Cerakote my 1937 Brazilian .45acp ? UPDATE -- CeraNOPE !!

bigmtnman · #1 04-02-2021, 01:39 PM

I really like this gun as a shooter, but it is UGLY ! .... It has a fair amount of pitting. I am thinking about having it Cerakoted in black. I have several options for having this done locally. My questions are -- Would it have much affect on the appearance of the pitting? .. What might I expect as a reasonable cost ? -- I don't think I would be making it worth any LESS .. would I ?

Update -- I heard back from an inquiry I made when I was still considering the Cerakote ----- All I can say is ....YIKES !!

"Yes The black is available. No it will not hide the pitting, in fact it will only make it worse.
There is only one real way to remove the pits and that is to sand and polish by hand the whole firearm. If you would like to just the coating the price will $250.00. If You would like a Polish and Blue (black oxide) the cost will be $ 500.00. If You would like a polish and Coating the cost will $550.00"

Old_Cop · #2 04-02-2021, 01:51 PM

It's a shooter with a rough finish. I don't see a reduced value with a refinish. Do some stoning and sanding yourself prior to bead blasting. Make sure your cerekote tech has done revolvers and applies in thin coats. I'm thinking $150 to $200.

Wiregrassguy · #3 04-02-2021, 01:53 PM

Ken, it depends on if you do the Cerakote or pay someone to do it. And, generally a refinished gun will only be attractive as a pure shooter. So, whatever a run of the mill .45 ACP brings in your area. But, tell that to David Keith!

I have personally refinished a .38 Spl Victory in phosphate. I bought a kit but you can do it with distilled water and alkaline batteries (see YouTube). First, I bead blasted it to remove a lot of roughness and that covered a lot of dents and dings. The finish is pretty rugged. I recently sold it to a collector - who knew the history - for ballpark market for an original gun.

Here's a 1917 Brazilian that I acquired that had already had the treatment. I think it looks pretty good.

SVT28 · #4 04-02-2021, 02:05 PM

Hey Ken! Nice Brazilian

Part of the character with these in my opinion is their "seasoned" finish/condition when they are original. Yours is a little rougher than most I've seen, but not that bad judging by the pics. I have also thought about refinishing my Brazilian but everytime I pull it out for range time I decide against it.

Short answer, I'd keep it as is! Plus your stocks look great on these.

SVT28

Sent from my LM-V450 using Tapatalk

Breakaway500 · #5 04-02-2021, 02:22 PM

I have one cerakoated gun..it was a nasty mess and now is one of my favorite plinkers. Cost me about $180 and minimal finish fitting required after coating. Just some 220 grit paper.

Personally..I'd do it. I chose stealth grey.

I still have the original custom one of a kind handmade grips (and the bolt) if anyone is interested..

DGNY · #6 04-02-2021, 03:07 PM

Interesting idea, but that Brazilian looks a bit too good, in my view, to submit to that process. Of course, there may be hidden rust or pitting that is escaping the eye from the pix.

Otherwise, wouldn’t be much to lose by applying some light oil and a Frontier 45 pad or bronze wool to clean up the rust and then possibly a little touch up blue. Cerakote could always wait!

lrrifleman · #7 04-02-2021, 03:25 PM

Ken, I have to agree, you have a nice looking Brazilian. The finish looks worn, but not ugly. For me, the pitting doesn't look bad, I see it as well earned character with age spots. I'd be more concerned about the chambers and bore.

Personally, I feel that cerakoting would do the pistol an injustice. TLC won't harm the current condition. I'd lean more towards a light oiling, with either a nice professional reblue, or possibly (down the road) reach out to Ford's and look at filling the worst pitting and reblue.

I wouldn't be ashamed to be seen shooting or carrying that Brazilian!

