Here is the result of my first attempt at refinishing a handgun. It's an Argentinian FM Hi-Power that I traded a Colt 1903 to my son for. It was a mottled parkerized/paint/bare metal finish that looked pretty shabby. I stripped the paint and then degreased it a couple of times with brake cleaner. After degreasing, I baked it at around 100 degrees to get it ready for Duracoat. The frame is done in H&K Black and the slide in their Stainless color.
After a couple of coats of paint, I let it sit for about an hour, then baked it in a toaster oven at around 130 degrees for another hour. Once it cooled down, the finish became very hard and seems durable.
Here's a question for folks that have used Duracoat before: If you bake the finish for an hour at 130 degrees, how long do you have to wait before shooting it. I was able to assemble it without scratching it up, but am not sure how long until I can shoot it.
While it was apart, I polished the sear and all fire control parts and the trigger feels really good now. No creep, just a clean break. The pull is a bit on the heavy side, but not too bad. Other than the silver being a bit brighter than I was expecting, I'm happy with the results.
After a couple of coats of paint, I let it sit for about an hour, then baked it in a toaster oven at around 130 degrees for another hour. Once it cooled down, the finish became very hard and seems durable.
Here's a question for folks that have used Duracoat before: If you bake the finish for an hour at 130 degrees, how long do you have to wait before shooting it. I was able to assemble it without scratching it up, but am not sure how long until I can shoot it.
While it was apart, I polished the sear and all fire control parts and the trigger feels really good now. No creep, just a clean break. The pull is a bit on the heavy side, but not too bad. Other than the silver being a bit brighter than I was expecting, I'm happy with the results.
