Bead Blast...?

[aguyindallas]

Ok everyone, please keep the flames to a minimum on this. I have just acquired my second Russian M44. I got the first one about 4 years ago, in unissued condition, all matching. Due to the condition, I have opted to not do any modification to this rifle...alas, the reason I got the second one.

Here are my plans for it:

Monte Carlo Stock
Scope Mount, Bolt Kit
Bipod

Ok, nothing special, but here is my real question.

Of course, the rifle has its battle scars in the metal finish from normal troop wear and tear. I was considering having it bead blasted to give it a very unique look to go along with all the other mods.

Can this be done, and tell me where the best place to take/send the rifle to have this done. I am in the Dallas area.

How much is a fair price to do this?

 

[aguyindallas]

C'mon guys...help me here, lol.

 

[Badger Arms]

I wouldn't let a gunsmith touch a gun that cheap, do everything yourself. Heck, you can probably buy a blasting cabinet for what a gunsmith would charge you to beadblast and refinish your guy. For that matter, you could buy one of them arsenal refinished guns and keep your beater behind the seat in you pick-em-up.

 

[aguyindallas]

Well, I am kinda going for the look. One question I have, probably silly to ask. If I bead blast this thing...do I have to have it coated with something? Can I put a sort of clear coat on it?

 

[Badger Arms]

You should blue or parkerize it. Leaving it bare gives you a satin silver look. You can paint it with a good quality epoxy paint, preferably one designed for firearms you can get from Brownells. Paint over parkerizing will last you forever if you skip the final oil-dunking step of parkerizing. Normally, you take it from the final rinse and soak the part in oil so the oil gets into all the newly created pores in the oxide coating. If you paint it instead, the paint will soak into those pores and adhere very well to the surface of the metal. This is the process the Russians and many Europeans use.

 

[aguyindallas]

Badger:

So, are you saying to bead blast and the next and final step is to apply perhaps the spray coating from Brownells? Or is there something in between I am missing?

Thanks for all of your tips!

 

[Badger Arms]

Of course, some paints require a primer, but most of the gun coating types do not require primer. There doesn't have to be a step inbetween, but it's best if the gun is parkerized immediately after it's bead-blasted and before it's painted.

 

[aguyindallas]

Badger, sorry to sound like an idiot...

If I bead blast, clean, apply the parkerizing coating...does it still need to be painted? It would just be a flat black...correct?

 

[aguyindallas]

By the way, I am looking at Brownells online (my catalog is at home), do you know the name of the product I am looking for? I cant find anything!

 

[Badger Arms]

Gun Kote is the name, I think. As for the parkerizing solution, it is a simple process, but if you do it at home do some homework and you have to buy at the least a stainless steel trough (or have a welder make you one) and some burners to heat it up.

You can stop at the parkerizing and you will get a flat grey to flat black coating. If you stop at parkerizing, the gun will probably have the finish you want and it will last a while with no problems. Painting just makes it more rust-proof and durable.