Way back in the day there were only a few methods of conversion coating they could use to finish the firearms, so it was fairly easy to identify what ones were applied to the firearm but today is a different story all together. These days you have Duracoat and Cerakote spray on finishes, Hydro Dip designs that can be laid directly on the parts, different plating, and anodizing type coats and more. The old coatings may still be easy to identify because they won’t usually give you different colors or designs like the new ones will.
Some visual characteristics you can use to determine the type of finish used on a particular firearm may vary. If the firearm has a Matte finish you can determine it may be one of a few types of coatings. Duracote, CeraKote and Anodizing can give you this flat kind of finish and completely cover the bare metal. If the firearm has more of a glossy finish you can determine whether a plating or blued finish has been done. If the coating on the firearm is a design like hunting camouflage it is easy to determine a Hydro dip type coating has been applied. Finally, if the metal has a varying degree of blues, greens and purples and is in an undetermined pattern it is safe to say a that case hardening has been applied to the
metal at some point. It is virtually impossible to recreate the exact pattern again and again with case hardening.
In any case, the type of coating you wish to apply to your firearm can vary greatly today. If you want a particular color coating to match your environment you can go with a spray on finish. Want to blend in with the wood line you’re hunting in? Try a woodland camo Hydro Dip in one of many different environment type designs. Got a classic firearm you wish to restore back to its original finish? Determine what was original to the manufacture and it will more than likely require bluing or browning to restore it to its factory finish. Most of the coatings used today protect the bare metal and prevent rust from forming but be sure that whoever you contract to do the work knows what they are doing. It would suck to ask for woodland camo Hydro Dip and receive a distorted wasteland look to the finish.
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