Guys,

I want to finish a medium .416 (a .376/.416 Steyr Improved) for really nasty weather use. Is built on a commercial FN action and has a 22" Douglas CM barrel. Is already ugly as it has a Hogue overmoulded stock.

(Generates 2200-2250 with a 350 gr bullet. About like a .404 Jeff in a standard action package.)

Looking for opinions on the nasty weather performance of rust blue versus Gun Kote.

I have both on revolvers, rifles and a shotgun.
I've been in all kinds of different weather conditions and prefer the gun kote over bluing for nasty weather.
It's durable and will take a beating in heat, snow, rain, dirt, dust, etc.
All I do is wipe the coated parts down with a rag after use. If there's some dried crud stuck to the gun then I'll use a damp rag, wipe off whatever is on it off and forget about it.

I did the stock on my 243 and it has held up incredibally well despite all the dirt, sweat, bumps and everything else that stocks
are subjected to.

OK...get to play devils advocate here! Cast iron fry pans vs."Teflon"..or whatever! You TAKE CARE of the cast iron and it will be servciceable for what...100 years???

Rus blue is somewhat pourous. Feed it lots of oil..notice I didn't say WD 40! and the oil in the pores will act as an effective rust inhibitor.

And...it will look one hell of a lot better in the long run than any of the magic "gun kotes"....


OK...I knew I was sticking my neck WAY out!...your turn!

Duane,

No doubt rust blue is the classic look! Gun Kote can look "OK" but will never be a rust blue job for sure.

Have subjected Gun Kote finished to some pretty bad weather ... haven't had the heart to do that to a rust blue job. Have done the Gun Kote. Do nitre blue of small parts. Setting up to do rust bluing now.

Suspect the rifle in question will not go to Africa but rather will be used in the rain and snow of North American winters. Will rust blue those going the long trip as I learn how to do it well.

quote:

Is already ugly as it has a Hogue overmoulded stock.

Sounds like a job for Krylom flat black.

Keith

Keith,

It's not THAT ugly!

If you want a really durable finish. Manganese phosphate(Parkerizing)it then Gun Kote it. Good for about 20 years. I don't think it looks that bad and it sure is tough. I'm told that this is the only thing that works for Alaska.

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
Duane,

No doubt rust blue is the classic look! Gun Kote can look "OK" but will never be a rust blue job for sure.

Have subjected Gun Kote finished to some pretty bad weather ... haven't had the heart to do that to a rust blue job. Have done the Gun Kote. Do nitre blue of small parts. Setting up to do rust bluing now.

Suspect the rifle in question will not go to Africa but rather will be used in the rain and snow of North American winters. Will rust blue those going the long trip as I learn how to do it well.

Not much real time experience with Nitre blue..it's basically a heat blue that you can come pretty close to duplicaing in your kitchen oven.

This is not a very durable blue! A good rust blue is surprisingly durable. My own favorite rifle (1986) has been thru plenty of rough weather conditions...I'm not saying that the edges are still blue, but overall..still looks like something you'd not be embarassed to show off.

This (270 Win) was engraved by the late Guiseppi Forte..so I really can't entertain a thought of a re-blue. The floorplate has the petina that comes from enjoyable experience...but not one spot of "rust" or pitting.

The wood has received a coat of "Sea Fin" once a year and gets more depth every time I apply a coat.

If anything, the rifle looks better than when I first put it into service.

A faithful hunting companion is not an Ace Harware shovel!

Dear Mike:

I have no experience with Gunkote, but I do rust blue all my guns with Mark Lee rust blue.

I have been doing this for 10 years, and have never had a rifle rust even in drenching rain. But, I am meticulous and keep them well coated with G-96 oil. On the other hand I have not been out for a week in the rain hunting with one of my rust blued rifles.

I went through the teflon rifle phase, but never really liked the finish.

Presently, I'll am rust bluing an Auto 5 Browning shotgun for waterfowl hunting, some of it near salt water, and I'll know more after this fall as to its effectiveness.

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

The nice thing about blued steel is that it ages gracefully. Evcen when the bluing starts to wear off, it still looks classy. The coatings look OK until the first scratch or chip; then they look like the cheap option they are. Regards, Bill.

Robar NP3 the rifle & don't look back!!

Manganese Phosphate is also an option & is more durable than blueing.

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
Keith,

It's not THAT ugly!

