Gun finishes have gone through a bit of a renaissance in recent years as companies like DuraCoat and Cerakote have opened up the color palette and allow companies and hobbyists to be very creative with their firearms. Traditional bluing, Parkerizing and other finishes are still very popular. But for many people, applying a custom camo pattern to a hunting rifle or some bright colors on a race gun can be nearly as enjoyable as shooting it.

For the new year, DuraCoat will be offering a new finishing product called DuraDize.

DuraDize is a spray on finishing product that replicates the look of colorful anodizing. The colors are bright and rich. They will appeal to some people, but traditionalists might not appreciate the colors as much. Initially, the following colors will be offered:

• Chartreuse,
• Wine,
• Ginger,
• Scarlet,
• Jade,
• Sapphire, and
• Violet.

The colors will be available as liquids to use with your own application equipment, but they will also be sold in aerosol cans. An aerosol can makes these colors more readily available to the average Joe who’s got an itch for something different on his rifle. Both gloss and satin versions of each color will be available.

For me, the blue color (sapphire, I suppose) looks like it might make a good choice for a rifle I am building for my son. It will be a range gun to learn with, and I expect he will love the color.