you are doing a nice job. Personally, I am not a "distressed guy". But that is just me and not a comment on your work.

 

I have 12 plus P365's in my safe and a bunch of built but not assembled slides and grips in the drawer. I give these away to family and friends with LTC's who bring an FCU or donor. Sometimes I think I'm like a crack dealer, giving them their first build fix. It sure is addicting. I feel like I've bought one of everything out there. I love the stuff in my safe and shoot it all. I lenjoy the challenge of building, testing at the range and working the bugs out.
When it look on the internet, we are all building the same guns with the same parts. What I think is unique, someone else has already done 10 times over. I'm looking to experiment with something that I consider junk and make something different. Just having fun, people will like it or they won't. I may bring it down to bare metal and try another angle too. Who knows what tomorrow will bring and thanks for the input.

 

The paint was cool and cured this morning. I hit it with a scratch cloth to soften it up a little and it worked pretty good. I polished the breech face and removed any residual paint from the pin holes, screw holes and extractor area. I added the gold barrel and a cheap optic. Not installing the slide kit till I decide if I'm keeping it in this color. I have to say, I don't

hate it. That is till I shoot it.

 

Looks good. I am still a bit leary of painting guns. I like the idea, but concerned about the durability. Several years ago I got a very well used Mossberg 500. The receiver was pretty beat up. I stripped it and painted it with VHT exhaust paint,and cured it in the oven set to the self cleaning mode, about 800° it has held up good over the years, but I am very easy with it. So I really don't know how durable it actually is. Is the product that you are using pretty durable? I have heard both good and bad about the Cerakote,and still not ready to try it. But I if I knew that something was actually decent I would be all over it.

 

Having tried just about everything, Cerakote, in my opinion, is the best overall coating on the market. One of the reasons being with a little practice and some fairly cheap startup tools pretty much anyone can do it but it does take some commitment and proper procedures.

I think what people need to realize is that there is no coating on the market that will prevent any and all marring over the life of a gun. In fact there is nothing period that can prevent that. Anodizing, blueing, etc etc. but many folks who decry the crapiness of this product or that are simply expecting far too much from it.

 

This is only my second attemp at this, but I'd say it appears to be very durable. It covers well if you do a second coat within the 30 minutes. Its dry enough to handle after about 30 minutes. I baked it in a toaster oven for 3.5 hours @200 after it flashed off. Even with the bake, it seems to get tougher a couple of days later. I was able to install sights on the 320 without damaging the finish right after it cooled down. I watched a bunch of videos on the Brownells site and YouTube before I

decided to try it. People say good things about it, so I figured I'd give it a try on some parts I didn't care much about. I bought a few more cans to play with and did some triggers and mag bases.
I think its well worth a try.

 

Is it designed for aluminum? Or is it an aluminum based paint? I have a couple of Ruger MK series pistols that I might try. Ruger will refinish them cheap enough, but want stupid money to ship them 1 hour away.

 

To be honest, I don't think it has anything to do with Aluminum. Its epoxy based and is designed for multiple surfaces, even wood. Poor choice of names I think, it maybe

limiting its market appeal.

 

I'd watch the Brownells how to videos and just follow the directions. It's a pretty simple process.
You can either bake at 200 for 3.5 hours or air dry for 10-12 days.
The FDE and Coyote are pretty much the same color. The 2 flat triggers in my photo I sent earlier are Coyote and all the other stuff is FDE and you'd have a hard time telling them apart. I was a little disappointed, was hoping the Coyote would match my M17 and P365 Spectre comp slide better.

 

I must admit that I would like to see one of my Rugers in FDE and the Rattlesnake grips

 

I just was reading up on it. As with most things, the opinions are all over the map. I definitely agree that the ceramic high temperature cured products are probably more durable. But Cerakote can be an expensive venture to get started. I just might experiment with the VHT on some various items and find out how durable it really is. The same with the AlumaHyde, for 20 bucks and a few hours of my time, I might get past my fear of painted guns. Or maybe justify it.

