Modern Coatings

Craftguard can electroless nickel plate carbon steel and cast iron. We cannot electroless nickel plate aluminum, stainless steel, brass, or copper. We offer two different types of Electroless Nickel Plating; 100 Series which is a bright nickel and 300 series which is a dull nickel with a stainless appearance. Electroless nickel has an outstanding resistance to petroleum distillates of all types including gun solvents and has a salt resistance tolerance exceeding 240 continuous hours per one-mil of thickness. Unlike conventional electroplating where the plating build-up is not uniform (thick on the edges and thin in the middle), electroless nickel plating is uniform on all metal surfaces (inside and out, edges and flats). Expansion and contraction from heat does not result in cracks or peeling. With a Rockwell rating of C56 in hardness, it is 0.10 tougher then hard chrome on the Tabor Wear Index. Plating thickness ranges from one-quarter mil. (0.00025 inches) to one mil. (0.001 inches) with three-eighths mil. (0.000375 inches) optimum for firearms. The finish is protected with Birchwood Casey's "Dry Touch Plus.”

Craftguard Exclusive finish. Developed for law enforcement, “Guard-Coat” PLUS is a high-temperature thermal elastomer metal coating which is extremely durable and has a low coefficient of friction. Dry film thickness is approximently 0.5 mil. Pencil hardness is between 2H and 3H. Color is non-reflective flat black. The texture is similar to “Teflon” and slightly smoother then parkerizing. “Guard-Coat” PLUS is applied to the exterior surfaces of the weapon. Internal surfaces such as bore and chamber are not coated. Gun oils, gun solvents (including bore cleaners), humid salt air, gasoline, human sweat, and blood will not harm the finish. Passes 90 degree bend test without flaking. Process can be applied on carbon steel, cast iron, stainless steel and aluminum. The process may not be applied to plastic components, pot metals or firearms with soft soldered parts or ribs. “Guard-Coat” PLUS is maintenance free. Firearm bore and chamber protected with Birchwood Casey’s “Sheath”. Meets military specifications Mil-M-24519B (EC). Note: This coating is one of our more popular and durable coatings. Especially among the law enforcement community. Special pricing available for law enforcement agencies.

DuPont® Teflon® Coatings: This particular Teflon® is applied to all cast iron parts, aluminum parts, and stainless parts in which the remainder of the firearm has been blued. Note: This service replaces the Iron Plating Method Craftguard has used for many years. The color will be either semi-gloss black or matte black, depending on what type of polish you requested with the blueing. You may also request this finish for a complete firearm. When requesting this finish on a complete firearm, the colors available are semi-gloss black or semi-gloss gray. The finish is protected with a water displacing oil. Meets military specifications STD 171.

Cerakote is a ceramic based finish that can be applied to metals, plastics, polymers and wood. The unique formulation used for Cerakote ceramic coating enhances a number of physical performance properties including abrasion/wear resistance, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, impact strength, and hardness. Each of these properties is rigorously tested to guarantee that Cerakote products remain at the foreforont of the ceramic coatings market. Cerakote ceramic coatings utilize state-of-the-art technology to out-perform any competitive coating in both laboratory settings and real world applications.

Craftguard Exclusive finish. "Guard-Coat": Using "Advanced Teflons", this process is a bake-on finish for exterior surfaces of the firearm. Click here to see available colors.
Prior to coating the weapon, Craftguard parkerizes the firearm to produce an excellent base for the Advanced Teflon coatings to adhere. Bore and chamber are protected and not coated. The finish is protected with water displacing oil. Meets military specifications STD-171. Note: This coating is one of our more popular and durable coatings. Other colors may be available upon request. The coatings shown above are stock coatings.

DuraCoat® can be applied to ferrous metals, alloys, stainless steel, synthetics, wood, etc. It is available in over 250 colors. Please contact us for more information about DuraCoat®.