DLC is what im strongly considering for the next M98;

http://www.kexel.de/produktimg/DLC%20032.jpg

http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/7341/dlc350lu8.jpg

http://skinnymoose.com/stabley...oads/2008/07/sw1.jpg

IIRC, they first put down a layer of TiCN, then DLC over that.
according to my eyes DLC goes just fine with plastic Or walnut.

depends on the gun ... rust blue in a plastic stock just looks funny..

guncoat works fine and it is not pretending to be rust blue.

your call.. alwAys is

I have two or three in Gun Kote and it's a great finish. No muss, no fuss and no rust!

I've run the gamut from cold blue through Robar NP3 and have settled on polymer finishes like NP3 as the most durable finish for coastal SE Alaaks. I'm sure there are detractors to that choice, but if there is a harsher climate for testing gun coatings I'd like to see it.

First, I will say that a good hot rust blue is a tough finish and is certainly better looking than any polymer finish I've come across. Hot rust bluing is excellent for freshwater conditions but just can't stand up to salt spray like a sealed metal finish like NP3 or teflon.

I have settled on either the NP3 finish or a teflon coated parkerized finish similar to what Tapper2 reccomends. On my guns, the NP3 finish lasts somewhat longer than a teflon coated parkerized finish, but it isn't quite as aesthetically pleasing. Either of those finishes will easily last twice as long as a hot rust bluing in salt spray conditions.

Duracoat!!! Very durable. The stuff just doesn't come off. No blasting or baking, just clean the surface and spray it on with an airbrush. I have used it on several of my buddies rifles that were heavily pitted with rust from riding in the bottom of a skiff that was full of salt water. It easily filled the pits giving a nice even finish that's nicer looking that the original. Although there is 100s of colors to choose from, I use HK black, which is a semi-gloss. I have also used titanium, which looks like stainless. Try it and you'll love it. Lou

Was it ever called Kalgard. I had a can from 10x that I used over 15 years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
Keith,

It's not THAT ugly!

I Krylon'd a rifle in the 80's in a camo pattern before it was cool. Used it that way for 20+ years with no rust problems at all, when it got dinged or scratched I just sprayed another coat.
(OK It was ugly , but functional )

I'd QPQ the thing!

It will be very durable and last forever!

Tip Burns has done a few for me and I was very impressed with the results. The process was around $275.

www.canyonsportingarms.com

Ed

Having spent 21 years in the army with most of it being in the field of armament and in particularly during my early years, small arms, I have noted the following about firearms finishes and weather:
Parkerizing was chosen for a reason, it is durable, pure and simple. That said, even parkerized weapons need increased maintenance in extreme conditions. This is why there are specific lubricants specified for different operating climates.

I suspect that any finish is durable enough given adequate maintenance, the real questions needing to be answered are
1) How pretty do you want it to look?
2) How much DAILY maintenance are you prepared to perform?
3) How often will the rifle be exposed to the conditions?
If you want durability, go with a coating, If you want pretty and are willing to do more maintenance, go with a bluing process.
Since I am no longer in a profession where I need combat durability, I prefer the bluing since I like the way it looks and I am willing to do daily maintenance on both the metal and the stock.
Just my opinion, which is loosely based on experience and fact. Others have just as valid of opinion based on their experiences. Good luck hunting which ever option you choose!

Impingement, I'm wi you. My 1st trip too AK Peninsula, near Port Heiden for Brown Bear, spent 17 days hunting out of a tent. Rain &/or snow most if the time. At end of each day I wiped down, ran a patch thru barrel & oiled my M77 blued Ruger. Never had any sign of rust. Likewise, I have a A5 Browning Auto I
bought new in 1968; its still in use. I have spent too many days in the rain hunting ducks & geese to count. Never any rust. I always kept it well oiled. as I do with all my guns. And after a day in the field wipe them down, etc. I have known those who don't and some have had rust problems. Salty sea air, I suspect, is a different matter; I don't have experience with that kind of exposure. I have never had a rust problem, but have had a few instances where rust was just beginning to form but I caught in time. I believe that proper maintenance is the key in most applications.

This looks like an old post but if anyone is still wondering the best finish for chromoly steel.

2 types

guns with class or if you dont mind spending the extra money RUST BLUE this finish will last a lifetime and even when it wears the metal will not rust unless total neglect. a little oil wipe down every day or two or three it will last for ever, wont be beatiful like the day it was done but it wont rust a way either.

gun thats maybe got a synthetic stock. Parkerize or phosphate then duracoat what ever expoxy resin brand you like. this will hold up in Alaska but you cant really wipe down the coating with oil so you just dry it down and wipe internals and bore with oil.