Finishing -- Parkerize, Duracoat/Norrell's

[Schwarzmaler 0]

So, I read a lot of places that parkerizing then duracoating or cerakoting is the 'most durable' option for gun finishing.

I want to send my Saiga to Rifle Dynamics, and I know that they will parkerize for me, but they don't have duracoat (and duracoat has the color I really want), but they have Norrell's Moly Resin.

 

So, my question is -- is it still going to be the 'most durable' if I have a gun professionally parkerized, but then wait between 3 and 6 months before getting it duracoated?

 

Norrell's has a color pretty close to what I want, but it can't be used on plastics (they don't make an air-dry for the color I want), and I would like my stock done as well as all the metal parts.

 

If waiting 3-6 months on the duracoat is going to make it wear very easily and just fall apart, then I'm thinking I'll just have the parkerizing place do a coat of Norrell's too (and I'll loose out on my coated stock). But, if I can wait and the duracoat will be great still, then I'd prefer that.

 

I also really want the finishing to be durable and utilitarian - no glossy nonsense. I have no personal experience with Duracoat or Norrell's. I see tons of great examples of duracoat online, but I've also heard some good things about Norrell's.

 

 

So what's everyone opinions, assuming your sort of in my position?

 

Thanks.

Edited January 13, 2013 by Schwarzmaler

[poolingmyignorance 2,191]

Cerakote is tougher than duracoat, but if you have to wait a while, and cost isn't an extreme factor... you might contact Tac47 and see about having them coat your weapon. They have a 5 layer process thats pretty much impermiable. You know that inevitable scratch on the side of the reciever from the saftey? The Tac coating stands up to it. It's not really that much more expensive when you consider the equipment required to ceracoat.

[Scott Kenny 144]

Cerakote is tougher than duracoat, but if you have to wait a while, and cost isn't an extreme factor... you might contact Tac47 and see about having them coat your weapon. They have a 5 layer process thats pretty much impermiable. You know that inevitable scratch on the side of the reciever from the saftey? The Tac coating stands up to it. It's not really that much more expensive when you consider the equipment required to ceracoat.

dayum.

[Spacehog 2,218]

If you want to parkerize and then topcoat with Duracoat, Ceracoat, or Norells, you will want to do it at the same time. Parkerizing (ie manganese phosphate or heavy zinc phosphating is not meant to be a stand alone finish without oil immersion afterwards. The crystalline structure of the coating absorbs the oil and gives it its corrosion resistance. Once the oil is in the coating, it is nearly impossible to remove and will affect adhesion and cure of subsequent topcoat. You will see rust formation on the parkerizing before six months if you wait to topcoat and do not oil.

 

I would recommend zinc phosphate parkerizing followed immediately by a topcoat of your choice. The zinc phosphate crystalline coating has very sharp "cornflake" shaped crystals that are approximately 10-20 microns in size. This produces a lot of surface area and tooth for the topcoat to adhere to. Additionally, in the same way the coating absorbs oil, it does the same with the topcoat. Done properly, it is much tougher and corrosion resistant that any sandblast and topcoat alone.

 

I have never used the Norrell's but I have heard really good things about it, and it is supposedly a thinner film thickness coating than either the ceracoat or duracoat.