Cerakote or stainless

[ringorock]

Some of you might remember that I bought a t3x a few months ago. I got a heck of a deal on it, but it was the blued version. Well, I'm rough on my rifles. They're my tools. In less than one season, I've already worn the finish. I think I might have banged it on my stand humping the ridges and have left a tiny mark on the barrel with no finish. So, should I refinish with cerakote, or should I buy the ss version? I love this rifle. I also took an 8 pointer this year with it.

 

[Lilly001]

SS would be able to be buffed out in case of scratches, but it shows up more in the woods.
Cerakote can be in many different colors and resist scratches well.
I cover my SS rifles with camo.
If I were in your place I would cerakote my already owned rifle.

 

[ringorock]

Keep banging on it if it's a tool

Well, i dont want it to rust

 

[glynr329]

I buy nothing but Stainless because I hate rust period. Maybe I am OCD about it but we all have our issues.

 

[Horns]

I buy nothing but Stainless because I hate rust period. Maybe I am OCD about it but we all have our issues.

That’s what I am starting to do as well. I only have 2 stainless so far though

 

[model88_308]

There's certainly a time and place for a highly wx resistant rifle. I'd also vote cerakote on your existing rifle. You can choose a color of your choice to contrast with or match your stock color. FWIW, Im partial to medium grey like the old Ruger color target grey or similar.

 

[Jester896]

neither...keep it wiped down

 

[NCHillbilly]

For some reason, I just hate the look of stainless guns.

 

[spurrs and racks]

I had a stainless weapon Cerakoted because the shine off the stainless got me pin pointed in the tree twice. That's all it took.

 

[model88_308]

For some reason, I just hate the look of stainless guns.

It's all a matter of taste like most other things. I do way prefer the look of blue and nice wood, but I also enjoy the look of wood and matte SS for some help with wx resistance. The SS/syn guns I have are not pretty, but serve a purpose for me.

 

[nmurph]

For some reason, I just hate the look of stainless guns.

^^^Me too^^^

There's nothing wrong with a "tool" that shows some signs of honest work. That's not say abused, but used and cared-for.

I've never had a Ceracoated rifle until this year- I didn't give it any more or less care in handling and use. I have a couple of early-mid nineties 700's which are used throughout deer season and then wiped down with a light coat of oil and put away. If they get caught in a shower they'll get wiped down when they get out of the woods. This is the same way every gun in the safe is treated and it has served me well for 40+yrs.

Back to the OP's question- Cerakote over stainless every day, and twice on Sundays.

 

[lonewolf247]

Going on your words, your rough on your rifles! lol

Honestly,
Try to take a little more caution and care of them if your worried about the way they look. I also am a firm believer of, if they look bad on the outside, they probably look bad on the inside. So, at some point, it may start to affect the function of them.

I started hunting years back, when pretty much all guns were blued metal, and wood stocks, both shotguns and rifles. My dad would only buy WD-40 for us,(2 brothers, and I) to maintain our firearms, and told us to wipe them off lightly after the hunt, and clean a little more thoroughly when hunting in the rain. At that point, he left it up to us, to take care of our own firearms. I was maybe 12 years old, and a brother 10, and the other 8.

That was over 40 years ago, and I still have two shotguns, that still look really good, bearing no rust, and slight fading on the wood. They would actually look better, if I was the only one using them, but I shared them generously with my brothers.

During that time, I owned 2 Browning Bar rifles. The first one I hunted really hard with it for 15 years, in all sorts of weather. At the 15 year mark, it was showing a bit of wear, but the operation was flawless. On the contrary, my youngest brother, had bought a rifle the same year, it looked much worse than mine, and he had feeding and ejection issues, because of years of neglect, and not properly cleaning them.

I bought a new rifle, a Bar at that point, to replace my other one, mainly because I was unhappy with the accuracy. My brother hunted another 5 years or so with his, then broke down and bought another Bar too, because of mechanical issues. Mine current Bar is about 15 years old, it's a lightweight stalker, with synthetic stocks, and it practically looks brand new. It's been hunted hard, but well taken care of. My brother's on the other hand, is much newer than mine, but is already looking bad.

It's all in how you take care of them. It's really not a lot of work at all. I lightly wipe the outside daily on mine, with Rem oil, when I take it out hunting, and a little more thoroughly when I've been in wet conditions. Other than that, slight disassembly at the end of the season, before I put it up.

As far as stainless rifles, I loved the look, when they first got popular. I had to have one, so I bought a Browning A-bolt stainless stalker, in 7-mag, and had it for a few years. I didn't like the bulkiness of it, and that particular rifle, didn't absorb the recoil very well. I had also got to the point of not caring for the look of it, so I sold it. It was the same as far as maintenance goes. Wipe it off daily, and more on rainy days, clean thoroughly after the season. Stainless rifles will rust too, after years of neglect.

Bottom Line, maintain your firearms, or they will look ugly, and perform poorly. My 2 cents....

 

[Stevie Ray]

I have two backpacks that go on my hunting trips, the pack I carry with me while I'm hunting and the pack that stays at camp with a few essentials including a can of Ballistol for wiping my hunting rifles down every evening whenever I get back ... my hunting rifles are all blued and they are kept in great shape with proper maintenance. Something about a blued finish on a wood stock that just seems to fit perfectly for a hunting rifle, at least for me anyway.

