Benefits of D3’s Custom KG Gun Kote

Our goal with our custom finishes is not just to provide a high-quality product, but to help them create a unique expression of our customers. This is why our preferred coating for all of our custom finishes is the KG Gun Kote.

WHY CHOOSE KG GUN KOTE?

There are a lot of advantages of the KG Gun Kote. One of the major advantages is its chemical resistance and that the cure is complete once it comes out of the oven. This makes for a much shorter wait time for a complete cure!

Another benefit of the KG Gun Kote is that it is very easy to apply. Its application is so seamless, in fact, that an individual part could be completed in one day. A project may be in process for a week or longer, however, because curing happens only when we make it happen there is no harm in a part waiting between layers.

The KG Gun Kote is also highly heat resistant. The coating is able to resist temperatures of up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit with no effect! The only time there be issues with heating is on suppressors during instances of rapid fire.

FINISH PERFORMANCE COMPARISON

Finish options for firearms can be divided into two categories, coatings which adhere to the surface and reactive treatments which oxidize or permeate the base metal. The following is a brief comparison of common Coating and Treatment Processes along with advantages and disadvantages of each.

COATINGS

Spray Paint (Rust-oleum, Krylon, etc.)

Cheap and easy for the end user to apply, popular for those who need to change camouflage in each new area of operation.

Very soft, B pencil hardness (low end of pencil scale), poor chemical resistance, intended for short term use.

Duracoat

Two-part air cured product with a 2H pencil hardness (middle of the pencil scale), chemical resistance better than spray paint, and color mixing/customization options. This is a good DIY option for those not wanting to dedicate an oven to curing.

A full cure takes 2 to 3 weeks, as with all epoxies there is material waste and higher performing options are available.

Gun Kote

Single-part heat cured product with >9H pencil hardness (top of the pencil scale), excellent chemical resistance, heat conducting properties help cool your firearm quicker, dry lubrication effect, heat rating up to 800F and allows the use many artistic techniques.

We have noticed that grip tape has difficulty sticking to Gun Kote. We would not recommend it for suppressors that may see rapid fire.

Cerakote

Two-part heat cured product with >9h pencil hardness, very good chemical resistance, high temp products available and very good wear characteristics when applied correctly.

Minimum build thickness of .0005 but is often applied thicker. Although this may extend the time to wear through the finish it often causes mechanical fit issues. The same waste as with other epoxies. Artistic techniques are more difficult in our opinion.

REACTIVE TREATMENTS

Aluminum Anodizing

Only for aluminum. It is an oxide layer formed on the metal surface. Good corrosion resistance. Type I and II have good abrasion resistance while type III is excellent.

Colors are limited and dyed anodizing has less corrosion resistance.

Parkerizing & Traditional Bluing

These are controlled oxidation processes used on steel. They chemically react with the metal to form an oxide layer like anodizing but do not require an electrical charge.

With bluing, the surface should be polished regularly, which can be labor intensive. Corrosion resistance is poor and regular application of oil is needed to prevent rust. The color is black and can have a blue highlight.

Nitriding, MELONITE®, QPQ

These finishes are very hard and wear resistant, variants of nitriding are used to reduce wear on steel cutting tools.

The limitation is color options; there aren’t any.

As shown in the performance comparison, Gun Kote performs extremely well in corrosion and chemical resistance. It’s also very similar to Cerakote in terms of hardness, impact resistance, and UV stability. While Cerakote is better for sandpaper-like abrasion, Gun Kote’s advantages outweigh this for most applications.

*Please Note – We do prefer heat-cure Gun Kote for most applications, however, if a better option is available, we will use it.*