I'm well versed in the durability of stainless in a hunting firearm. However, a rifle I am considering comes only in a blued finish and I would much prefer some more "weatherproof". Corelanes (and others I am sure) offer Cerakoting for around $300. I've been told this brings a blued firearm up to a standard of weatherproofness similar to that of stainless. Any personal experiences out there?
Cerakote blued steel or stainless?
- Thread starter buckchaser
- Start date
Cerakote has some advantages over stainless and disadvantages. As said it cannot be applied to the bore, recoil lugs and recesses and some small internal nooks and crannies. It also can wear.
The advantage over stainless is that, so long as it's not worn, damaged or defective, what it covers will not rust. Whereas stainless will eventually rust if neglected enough.
The advantage over stainless is that, so long as it's not worn, damaged or defective, what it covers will not rust. Whereas stainless will eventually rust if neglected enough.
- Location
- Steel Town
Keeping a bore oiled is 30 seconds work, the fact that someone could expend 30 seconds worth of breath mentioning it, the bore could already be oiled. Ceracoke and Arma-coat work. Never any rust, ever. No cleaning, all elements. The only other true rust-proof finish is nickel plating. My Remington Marine Magnum can be dunked in salt water for a week, and there would be no rust. Stainless? Forget it. It will also rust, so whether it takes more time for it rust makes no difference, since you still have to oil the bore and the external metal parts before and after each field outing. The only advantage to stainless, in my opinion, is that it requires less storage maintenance. Not a deal breaker for me.
BTW, there's no finish in existence that doesn't scratch. However, the most durable I've found is true, deep, old-fashioned rust bluing.
BTW, there's no finish in existence that doesn't scratch. However, the most durable I've found is true, deep, old-fashioned rust bluing.
I dry patch my bore, not oil it if planning to shoot it, and always like at least one fouling shot before going out hunting. Im not going to be oiling my bore when hunting thanks. My stainless rifles won't see oil until the end of hunting season, and they look new inside and out.
The op specifically said "durability of a hunting rifle." If you think there is no advantage to stainless you are dreaming.
Yes if properly maintained and cared for CM firearms are fine, and have been for hundreds of years.
But how many stainless rifles have you personally seen with pitted bores? How many CM bores?
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Silvertip13
Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
I usually hunt with a stainless rifle due to the harsher conditions I tend to hunt in, except last season. I hunted with a rem 700 SPS, and as we all know the SPS finish is bad for rusting, so I cerakoted it (not the bore, that was lightly oiled) after the season of hunting it looks just as good as before. The cerakoting let me treat it like a stainless rifle. So to the original question, if you can't get the rifle in stainless and you want to get close to the durability of it then YES cerakoting will help alot. Just my opinion of course!
Silvertip13
Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
Double Gun, why would you not have a lightly oiled bore even in the stainless? I understand why no oil in the chamber but why not in the bore.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Oil in the bore will cause some variation in the bullet's velocity and may also change the way it engages the rifling. Either of those conditions will affect its flight path and point of impact. As Double Gun said, after a thorough cleaning, it's best to check you zero after a fouling shot or two out of a cold bore, which is the best way to replicate a situation you'd encounter when needing it on a hunt.
If you have a blued steel rifle, your bore will still be blued steel, regardless of the finish applied to the exterior. You can paint a chromoly rifle with Tremclad or Krylon to make it more rustproof. The bore will still be as rust prone. Exterior rust is just a cosmetic eyesore. A severely rusted/pitted bore affects accuracy and makes the gun useless.
Another huge advantage to stainless is that it's not a finish, but a steel. Even if scratched, it will be equally rust resistant. No finish can compete with that, except perhaps stainless that's been Cerakoted.
If you have a blued steel rifle, your bore will still be blued steel, regardless of the finish applied to the exterior. You can paint a chromoly rifle with Tremclad or Krylon to make it more rustproof. The bore will still be as rust prone. Exterior rust is just a cosmetic eyesore. A severely rusted/pitted bore affects accuracy and makes the gun useless.
Another huge advantage to stainless is that it's not a finish, but a steel. Even if scratched, it will be equally rust resistant. No finish can compete with that, except perhaps stainless that's been Cerakoted.
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Bearkilr spelled it out. Don't get me wrong, after season or when I store my rifles they will get a oiled patch down the bore. But certainly not daily during hunting season.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
A word of caution. In the plant we used a number of high end grades of stainless in a wide variety of applications. Whatever you do, DO NOT brush it with a carbon steel brush, such as the brushes used to do a finish clean-up of a weld as example. It will promote a rust of the stainless to start. The brushes we used when required, were stainless as well.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
That may be true, I'm not a metallurgist, but no one in their right mind would clean a rifle with a steel brush.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Couldn't agree more. I just mentioned it as a point of interest as basically the same holds true, say with the application or use of a fine grade of 'steelwool' on a stainless surface.
- Location
- Steel Town
Not that I want to get into a pissing match, but I've owned zero CM bores that were/are pitted. Why? because I expend 30 seconds oiling them. There were only two rifles that ever exhibited rust in my ownership: a 65 year old hunting rifle (very small area near barrel band) and a stainless 2013 Ruger (on large sections of the barrel). Both were external rust cases, no pitting or rusted bores.
- Location
- Steel Town
And, anywhere there is coating is more stainless than stainless, and if he expends a few seconds keeping the bore oiled (easy), then it's actually MORE stainless. I've been shooting for more years than I can count, and coated firearms just make the most sense (to me). I also own stainless firearms, and while they're ok, I never consider them as weatherproof as a coated firearm. [group hug]
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
So what are your thoughts then on Cerakoted stainless? Wouldn't you agree they're more rustproof than coated moly? If so, why?
And like post 6, and 9 already stated I would never go hunting with a freshly oiled bore. No matter how you slice it stainless is superior to CM for corrosion resistance. Your coated argument doesn't count for anything as you can also coat the outside of the stainless rifle if it bothered you. (Not sure why you would though) And you aren't having to wipe your bore daily to keep it from rusting.
