Cost of Cerakoting a Handgun

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  • Evil Zim

    Well-Known Member
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    3   0   0
    Jan 30, 2010
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    I have a S&W 438 j frame I’ve carried for years with a decent degree of holster wear. I’ve thought about getting it finished with a black Cerakote coating. Any commentary on cost, durability and businesses in New Orleans area who do good work? Also, I’d appreciate hearing people’s experience with the coating.
     

    SwampyDog

    certified gun nut
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    17   0   0
    Jul 3, 2012
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    Killian
    Couple hundred bucks most likely depending on who and what color. DO NOT use Green Dragon in Denham. He'll be the one that pops up on the "licensed applicators" list from Cerakote. Guy does a crap job is prone to trashing firearms then saying it's your fault and removes any negative reviews
     

    John_

    Shooter
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    21   0   0
    Nov 23, 2013
    3,451
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    Hammond, LA
    I won't be popular for it but cerakote is a tough paint coating, properly cured. Still a paint, approx .003" thick. I have a 45 acp pistol cerakoted and I dropped it on a tile floor. Chipped the cerakote in 2 places revealing the raw steel below. Like Mag stated above, see what the cost is for S&W to refinish it. Or check on a nitride finish. Nitride is way more durable, same as melonite the Glock factory uses on their slides and barrels. Even if you wear off the visible black finish, the melonite anti-corrosion is still there in the surface of the metal. I have a G22 police trade in with a fair amount of holster wear, and I read about the long term durability of melonite on the Glock forum. Melonite/nitride is approx .0002" thick, and not a paint finish. There was a shop in Morgan City who did complete firearm nitriding years ago.
     

    SVT Bansheeman

    No more laughing dog
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    5   0   0
    Jan 24, 2011
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    Lockport, LA
    I agree with John for the most part. Mine scratches/chips like paint. Especially if it's one or to colors sprayed ontop of a base color. I just cerakote for cosmetic looks, not durability.
     

    AdvancedLaser

    Well-Known Member
    Industry Partner
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    4   0   0
    Feb 15, 2021
    1,123
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    Covington, Louisiana
    Reulet Gun Works does Cerakote. He has done several frames and slides for me. I dig his work.

    There is another guy in the area whos Cerakote certified who did two slides for me, and one was ok for a customer, and the other was a project I was displaying and it has two drips on it. I am clueless how that's not visible on post inspect, but he let it leave like that, and wasn't surprised when I brought it back for correction.

    Be careful who you use. We all have bad days, but proper post inspection would fix it. Even volume shops do have QA/QC. Nothing should leave the shop jacked up.
     

    La26

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    0   0   0
    Jan 4, 2011
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    Paulina, La.
    There used to be a place in Mississippi that did it. I think it was called Birdsong or something similar. Not sure if he still is in business. He hasn't been mentioned yet, so he probably retired by now.

    OK, edited to add: still in business, W.E.Birdsong in Florence, Ms. (601) 939-7448. website: www.black-t.com Black-T was the bee's knees back in the day. Read up about the black-t coating on his website. Looks like he is off of 55, south of Jackson, Ms
     
    Last edited:

    Ryan316

    My way or the highway
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    0   0   0
    Nov 28, 2008
    147
    18
    Kenner, LA
    There was a guy in St. Amant named Daniel Hidalgo that cerakoted a Benelli barrel for me and 1 or 2 rifles for a friend of mine. He did good work. His shop had a catchy name...Plate-tacular I think? I might be wrong about the name, lol. It's been a few years.
     
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Mar 21, 2022
    9
    3
    US
    It's a ways from you but Lew's Firearms in Central (outside BR) has done a few for me and does great work. They can give you a quote by phone.
     

    twinin

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    23   0   0
    May 5, 2017
    952
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    Houma
    I believe the place in Morgan City is Primary Machine.

    I thought there was a popular place on the Westbank of NOLA that was know for Cerakoting? Are they still in business?
     

    pptpe45

    Well-Known Member
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    Mar 29, 2012
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    i had a Desert Eagle done and a Para-Ordnance 14-45 done. Had to tear the guns down myself. It cost $300 for the DE but I used several colors and had 2 barrels done. The 14-45 cost me $250 with 2 colors. Not sure those business are still open. Found an new guy that will do my AR-10 when it is ready. Saw his work in a gun store in Houma. Really nice. He works out of his house in Houma but has a company name (can't remember) so you can look it up.
     

    SouthernInsanity

    Well-Known Member
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    21   0   0
    Jan 31, 2018
    513
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    Baton Rouge, LA
    I had a P365 slide milled and single coat cerakote, all done by Wicked Arms (Baton Rouge/Port Allen area). Does pick ups at local gun shop so i didn't have to mail anything. Look them up on IG.
     

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