Hi all,

I have a rust bucket 457 I was thinking of Cerakoting the slide and using as a pack gun.

Anyone do that to theirs? What color?

I was thinking if going with a desert sand.

Can't comment on the Cerakote, but I purchased a 457 with the slide covered in rust a year or so ago. I used sandpaper and a flat piece of granite tile to clean it up (that's an advantage of the flat surfaces on the value line). The 457 was easy because the extractor doesn't protrude - all I had to remove was the decocker lever and sights.

I had never used cold blue on such a large part and figured I'd end up with Cerakote, but I'm very happy with the way it ended up - can't tell it from a factory job. The cold blue seems to work even better if the surface is not polished to a mirror finish - needs a little tooth.

I've carried it quite a bit and haven't noticed any more wear than on my 908 with the original factory finish. Knowing what I know now, it won't be difficult to touch up any holster wear in the future. Can't do that with Cerekote.

Mine also had a scratch right across the SN on the alloy frame that I was concerned about. I hit it with a dab of the BC Aluminium Black and the scratch disappeared - no stripping or masking necessary.

I used the refinish as an excuse to replace the plastic sights with Trijicon night sights. Also added a modified Crimson Trace laser.

Ha! I'm doing the same with the night sights!

Really, haven't decided yet on the finish. Don't want to spend too much. I like the finish on my CZ's, kinda hoping for something I don't have to worry about too much.

Even our fresh water is salty out here... I've had a gun rust up on a day before.

The 457 and 908 are my primary carry weapons and (knock wood) haven't had a rust problem and South Texas gets plenty hot and humid in the summer. I keep a little bottle of rem oil and a shaving brush in my office and put a couple of drops on the slide a couple of times a week. I think the cold blue wins hands down on cost because you can do it yourself and you can touch it up if needed.

Fleabay has some sight pushers that pay for themselves. There are some YouTube videos that show how to remove the safety/decocker. Watch out for the springs under the rear sight.

There's not that much difference in the night sights except that they are horribly overpriced. I just can't stand plastic guns or even guns with major parts made of plastic.

Nice! I worked for a while down in Corpus Christi, loved it down there! Went broke on oysters and beer though...

Similar water quality issues there too, especially as you get further down to Brownsville.

Conductivity and pH were so high at one spot out here, I clambered out of the stream and the plating had come off my wader boots. The lace hooks were a bright, shiny brass...

I'd have to agree with Hill Country. I bought a couple rifles from the 60's back around 2007. They were rusted badly, and I got them for a song. Used the finest steel wool I could get, kept it wet with RemOil and they cleaned up VERY nicely. Almost to the point where you couldn't tell they had even been rusted. I'd really try that first, and if you like it, put that Cerakote money into more ammo.

Ha! I'd go broke on RemOil...

Color is going to depend on you, and you only. If it's in it's holster 99% of it's life, this shouldn't be a big internal debate.


If your water and body chemistry are that corrosive to firearms, the slide is the least of your concerns. You need to keep an eye on the springs, pins, and set screws on the gun. The slide will work fine even if it is pitted and covered in rust. However, small springs weaken and fail when oxidized in the micro-climate known as your pants. So please don't overlook these items when addressing the slide...


As far as finishes, cerekote, like anything else depends on your prep work. Going for a "rough" treatment may result in a quick wearing finish. Personally, I like hard chrome as a hard use finish the best, but that might be a bit more than you are looking for. Maybe birdsong black-T or robar' comparable product would work?


Finally, if your slide is rusting, also rotate your ammo.


Also, post pics when done. . We like to see third gens

Cool, thanks!