek]

Is some of the coating missing or been scratched off on the rear slide serrations? Or is it just the lighting or something?
But thats a steal for $40

Im currently looking for a local smith to do a refinish for me soon also, I don't want to pay the crazy shipping costs for a pistol to be overnighted to do it legally.

Hows the barrel holding up to scratches after shooting? Does it chip or scrape as id fully expect some kind of wear marks on that part. But doing the barrel is a great idea and may even tighten your barrel fit a bit depending on how thick the coating is.

 

[mljdeckard]

I have decided to start doing it myself, I already have compressed air, it's just a little more setup.

 

[ConfederateHoosier]

DasFriek, No the finish is wearing by the serrations, it's just the light reflecting for the over head light or the camera flash. They make duracoat in flat versions with no sheen at all (tactical series) but I wasnt too worried about, and to be honest it really doesnt shine much at all in person. I havent shot the gun since having it coated, however I have been handling it frequently as well as racking the slide and dry fire practice, and the barrel has yet to show any wear marks at all. I will get back to you after I shoot it to report the durability. As far as shipping it goes, yes the price is outrageous. You pay for the shipping which is basically economic rape, then you have the actual cost of the job, no where online did I find anyone under $100

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Hey thats looks nice dude.

Shipping is just part of the overall cost, don't sweat it.

If shipping were $125 and the coating were free, folks would still worry about the shipping costs.

 

[KBintheSLC]

Looks good... sort of looks like a metallic desert tan. $40 is cheap for such professional work.

 

[dcarch]

Does anybody here duracoat? How easy is it, and how much does it cost? (assuming you already have the air compressor and airbrush)
Basically, is duracoating feasible for the average person?

 

[ConfederateHoosier]

From what I understand dcarch, the duracoat process is not that difficult. You just need a spray brush, air compressor and the duracoat. You would also need to sand the slide to give the coating something to stick too. The gentleman who performed it on my gun actually blasts the slide with aluminum oxide (120 grit or 150, dont remember), coats the gun, and then bakes it for a certain time. Now some people, myself included, could apply duracoat using just the spray brush and roughing the finish up with fine sandpaper and not baking it as its not required. But unless we had the tools or knowledge probably would have to leave the sights on and just tape them off. He fully disassembled the slide; sights, dust cover, etc. Basically anything that would melt in the oven and by doing that it gave the finish a 100x more professional look than I could have achieved by doing it myself and not being able to remove the difficult parts.

Thanks KBintheSLC! The color is called "Coyote Brown" although its not as dark as say Blackhawk or EOtech CB. And yes for $40 I was kinda skeptical but figured he could probably do a better job than myself, and boy was I right

 

[ConfederateHoosier]

Ok, earlier in the thread someone asked to see how the barrel was holding up after shooting, well I just went to the range last sunday and have a pic of it after firing about 200 rnds, a little more wear than I predicted, but I was told I could expect to see some as the chamber will see alot of friction from the slide movement. The barrel itself shows almost no wear, just the top of the chamber area and the right side where the serial is engraved shows minial wear but I attribute that to the coating not being able to fill in the marking all the way.

 

[DasFriek]

That barrel rash isnt bad at all and id expect it to get worse with time, But thats expected.
Glocks which have the Tennifer finish wear there also but a bit less as that process seems to go deeper into the steel.
But over all it will help protect the barrel especially where you cant see.

BTW my SA XD SC .40 with about 500 rounds has more wear on its barrel hood than yours does, Its just character marks and i wouldn't hold it against the finish or the guy who did it.

Im hoping to have my 1911 rebuild finished up in 2-3 weeks and im pretty sure im sending mine out for a finish of Duracoat over a Parkerized finish.
That should be a little tougher with the 2 finishes working together, But the barrel hood still wouldn't stand a chance. I just polish it occasionally with 1500 grit sand paper and make it shine.
http://www.shootiniron.com/index.html

Id say you defiantly got a good deal on the finish.

 

[ConfederateHoosier]

Ya I mean I expected it to happen, and like you said they are "character marks", it's far from a safe queen anyway and to be honest I like em haha. But a 1911 in coyote brown would be pretty sweet!