4speed · #8 04-02-2021, 03:47 PM

I personally HATE!!!!! ceracote
I would clean up the pitting with some 400 emerypaper
and rust blue it, mark lee express rust blue is cheap easy fun and looks GREAT, really really great, I have done several ugly rusty beaters in rust blue, and they came out looking much much better than any cericoat I have ever seen

bigmtnman · #9 04-02-2021, 07:19 PM

I have never minded honest blue wear on my handguns. The pitting is what prompted my interest in the Ceracote. I guess it would still come out with the pitting showing fairly prominently. Everytime I take it out to the prairie and send some lead down range, it looks a little better to me. I think I will just "embrace the ugly" and leave the 'ol girl as is. It might be like one of my favorite female movie stars who gets plastic surgery because they are "aging". They become a bit "ghastly" and I would have rather seen honest age lines and wrinkles than their "new" face !

Kinman · #10 04-03-2021, 12:54 AM

Ken, Thats as nice a Brazilian as I ever get to see. Most I see look like they were thrown into a concrete mixer with a hundred of their bretheren and given a couple minutes with a few rocks thrown in for good measure. I think you have the right idea when you mention taking it with you for a day on the range and not feeling a bit of guilt if it gets a little travel dust there and back. I would not consider it molestation if you modified it but at the same time all I can do is echo "They are only original once."

BC38 · #11 04-03-2021, 01:24 AM

I have a postwar M&P I just picked up that has the same kind of finish issues.
I watched a video of a guy who took a rusty Winchester 1887 that was a rusty mess, disassembled it completely, then boiled the blued parts for 45 minutes. Afterward he hit it with a super fine stainless steel carding wheel and the amount of bluing that came back was unbelievable.
I'll be giving that a try, and I'll post the results.
If it works out maybe you will want to give it a try too.
Just a thought...

StrawHat · #12 04-03-2021, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigmtnman

I really like this gun as a shooter, but it is UGLY ! .... It has a fair amount of pitting. I am thinking about having it Cerakoted in black. I have several options for having this done locally. My questions are -- Would it have much affect on the appearance of the pitting? .. What might I expect as a reasonable cost ? -- I don't think I would be making it worth any LESS .. would I ?

Ken,

That 1917 has some honest wear on it but don’t they all? At 66, I showing a bit of wear myself. Embrace the beauty of the age. Ceracote? No way!

Nice looking stocks by the way.

My beat up Brazilian version of the 45 Hand Ejector has seen better days and a lot of time in my holsters. It has been retired to office duty but it still serves daily.

Kevin

Sistema1927 · #13 04-03-2021, 09:03 AM

My vote is no.

ddixie884 · #14 04-03-2021, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigmtnman

I have never minded honest blue wear on my handguns. The pitting is what prompted my interest in the Ceracote. I guess it would still come out with the pitting showing fairly prominently. Everytime I take it out to the prairie and send some lead down range, it looks a little better to me. I think I will just "embrace the ugly" and leave the 'ol girl as is. It might be like one of my favorite female movie stars who gets plastic surgery because they are "aging". They become a bit "ghastly" and I would have rather seen honest age lines and wrinkles than their "new" face !

God, what a waste. I mean about the woman.............

The gun belongs to you and I think you should do as you wish, but I'd not touch it......

I might even try one of the better cold blues......

Scharfschuetzer · #15 04-03-2021, 10:04 AM

A lot of those Brazilian 1917s came in looking like they were stored in salt water. After a couple of tours in South America, I now understand why, but that's another story.

I bought my Brazilian 1917 so that I could keep my US 1917s as pristine as possible. It was a good decision. Like many Brazilian 1917s, mine is a mess out side, but with a virtually NIB bore, charge holes and mechanism. I'd have no qualms ceracoating mine. It's a shooter and not a collector.

An ugly Smith at 20 yards with 200 grain SWC cast bullets, Weaver stance, double action.