 

Most of the issues I've heard of are from people not properly curing or skipping prep steps. Prep is everything.
I'm running out of new things to keep my interest or build in the P320-P365 line. I was looking for something new and I figured this was worth a try. I don't regret the decision, especially with garbage parts. Worst case, like the P365 slide, I can strip it and try again.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

Prep is the most important part of any project. Must be CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN of everything. When I nickel plate parts or a complete gun it takes hours of prep,and minutes to plate.

 

Plating is probably next on my agenda. When I tire of the paint thing that is.

 

It's not hard to do. Or expensive. I learned by watching videos. Many videos. Just by watching, you will spot the good from the bad. I practiced on junk parts. I even developed a simple technique for making high quality nickel acetate that nobody else does.

 

I just ordered the desert tan. Now I got to strip the MKII again. I just finished putting it back together after a very thorough cleaning. It was the nastiest, dirtiest gun that I have ever gotten from a lgs. But it's also the reason I got it so cheap. The guys there were afraid to take it apart. Many people are intimidated by them because they can be tricky to reassemble.

 

If I take it apart, I can put it back together. If I didn't take it apart, it will just take a little while longer.
Some people can paint, sing or excell at some sport.
Mechanical aptitude is a gift, either you have it or you don't. I've tried forcing it out of people and it doesn't work. The Mechanical mind works different.
Like you I never fear a challenge. I'm anxious to see your results with the MKII.

 

Agreed,Mechanical skills are a gift. They can be learned, but if you don't have the aptitude to start with you will never enjoy it. I like the looks of your project, and waiting to see what you do next. Once in a while the brain goes kattywampus and does something neat,and sometimes it doesn't. But we still push the limits of our abilities.

 

I wish you the best on your drive to try something different in firearm finishes. You've got brass I just couldn't bring myself to 'Rattle Can' any firearms. Blue/black process, sure, but not that.

 

It's all discarded stuff from donor pistols and I have multiples of each. Very little risk I'd cause any real damage to something of actual value. If it works out, I may make something from nothing. The Brownells stuff I'd say is a step above rattle can ( even though it is in a rattle can).
After it cures it's really tough and looks surprisingly good for the price point.

 

Like I said I will give it a go. Desert tan is my choice for now. If it doesn't work out, I will plate it. But I don't want to keep plating the MKs, it makes me feel like a 1 trick pony.

 

Already 2nd guessing myself, I just ordered the FDE as well

 

Make sure you order extra nozzles and clean out nozzles too.
Its $20 a can, I bought 6 cans to start. You never know where the process will bring you.

 

I dropped the slide into a black XL grip and I

think I like this set up and the whole look of the piece of art or hacked mess, what ever you consider it.

 

The desert tan arrived today. Even though I ordered the FDE from the same place, 2 hours later, it won't be here for 2 more days

 

I just ordered the Earth Brown, hoping it's more Coyote than than the Coyote.

 

Question, what is more Coyote than Coyote? Wolf? Werewolf? Direwolf? Never mind, now I just getting scared 😱

 

Anything more brown than the Coyote Brownells sent. Don't care if it's Labrador brown, chihuahua brown or dirt brown.

 

that wasent a good look i should be honest.. fed finish would have been best for your project..

just had my nx8 scope covered in fed and it looks awesome.

 

Best part is, I don't care. I really like it and I learned something along the way and got a second use out of something I felt was trash. I assembled it last night for real with all new slide parts and will try it one more time at the range. If it still sucks, it will be a permanent display on my work bench.

 

I think it looks great and you did a great job, ignore the haters.

 

Looks good to me. I has that distressed "Star Wars Blaster" look

 

See, now you get what I was trying to do.
To be honest, I almost feel like those guys on the football team who drag their helmets down the building to put scratches on them so they actually look like they did something on the field.

 

It looks like the first project I will be doing is the handguard for the kids AR. He wants a staggered pattern on the vent ribs.