Modern Sporter builds Q&A
- Thread starter alberta tactical rifle
- Start date
ATRS Shaun
Business Member Rep.
- Location
- Calgary, AB
The anodizing will vary depending on who is doing the anodizing and how they achieve "black", because in the world of anodizing there actually ISN'T a real black. They achieve what we consider to be black by going to the darkest blue that they can. I forget the other colour they can take extremely dark to immitate black, we saw the variations when we experimented with different anodizers. After anodizing the material often appears 'dry' and coating it in a light oil (such as G96 gun treatment) can really enhance the look.
We coated all the lowers as they came back from anodizing with G96, and then found a number of guys who were looking to get them coated. You cannot apply cerakote, duracote, etc. on top of an oil residue. So when shipping the uppers, we opted not to oil them.
Oiling the maple ridge handguards helps, but it doesn't give you a perfect match because their anodizer isn't using the same dye recipe as our anodizer.
The only way to achieve a completely uniform colour between parts is to cerakote the upper, lower, and handguard, and to do it at the same time. Several manufacturers are close enough in their colours that you'd have a really hard time telling them apart though.
ATRS Shaun
Business Member Rep.
- Location
- Calgary, AB
before assembly, not too bad. I meant to get to your email about this today, I was actually just thinking of it on the way home. I'll get back to you tomorrow on the pricing, but to cerakote the handguard alone won't necessarily give it the same black, it'll appear as a different texture. to make it uniform i'd recommend doing the whole set.
Curious how this photo people are so worried about is actually just camera foolery...
https://imgur.com/a/eDUpSxW
https://imgur.com/a/eDUpSxW
Hey just seeing if someone could help me out with handguard options. I have a bsf cf barrel with an od of .875 and the superlative clamp on gas block with the od of 1.616. Has anyone ran anything similar and what handguard did you use. Having a hard time finding a pile of options that clear
You can put a full top rail on the jp mkIII
- Location
- calgary alberta
Upper and lower are both 7076 aluminum and when oiled should be as close to identical in color as possible. Slight variations in temperature when the part is being anodizied along with the concentration of die in the tank makes it impossible to have uppers and lowers 100% the same unless all done at the same time. The guys we use I think did a great job given the 4 to 5 month timeframe between doing the lower versus the uppers.
The MRA handguards are made of 6061 aluminum IIRC which takes a slightly different anodizing technique than 7075 does insofar as current, temp etc in the process.
That coupled with the fact that MRA uses a diffent anodizer than we do would account for the difference in color.
Only 1 way to prevent this. Anodize the upper and lower in the same batch and get the same anodizer to do all parts. This is NOT practical however.
As Shaun points out CeraKote applied to all parts at the same time will make a 100% color match.
apex survival
CGN Regular
- Location
- Southern Alberta
- Location
- calgary alberta
It does make installing the upper onto the lower with certain triggers a little less of a hassle.
Not to stir the pot here but I called in to ATRS on Feb 11 to let them know that my IMI mags (Gen 1, basically the 30 round body version of the IMI Beo ones) did not seat easily nor drop free. My metal mags work fine as does my one PMAG. A little filing on the front of the IMI mags makes them run problem free, so I'm not complaining, but there does seem to be an issue with the overhang of the upper receiver. Still happy with mine.