Golddollar · #16 04-03-2021, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigmtnman

I have never minded honest blue wear on my handguns. The pitting is what prompted my interest in the Ceracote. I guess it would still come out with the pitting showing fairly prominently. Everytime I take it out to the prairie and send some lead down range, it looks a little better to me. I think I will just "embrace the ugly" and leave the 'ol girl as is. It might be like one of my favorite female movie stars who gets plastic surgery because they are "aging". They become a bit "ghastly" and I would have rather seen honest age lines and wrinkles than their "new" face !

Good for you. As long as it is not an issue of having a working firearm or not, keeping the finish as original as possible is a good move. Plus why risk having one of those fancy South American crests erased.

I have 2 Brazilian 1917s, one that has no permanent alterations and the pictured one that I adopted. I like to think that back in the past someone rescued a piece that was in bad shape and gave it new life.

CQB27 · #17 04-03-2021, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golddollar

Good for you. As long as it is not an issue of having a working firearm or not, keeping the finish as original as possible is a good move. Plus why risk having one of those fancy South American crests erased.

I have 2 Brazilian 1917s, one that has no permanent alterations and the pictured one that I adopted. I like to think that back in the past someone rescued a piece that was in bad shape and gave it new life.

glenwolde · #18 04-03-2021, 11:15 AM

I'm not opposed to refinishing most guns just for looks when you're using them as a shooter and it's nothing really valuable. But Cerakote would be my last choice on a revolver.

BSA1 · #19 04-03-2021, 01:21 PM

Cerakote is very thin paint. It will not cover pits very well. I have two ceracoated guns.

The first one is the Ruger Wrangler with the factory applied Ceracoat. It doesn’t hide the mold lines and rough spots on the grip frame.

My other is a AR-15. The upper receiver was a blem with a couple of small minor rough spots in the finish on the upper. Ceracoat did not hide the spots which surprised me.

The best d-i-y product I have found is Brownells Aluma-Hyde II paint. It is a epoxy paint applied in several thin coats. It takes about two weeks to fully cure and when it does it is a very hard finish. It is easy to apply and gives a great result IF you follow the directions closely. I imagine it will be very hard to remove after it has fully cured.

I have done a entire AR barrel assembly using Matte Black. I removed the front sight base first before spraying the barrel and sight base. Aluma-Hyde is thicker than Ceracoat as the Front Sight Base will not longer slide over the gas journal. Sanding and Kroil is needed to get the FSB on the gas journal. However I can still read the stamping on the barrel.

If your plans are to carry it outdoors such as hiking, camping, hunting, etc. I would choose the Aluma-Hyde as it is harder. I would spray four light coats as recommended on the exterior and only two coats on the screw heads.

Aluma-Hyde is inexpensive quick project. $13.00 for the spray can and whatever a can of engine degreaser costs.

bigmtnman · #20 04-04-2021, 01:09 PM

Thank you all for your input. I am happier knowing it's not all that bad when graded on the curve. Yes .."It's only original once" so that is how I will keep it. It's a great shooter with no mechanical issues. I cleaned her up with Mother's and some Ren wax. I think I like the look of the factory magnas (even if incorrect) better than the stags.

Teddydog · #21 04-04-2021, 01:21 PM

My Brazilian is the only variant of the 1917 that I currently have. It is fairly rough, too, but I don't recall actual pitting.

I'm glad you decided NOT to paint it.

Rob

bigmtnman · #22 04-06-2021, 03:00 PM

Update -- I heard back from an inquiry I made when I was still considering the Cerakote ----- All I can say is ....YIKES !!

"Yes The black is available. No it will not hide the pitting, in fact it will only make it worse.
There is only one real way to remove the pits and that is to sand and polish by hand the whole firearm. If you would like to just the coating the price will $250.00. If You would like a Polish and Blue (black oxide) the cost will be $ 500.00. If You would like a polish and Coating the cost will $550.00"

StrawHat · #23 04-06-2021, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigmtnman

...I think I like the look of the factory magnas (even if incorrect) better than the stags...

I agree, the magnas look very nice. A grip adapter will help your grip if it bothers you.

Since we have agreed on the factory magnas, you can sell those antlers to me!!!

Kevin