You aren't getting any sympathy because you know what needs to be done (send them back) and you want to do everything except that. Getting a new upper or lower and hoping they will match what you have is a crapshoot at best. It wasn't your mistake, tell them to fix it.
Anodizing
- Thread starter Brian46
- Start date
If the finish is unacceptable that needs fixing. If I bought a high end blued rifle and half the bluing was missing, it would be in the mail the same day. It isn't just about mechanical workings that makes for an acceptable purchase. It's also an individual standard. The op is obviously unhappy with the finish and he should send it back or sell it. If he keeps it as is, guaranteed every time he brings it out it will bug him.
Your example is not comparable, none of the finish is missing or done wrong. The rifles are advertised as milspec hardcoat anodized. He recieved exactly what is advertised. The fact he doesn't like that it's two slightly different shades is his problem, not the manufacturer's.
Pay to have it painted, sell it, or nut up and shoot the damn thing. Guns are tools, treat them as such.
apex survival
CGN Regular
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Have a second run set, finish is a perfect match.
OK, timeline for availability of replacements is unknown.
Timeline for another upper is unknown, and there is no reason to expect that the colour will match your lower.
If you keep it, and use it, you can't expect to return a used set at some unknown future date.
If you keep the set, unused, for an indefinite period while waiting for replacements, you derive little pleasure and satisfaction from ownership.
There is every possibility that Justin's ban will kick in before you get replacements. Whatever compensation you receive won't be affected by the colour mismatch.
You basically have two options:
Keep what you have.
Return the set, and play the long game waiting for replacements, while hoping that the thing doesn't get banned during the wait.
The finish is more than acceptable. He just doesn’t like that it does not match. There is not a single manufacturer that does anodizing that will guarantee a match because it’s impossible to do consistently. Colt, Colt Canada, FN, DD, BCM, Sig all put rifles out the door with non matching uppers and lowers.
I said consistently.
Do they guarantee that the anodizing matches?
You might not like it but there is absolutely nothing wrong with what they sent you. I’ll warn you right now to never buy Colt Canada, makers of some of the best military AR-15s out there. You won’t be impressed.
Do they guarantee that the anodizing matches?
You might not like it but there is absolutely nothing wrong with what they sent you. I’ll warn you right now to never buy Colt Canada, makers of some of the best military AR-15s out there. You won’t be impressed.
That's not a problem. The lower's oxide layer is probably a little thicker/thinner than the upper and/or the sandblasting process/time/media was probably a bit different too.
It's next to impossible to have exactly matching colors after dying/sealing type III anodizing, even in the same batch. Heck even tiny alloy differences will have an impact. Black type III anodizing on 7075 is actually dyed purple (very dark purple), not black.
The M16 TDP's type III anodizing specification is not a fixed color and shade, it's a palette of acceptable colors and surface light reflections.
Did you try giving your upper an acetone bath/wipedown?
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Many people have said theirs match and pictures posted attest to that fact. Rick at Atrs is still silent on the issue after I followed their instruction and sent them the results. Same pictures as the ones I posted.
I shouldn't have to try and figure out a solution on my own considering the price of these receiver sets.
I believe you are correct in that the surface preparation was different between the upper and lower, and possibly different suppliers of the alloy used having slight difference
is it 6061 or 7075 just curious.
the grainy texture could be a blown grain, crystalline structure from too much heat during the extrusion preocess, another problem with billet milling.
SAPA used to be one of the worst, now they are one of the best, also known as hydra now.
Rick is probably ignoring you because he doesnt want to deal with as its out of his control, and eating up his precious time. Sell your receiver if it bothers you that much, or paint it and move on, now you know, anodizing is never the same. Oils are added by manufacturers to try and hide or smooth over the appearance.
Also, My $3000 KAC rifle has worse mismatch. From Factory.
Ehhh my receiver set has the same shade variation, and the handguard is different from either of those. This is the case with all my guns with anodized parts, including an APC223. You'll almost never get an exact match with different pieces if your eyes are good enough to discriminate the differences. The only way you're going to get things to match is if you paint them. You'll probably care a lot less once you put it together into a functioning rifle and shoot the damn thing instead of just finger blasting two pieces of metal in your basement.
I have been told 7075. I have not confirmed that with any sort of testing.
I am only asking for what other people have said and shown they got via pictures posted for the same price. If I wanted a painted or cerakoted set, I would not have bought an anodized set in the first place.
Do any KAC receivers match? If not, then how can you complain? The vast majority of posters and people I have talked to say their modern sporter sets are a match or very close to it. I do not believe I am out of line for asking for what the majority of customers appear to have gotten from the same manufacturer at the same price point.
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I emailed and followed instructions I was given and sent in the pictures I posted at the start of this thread showing the color difference even after soaking it in oil (as I was instructed) for 30 hrs and drying it off.
I waited more than a week with no response before posting here. I would gladly exchange this set for a matching pair. If I have to wait for the next production run for that to happen, that is fine, I would prefer to keep this set until the replacement is ready to ship out to me given that an oic may drop any day prohibiting them, preventing me from getting a replacement and being out the cost of my receiver set
I have black anodizing done all the time locally for billet motorcycle parts, when I've mixed parts made of 6061 or 7075 the colors still match as long as they are done in the same anodizing batch. The only problem I ever had was with different batches of anodize, and that is what I believe your problem is here. I assume that their uppers and lowers were not anodized in the same batch of anodizing
In my experience with anodize as the chemicals get old, they don't produce as black of a anodize as when they are fresh so the parts start to come out a little dull more on the gunmetal grey side not so dark black
So since experiencing that I have always tried to bring my parts to them when they have just refreshed their dyes so I get a really dark black finish, and always try to have all the parts for one job done in one batch.
Another factor is the type of finish that was used on the aluminum prior to anodizing, personally I like a glossy look so I polish the parts prior to anodizing. Some of my customers like a matt or flat finish so for that I use some type of media blasting or tumble finish prior to anodize and that will change the sheen on the anodize. So there could also be changes in the media and the finish of the aluminum prior to anodizing, thing wear out or get changed to another brand or supplier
For example here are parts some are 6061 some are new some were old some were even stripped and re anodized another color
All are pretty much the same color except for one part in the middle left, that is because the customer wanted a flat finish so I media blasted that part prior to anodizing and it came out flat
In my experience with anodize as the chemicals get old, they don't produce as black of a anodize as when they are fresh so the parts start to come out a little dull more on the gunmetal grey side not so dark black
So since experiencing that I have always tried to bring my parts to them when they have just refreshed their dyes so I get a really dark black finish, and always try to have all the parts for one job done in one batch.
Another factor is the type of finish that was used on the aluminum prior to anodizing, personally I like a glossy look so I polish the parts prior to anodizing. Some of my customers like a matt or flat finish so for that I use some type of media blasting or tumble finish prior to anodize and that will change the sheen on the anodize. So there could also be changes in the media and the finish of the aluminum prior to anodizing, thing wear out or get changed to another brand or supplier
For example here are parts some are 6061 some are new some were old some were even stripped and re anodized another color
All are pretty much the same color except for one part in the middle left, that is because the customer wanted a flat finish so I media blasted that part prior to anodizing and it came out flat
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