Hi,
    I have a Mossberg 500 ATP.  It shoots great, but between a few dings on the receiver and some excess silver solder up by the front blade, it's ugly.  (I installed the Mossberg ghost ring set myself.  It's secure & works great, but the silver solder job on the front blade mount is messy.  It was my first time.)  Anyway, I'd like to get a matching finish on the barrel & aluminum receiver.

I've seen a Teflon/Moly finish available on Brownell's.  All I've heard people talk about is GunKote I/II, but I can't find it.  Is this Teflon/Moly finish the same stuff?  Would that work on both steel & aluminum & the silver solder?  Is there any good way to strip the barrel & receiver at home without abrasive blasting?

I realize that it would be cheaper and easier to have somebody else do it, but I'd like the experience.  And I'd rather screw up a $200 gun than my AR!

Anybody have any suggestions for a good method of stripping & refinishing this gun?  As I mentioned, I'd like something that will bond to all the metals involved.  I'd like something durable, too.  I've heard about using grill paint, but I'm not sure what that will stick to and how well it holds up.

Thanks in advance!
-fiz

Aw, c'mon, guys ... throw a guy a bone.  I've been real good ...  

Gun Kote can be found at Brownell's. I have used it in the past with excellent results. In my experience, aluminum parts can be refinished without removing the original finish. I have done AR receivers & a couple of 10/22 receivers. Steel parts should be "in the white", with no original finish left on them. they will both come out the same color & texture. The gun kote is good looking & very tough.

* Edited to add that Birchwood-Casey blue & rust remover works good to remove the bluing from guns.

On Brownell's site, they have it listed as "Gun-Kote" - you have to use the ash in the search to find it.  Otherwise, just search for part# 083-051-001.  However, for the same cost as the 60z rattlecan, you can get a 16 bottle direct from KG (and in a variety of colors) at www.kalgard.com.  However, you'll need an airbrush to apply it.  You don't need an expensive one though - $7 external mix at harbor frieght is you have a compressor, or you can pick up one of the $20-25 kits from testors or badger with the aircan).  You'll likely get a more even finish, even with the cheap airbrush this way, not to mention getting almost 3 times the product for the same cost.

I haven't done anything aluminum with it before, but best results on steel are usually obtained over a phosphate (parked) finish, as the rougher surface provides very good adhesion.  Just remember that your aluminum receiver is likely andonized, which not only gives color, but also provides a hard surface for the metal.  If you remove this, you will end up with a softer receiver (at least externally) and so more prone to future dents and dings.  Unless you plan to reandonize, don't strip the receiver.  

Rocko

Hey, thanks for the info, guys!  I see the Gun-Kote at Brownell's now.  Thanks for the tip on not stripping the receiver, too; I would have probably done so and royally screwed things up.
Also, the Blue & Rust remover sounds much better than a couple hours with sandpaper on the barrel.  

The only question I have now is about the difference between Gun-Kote & the "TEFLON®/MOLY OVEN CURE, GUN FINISH" in Brownell's catalog.  Is one more resistant to dings & scratches than the other?  Does anybody know the advantages & disadvantages of both?

Thanks again!

The blue can be stripped off steel with a bath of muriatic acid.  It doesn't need to sit in there long, just a few seconds.  

If you plan to have a paint type coating applied, your best bet would be to have the parts sandblasted first, because rough surfaces tend to be more scratch resistant.

I have used the teflon moly and it works OK.  I think your best bet is to send the gun off to Mac's and have him do the dirty work.  It can be a pain to have the parts sandblasted if you don't have the equipment, and it can be hard to bake the barrel if it's longer than will fit in your oven.

I have seen an aluminum frame done with black Gunkote and it looked better (and darker) than any job I've done with the teflon moly.

If I had to guess, I'd say they are both repackaged KG GunKote.  If you look at KalGard's website, you will see they have two different formula's list - 1600 and 2400.  The 1600 is only available in Satin Black (as is the Gun-Kote as advertised in Brownell's) and is billed as having a high concentration of teflon - no mention of it being a moly/teflon mix.  Once again, this is consistent with Brownell's description of the package.   The stuff sold just as "Telflon/Moly Gun Finish" seems to match the description of KalGard's 2400 formula and the available colors are very similar.

It is also possible the "Telflon/Moly Gun Finish" could be Norrell's formula repackaged.  Except for the brown, all the colors are available in a list I have from Norrell's as well.  Could be a recent addition, though.  I do find it strange that if they are both KalGard products, one is advertised as such and one is branded only as Brownell's.   I suspect that the only way to know for sure would be to call Brownell's, and even then they may not want to tell you.  

However, I have a feeling that either would be good for your application.  I've only used the Gun-Kote as packaged by Brownell's so far (have two 16oz cans on the way direct from KalGard now), and was very happy with the results.   I can recommend that, if you only want black.  If you want another color, then get the other stuff.

Rocko

Great, thanks again!  I'd love to send it off to have a pro do it, but I can't justify the expense on a beater shotgun.  Plus, I'd like to try refinishing just to get the hang of it.  From what I've heard, I'm going to go with the standard Gun-Kote aerosol.  I'll try HCl first on the bluing.  Maybe I can rough up the raw metal on the barrel somehow without abrasive blasting?

Quoted: It is also possible the "Telflon/Moly Gun Finish" could be Norrell's formula repackaged.  Except for the brown, all the colors are available in a list I have from Norrell's as well.

I think they are fundamentally different, mainly because Norrell says you can use acetone or MEK to thin his product, and the Brownell's teflon moly just doesn't mix with these solvents.  I am partial to Norrell's stuff because he has a light and dark shade of about everything, it can be thinned, plus you can buy it by the pint instead of having to futz with those clog-prone spray cans.