One of the most recent finishes to make a buzz in the firearm community is Cerakote, which is a distinct finish compared to the traditional methods of using either stainless steel or blued steel. But why do people say that Cerakote is good for your gun? Let’s find out.
The Beauty of the Cerakote Finish
Gun Finishes
Virtually, all well-made firearms come with some kind of finish or coating. That’s because even the most durable steel can still eventually sustain damage from rusting, from inclement weather, and from general wear and tear.
Finishes or coatings provide additional layers of very thin material that protects the core steel or alloy metals and allows your gun to work properly over the long-term by defending it from rust or other damage.
The two most common types of finishes are “bluing” and “stainless,” both of steel. Blued steel is any steel treated with a special catalyst that creates a layer of magnetite (also called black iron oxide) over the surface.
Blued steel occasionally needs to be re-applied, and it usually needs to be combined with water-repelling oil to keep water away from the steel molecules.
Stainless steel is another alloyed version of steel that’s combined with chromium. This forms a thin layer of chromium oxide that doesn’t react with any other particles like air and water. As such, it forms a passive defense against rust.
Both of these finishes are not coatings. You shouldn’t feel a difference when handling the weapon, and they don’t necessarily change the weapon’s appearance all that much.
What Is Cerakote?
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Cerakote is a more modern finish that also acts as a coating, meaning it changes the texture and appearance of your gun’s materials as well as imbuing them with benefits.
This finish is a proprietary formula made by a company of the same name. In fact, the name comes from the manufacturers combining the words “ceramic” and “coat.”
Indeed, Cerakote is a ceramic looking finish that combines ceramic particles to form a hard surface that can resist abrasive damage and keep out moisture and other harmful particles at the same time.
These finishes usually come in either green or tan colors, although some manufacturers will provide it in additional hues.
Why Is It Good for Your Gun?
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Cerakote provides lots of benefits. For starters, it’s one of the most effective barriers against corrosion and oxidation, especially compared to just bluing your steel without a layer of anti-oil formula.
This can make it a great choice if your firearm is frequently exposed to a humid or marine environment. But the ceramic coating also protects your gun’s parts from dust or debris damage, so it’s great for hot, dry, and desert environments, as well.
In fact, Cerakote being a physical coating means that it adds one or two-thousandths of an inch of thickness to your gun's surface area.
For some firearms, adding just a little bit of thickness to critical or key areas that might be a little weak from wear and tear can make them function for a much longer time.
Even better, Cerakote can easily bond to most of the common materials used in weapon manufacturing. Carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel, and polymers all bond pretty easily to this finish. So it's easy to use with a wide variety of weapons regardless of the exact manufacturing specifications.
Summary
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Overall, Cerakote is a modern alternative to traditional firearm finishes that provides several ancillary benefits and a great aesthetic. If you’ve seen Cerakote weapons and liked the way that the coating has made them look, we’d recommend that you give it a try. We doubt you’ll be disappointed!
What finish do you like the most in a gun? Tell us why in the comments section!
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