Looking for suggestions and a good place to send my action and barrel to either DLC or cerakote? Not quite sure what to do, open to other suggestions besides DLC or Cerakote if applicable. As far as who to do the work, let me know. I'm looking for good quality. Thanks.
-
Having trouble using the site?
Contact support
Should I DLC coat my action and barrel or Cerakote?
- Thread starter detroitdiablo
- Start date
Please give us some more detail. What action do you have? What's your budget and time frame? What is your goal? Do you just want it a different color? Do you want it slicker?
DLC gives a superhard coating that helps lubricity (action feels smoother/slicker), but doesn't necessarily help that much with corrosion protection.
Cerakote will hurt function until it wears in (gummy, sluggish, while you're wearing through it on mating/sliding surfaces). CKote, however, is outstanding for corrosion protection, and is a pretty tough finish in general. Once it wears in it's typically no worse than a standard action (no finish special coating/finish).
Cerakote will hurt function until it wears in (gummy, sluggish, while you're wearing through it on mating/sliding surfaces). CKote, however, is outstanding for corrosion protection, and is a pretty tough finish in general. Once it wears in it's typically no worse than a standard action (no finish special coating/finish).
I have lone peak arms razor action. Looking for slicker action, budget really doesn't matter cause it's not like I'm buying a Ferrari, I'm sure the cost between coatings is minimal. Sounds like DLC is good for action but maybe cerakote for barrel? Any suggestions on who does good work or if I'm missing a coating that is better?
Ionbond/DLC is either going to be black or FDE. Those are the only two colors abvailable. The FDE is not as slick or hard as the black due to the a different amount of carbon or some type of ingerdient, but the FDE is still slicker then a bare action or Cerakote.
I have had had a few done and Short Action Customs
has a connection who does his stuff. Mine turned out excellent and that's the only place I would trust sending it too.
It is fairly pricey at anywhere between $250-$300 for a barreled action plus shipping back and forth to source and smith then you. I hear lead times can be pretty long sometimes as well.
There are tricks to smoothing out an action. A smith can always polish the race way and certain contact points then cerakote the barreled action any color you wish but leave the raceway bare. You can't see it and it stays super slick with a very light amount of CLP. As long as you maintain your equipment you shouldn't have any worries about corrosion protection. A light coat of CLP, and then inspecting it before you put it away should be all you need to do. Hell the action is 416 stainless so unless you are leaving out in a salty environment or putting it away wet, corrosion is a non issue.
Last edited:
SAC uses Chad at Club Custom Guns. Which is where i got my tempest DLC'd and just sent Dad's SR3 receiver there to get DLC'd. He does a phenomenal job. Take it from someone who coated their entire barreled action. Coat the action or bolt, and then have the barrel done in Cerakote to save some money. Cost me 450$ by the time it was all said and done. I did pay 90$ extra to have the raceway and other parts of the action polished. I love DLC though, my Tempest is the smoothest custom i've felt to date. That's over my bare SR3 and any defiance i've felt. Mostly because the defiances i've felt were cerakoted and i couldn't stand it.
Yes DLC isn't the most corrosion resistant coating you can get, cerakote in that respect fares much better. But cerakote is gummy there is no question about it when it comes to a custom action, it makes it feel sluggish. The smoothest cerakoted Deviant i've felt came was a friends of mine that came from Chad at LRI, he cerakotes thin enough for the action to retain some smoothness and he will tell you this. Matt and i both go our barreled actions done by LRI, he had his cerakoted there and i sent mine to be DLC'd. I still think the DLC with lube is much slicker. Matt is now going with a curtis custom Axiom which will be DLC'd.
Yes DLC isn't the most corrosion resistant coating you can get, cerakote in that respect fares much better. But cerakote is gummy there is no question about it when it comes to a custom action, it makes it feel sluggish. The smoothest cerakoted Deviant i've felt came was a friends of mine that came from Chad at LRI, he cerakotes thin enough for the action to retain some smoothness and he will tell you this. Matt and i both go our barreled actions done by LRI, he had his cerakoted there and i sent mine to be DLC'd. I still think the DLC with lube is much slicker. Matt is now going with a curtis custom Axiom which will be DLC'd.
Last edited:
