Good morning, y'all.

What's the real benefit of using a gun coat such as Duracoat/Cerakote vs just using a standard spray paint like Krylon/etc...

Considering the job specific gun coat should (for the price) hold up much better over time and show less wear and tear, what's the difference?

I'm asking because I've spray canned some guns before and have had great results.. I think spray paint is much stronger than given credit for. Especially if the paint surface is prepped correctly.

- Cap

Pretty much just "looks."  

All other things being equal (prep work, etc.) a firearm specific finish is going to look better and more professional and usually be more durable for longer and under more use than a simple spray paint finish.  Though you can make spray paint more or less durable through prep work and/or coatings, etc., it's pretty much never going to be more durable that Cerakote (e.g.)

Some people are simply more concerned with the paint serving a specific "role" (camouflage, breaking up the outline of the weapon, etc.) than looking good, while others want to keep their guns looking good for as long as possible.  

This is not a judgment call on either perspective, it just is what it is.  Some people want to refinish for a practical reason, some people want to refinish for aesthetic reasons, and some people want varying degrees of both/in between.  

One of the more odd trends, IMHO - is the faux "distressed" finishes... especially when using Cerakote... I'm not sure I "get" using an expensive, durable finish to get the same look as you could have using Krylon with no prep... but people want different things.  It is what it is.  

~Augee

For me it was because of the ease of it.  If it gets scratched or worn looking (which I actually like the worn look) then it is a quick fix.

Very solid reply. Thank you.

A primary concern is corrosion resistance. Cerakote is a ceramic coating that will actually protect the part (think steel here more so than aluminum), while Spray paint will actually attract and trap moisture over time.

A guy had an interesting video on a Remington 870 that had a decent looking rattle can job on it, but the owner wanted to cerakote it. Once stripped of paint, the entire shotgun was coated in rust.

Cerakote in some cases also has self lubricating properties vs spray paint.

The next gen is IR reducing Cerakote, though currently it's limited for sale to MIL/LEO