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How do I remove cerakote?

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  • Daezee

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    My friend has a Contender 256 Win Mag pistol bbl with ammo, brass, reloading dies, forming die, bullet mold, gas checks, bullet sizing die, top punch, jacketed and cast bullets at an attractive price. I’ve fired it and it was accurate.

    However the bbl has an ugly to me snake skin pattern on it. Solvents don’t seem to touch the coating, and the coating is not perfect anyway. How does one remove the cerakote to end up with a simple stainless steel bbl? Thank you.

    PS He has no other Contender parts, frames, or stocks.

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    DAS HUGH!

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    The strongest and most effective paint stripper I've ever found or used is what's called "Aircraft pant stripper". I've only seen it in spray can form and it's pretty cheap. Last time I needed some was a few years ago and Walmart happened to stock it then. If that don't touch it, nothing will.
    I have a feeling that since it's a ceramic coating that is heat set in the finish process that what's left behind when it's finished is a somewhat true ceramic finish. Chemicals typically won't "cut" thru that, unless it does in fact really on a chemical based bond to keep the ceramic film in place. I've not ever had to strip any cerakote yet to have to find out tho I'm afraid.
    So you're likely gonna have to sand blast it like the guy above said. Or... make a pvc pipe and cap both ends, put some protection on the threads etc, then attach that to a battery drill and zip tie the trigger to make a home made tumbler. Then add some media to it to abrade the finish and check it till its all removed. So that's an option to.
    Unless you're dead set on removing the finish you may be better off sanding those checkered edges smooth and just recoating it to a metallic like finish or plain black. That would be the easiest fix. You can do that at home too yourself. Just order the paint. All you need after that is a small air spray gun and an electric stove big enough to fit the barrel inside of. Which in your case isn't that big of a barrel. That's the only reason I'd pay to have an item coated is if it's too big for me to fit in a home stove.
    Let us know if you do find a way to chemically remove it tho. I'd like to know myself also
     

    Southernlost

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    Having tried what you are currently attempting..its a waste of time .and money .I tried everything..ended up taking it to a shop
     

    BOHUNTER

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    Once baked, only by blasting can it be removed after curing! It’s good stuff, impermeable against all chemicals, salts, but it’s kryptonite is blasting media! I’m out of business but still have my equipment in Pea Ridge.
     

    stage20

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    Once baked, only by blasting can it be removed after curing! It’s good stuff, impermeable against all chemicals, salts, but it’s kryptonite is blasting media! I’m out of business but still have my equipment in Pea Ridge.
    I've often wondered all these Glocks I see cerekoted, how well it holds up on the grip. Will it wear off?
     

    BOHUNTER

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    I guarantee everything I touch it will not peel or chip. I have plenty of test pieces you can bend. The ONLY time I saw it crack was when I cerakoted soft rubber, silicone, and gel filled pieces. It’s good shit! It will scratch in sandy conditions like in and out of Kydex holster, but you just bending a plastic and it happening I’ll say very unlikely.
     

    Daezee

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    First, I'm gonna take my bbl to Oneshot...been a while since I visited anyway.

    Second: An update on my bbl...If you take a close look at my original photo, you'll see the "snake skin" is a bit chipped or peeled towards the chamber end. With nothing to lose, I took a Chore Boy copper pad, put some paint thinner on it and gently rubbed the chipped area...the snake skin came off. So, I attacked the whole bbl with that same process and all the snake skin came off. Solvents, by themselves didn't remove the snake skin. Now, underneath the snake skin pattern was a silver-gray coating which did not come off. While it appears that something is embedded in the gray coating, looking like small bits of steel wool or pitting, the gray coating is Very smooth; you cannot feel any roughness, so I don't know what's going on with the way it looks. One can now also see where someone had scraped the gray coating off around part of the maker's bbl markings (that was not me) prior to the snake skin coating. As is now, to me, it looks a lot better without the snake skin, but could look better with a simple bead blasted matte surface. Near the muzzle end there is shiny stainless steel showing where the gary coating didn't take or wasn't applied all the way.

    Speculation: At some time in its life, someone put that silver-gray coating on, didn't like it, put the snake skin pattern on top of it, didn't like it and sold the bbl. It was used and already had the snake skin on it when my friend bought it (and probably at a fire sale price, knowing him!). It is accurate and not fired much, so I will keep and shoot it. It's threaded at the muzzle, so I put a stainless thread protector on it.

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    BOHUNTER

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    The cerakote you took off was an over sprayed layer on cured cerakote. That’s why it came off easily. Cerakote doesn’t bond to cerakote unless it’s etched. Looks great but being permanently bonded it’s not. That’s why you blast to bare metal ever color of etch it with low media pressure.

    Good deal though!

    Blast it and cerakote it a new color.
     

    Daezee

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    In about 15 minutes or maybe less, Oneshot, using a bench grinder with some type of brush, removed the cerakote or whatever the heck it was. No scratches in the metal. He then handed it over to Bearkat who just happened to walk in while Oneshot was working. Oneshot didn't have his media blaster set up, but Bearkat did. I picked it up this morning after Bearkat blasted a matte finish on it. First photo is fresh from Bearkat. Second photo is after I'd put some Sheath rust preventive on it and let it soak in. It may be stainless steel, but I still put rust preventive on the metal. Sheath made it a little darker, shinier and feel slicker. I'm happy.:D Thanks guys!

    Now to reattach my scope, put it back on my frame, sight it back in, and enjoy. I didn't take a close-up, but the factory markings and caliber can now be read.

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