 

[ringorock]

Going on your words, your rough on your rifles! lol

Honestly,
Try to take a little more caution and care of them if your worried about the way they look. I also am a firm believer of, if they look bad on the outside, they probably look bad on the inside. So, at some point, it may start to affect the function of them.

I started hunting years back, when pretty much all guns were blued metal, and wood stocks, both shotguns and rifles. My dad would only buy WD-40 for us,(2 brothers, and I) to maintain our firearms, and told us to wipe them off lightly after the hunt, and clean a little more thoroughly when hunting in the rain. At that point, he left it up to us, to take care of our own firearms. I was maybe 12 years old, and a brother 10, and the other 8.

That was over 40 years ago, and I still have two shotguns, that still look really good, bearing no rust, and slight fading on the wood. They would actually look better, if I was the only one using them, but I shared them generously with my brothers.

During that time, I owned 2 Browning Bar rifles. The first one I hunted really hard with it for 15 years, in all sorts of weather. At the 15 year mark, it was showing a bit of wear, but the operation was flawless. On the contrary, my youngest brother, had bought a rifle the same year, it looked much worse than mine, and he had feeding and ejection issues, because of years of neglect, and not properly cleaning them.

I bought a new rifle, a Bar at that point, to replace my other one, mainly because I was unhappy with the accuracy. My brother hunted another 5 years or so with his, then broke down and bought another Bar too, because of mechanical issues. Mine current Bar is about 15 years old, it's a lightweight stalker, with synthetic stocks, and it practically looks brand new. It's been hunted hard, but well taken care of. My brother's on the other hand, is much newer than mine, but is already looking bad.

It's all in how you take care of them. It's really not a lot of work at all. I lightly wipe the outside daily on mine, with Rem oil, when I take it out hunting, and a little more thoroughly when I've been in wet conditions. Other than that, slight disassembly at the end of the season, before I put it up.

As far as stainless rifles, I loved the look, when they first got popular. I had to have one, so I bought a Browning A-bolt stainless stalker, in 7-mag, and had it for a few years. I didn't like the bulkiness of it, and that particular rifle, didn't absorb the recoil very well. I had also got to the point of not caring for the look of it, so I sold it. It was the same as far as maintenance goes. Wipe it off daily, and more on rainy days, clean thoroughly after the season. Stainless rifles will rust too, after years of neglect.

Bottom Line, maintain your firearms, or they will look ugly, and perform poorly. My 2 cents....

I take really great care of my rifles post use. The problem I'm really facing is when I'm humping the woods and the barrel meets the tree stand. It'll wear that finish down quick. Sure, I can carry the rifle in my hand the entire time, but that's not always practical, especially when I get on really steep climbs. I really just want a finish that I can slap on there and not worry about it wearing off and putting my rifle at risk for rust.

 

[GregoryB.]

I called a company about getting my older 700 Sendero Cerakoted and the guy told me to do it properly the action and barrel needed to be separated. Don't know if that is true or not but the price of getting that separated and put back together would certainly add into the cost consideration.

 

[delacroix]

SS rusts too. Krylon wears well and is easy to touch up.

 

[BeerThirty]

the only thing stainless looks good on is a revolver!

 

[NCHillbilly]

SS rusts too. Krylon wears well and is easy to touch up.

I have a huge problem with guns rusting. I live in a very humid area, and I don't have A/C. I spend most of the spring, summer, and fall with the windows open. I have one old M77 .300Winmag that I bought used, that the previous owner had spray-can camo'd. It's the only rifle I own that I don't have to worry about rusting. I'm thinking about doing a bunch more of them.

 

[lonewolf247]

I take really great care of my rifles post use. The problem I'm really facing is when I'm humping the woods and the barrel meets the tree stand. It'll wear that finish down quick. Sure, I can carry the rifle in my hand the entire time, but that's not always practical, especially when I get on really steep climbs. I really just want a finish that I can slap on there and not worry about it wearing off and putting my rifle at risk for rust.

I get it, at least your keeping up the function of your rifles! That’s the main thing.

I had a stainless rifle for a short time, and I honestly didn’t find it much better, as far as durability of the finish. It got scratches and such, just like blued metal. Only it showed up even more.

Maybe give the cerakote a try? Otherwise just keep the function of it 100%, and hunt with an ugly rifle .?

Just joking, but I learned my lesson years ago, lost a nice buck, worried about taking my nice rifle out on a rainy day. Had a second rifle with a cheap scope and mounts, and it cost me a deer. Wasn’t the rifle’s fault, but I skimped on optics and mounts. Since then, when it boils down to it, I’m much more worried about function, and cosmetics is secondary.

It’s nice to have a pretty gun, and do your best to care for yours, but maybe in your situation it’s the best you can do. I say, go hunting and have fun!

 

[duckbill]

A little late, but I’ve got to throw a vote towards the Cerakote. I absolutely love it. I’m pretty rough on my rifles due to thick woods and wet conditions. They have lots of finishes to choose from. I typically go with the matte versions.