I have a rifle that is currently stainless on a Moose hunt last fall it rained nearly 12 days on a 10 day hunt and I noticed some rusting on my stainless which I took care of promptly. I've never been a big stainless fan ( never liked the look) so I was thinking of some other coating on the whole thing rifle, rings, sights everything. I've seen some that I kinda liked but until now I've not considered it so I never paid attention what type of coating it is.
Anyone have the time to tell me about commercial coatings, goods and bads, where I can look at some pictures of coated rifles on websites and where to go for reasonable prices?
Not looking for some wild color just a gray coating.
Thanks

Robar's NP3 coating is a good choice for hard-working guns. It's a molecular-level mix of electroless nickel and teflon that's highly resistant to rust and wear and is naturally lubricative so that you can run the gun dry. Should make for easy cleaning as well if you put it down the bore.

I've got NP3 on the all the moving parts of my Clifton Scout Rifle and it's done a fine job in that respect.

http://www.robarguns.com/np3.htm

It's not exactly a 'commercial' coating as I define the term, but Brownell's Aluma-Hyde II has worked for me on two rifles with SS barrels and blued actions. Been on since '98 with no problems. It comes in a spray bomb, is air dried, not oven baked, and is flat black color.

If you want to go quick and cheap buy a can of BoSheild. It’s a dry film lube/protector developed for the aircraft aero-space industry. I use it on my tools and jigs as well as on firearms and it’s great stuff.

Black Nickel Boron finish.

I have had one rifle done and another will be done soon(ish).

There is a company in Stuart, Florida - UCT Defence?

They did my W. F. Hein.

It is a flat matte black colour.

BBQ paint over stainless.. you can take it off latter, with just paint thinner, but keep a can with you, in event of damage

Rick: A scource for the Boshield?? thanks Les

Dura Coat
Arma Coat
Alumahyde II

Any of the curing coatings should serve your purpose.

Also, a word of advice, unless you have a good air brush and the skill to use it, you're probably better off getting it done by someone. It can be tough to get a professional looking finish on your first try.

It also helps to bead blast the stell first, and for cro-moly, if you parerize it first, the coatings will take better.

Fit4duty makes a ceramic coating called cerrakote

If there is any chance the rifle will be exposed to a salt water environment (like an Alaskan tidal flat bear hunt), I'd recommend one of the many electroless nickel finishes.

Smith & Wesson did a series of tests about a decade ago, and that was the best they found on the market for preventing salt-water damage. Of course, it also serves well to prevent ordinary "hunting camp" rust as well.

(They actually ran the tests because of problems they ran into with S&W stainless handguns which spent lots of "jungle" time in South America in the hands of "interdiction agency" personnel sent there as part of various U.S. "support" units.)

I believe Massad Ayoob also did an article on the S&W tests, for Guns magazine, about the same time.

Problem with nickel is that if/when it starts to come off, it's a bugger of a job to refinish it.

I like wheel paint. It's nearly indestructible. Goes on easy. And best of all is CHEAP. It also comes in a variety of colors. We painted an enfield with it after removing the suncorlite. After hundreds of rounds it still hasn't blown off the muzzle. At maybe $7 a can you won't really be out anything if you don't like it.