Duracoat Magpul Flat Dark Earth Review
 

This is a very simple review of Duarcoat's Magpul Flat Dark Earth.
Duracoat is available directly from the Manufacturer HERE.

What you'll need
Duracoat and hardener
Duracoat Reducer
Airbrush
Air source.
Good ventilation

Be sure to clean all parts and follow the manufacturers instructions to the letter if you want this product to work.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...l/DSC_0012.jpg

This is the starting point. I have placed a Tango Down Pistol Grip next to a Magpul PTS PMAG for colour comparison. As you can see the TD grip is much yellower than the Magazine. I have had to manipulate the picture slightly to compensate for un-calibrated monitors.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...DSC_0009-2.jpg

Here you can see the painted grip again next to the same PMAG. This is about 2 hours after painting and is dry to the touch. As you can see it is closer in colour to the PMAG but is not a dead on match.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...DSC_0002-1.jpg

Overall:
I like this product for its ease of use and colours available. I found the product very easy to use. I thinned it down about 5% with the reducer to get a nice even spray with no spatters. It is quite powerful smelling so spray in a well ventilated area and wear a mask.

Colour Match:
It was not as close as I had hoped as it does dry quite a bit lighter than in the bottle. That said you can mix in darker Duracoat if you wish to alter the colour. For me though it's close enough and should match the rest of the Magpul accessories on my gun well enough.

Durability:
I have no idea at this point. If the manufacturers claims hold true this will last quite a long time. I will update this review after having used this for awhile.

Good review. just gotta say, now that paint has fallen pray, what can't be magpullized?

If only we can be like you to afford neat things like an airbrush and paints.. :(

Nice review!
Show us the completed project when it's done!

I think I'm starting to get the duracoat and airbrush desease. After watching NutnFancy duracoat a shit load of stuff and you just hammering the idea in, I'll probably end up doing it myself.

is Duracoat acrylic based?

No it's not. You have to clean it up with Laquer Thinner.
Here is a link to the Duracoat FAQ.

I'll take that as a compliment, I've worked hard for what I have.

wow, are you afraid for your airbrush? or do you use enamels in it with no problem?

I read that duracoat can't be applied with a brush, why?

Airbrushes are designed to take Automotive paints and thinners. I have no problem spraying lacquer or enamels what so ever.

ok thx!

have you tried shocking and scratching the result to see how it behaves?

My M24 is duracoated. It's very hard to scratch.

The only place that I see wear, is on the stock cheek weld after close to 10 years of use with a face soaked in bug repellant. Other little scratchs are visibles on high friction erea but compared to Krylon, well, it does not compare.

And by wear, I mean, little fading on the edges of the cadpat patern. That paint is very robust.

Is anyone doing paint-jobs? I would love to have my CA M24 duracoated.
PM me if anyone is serious.

You can always get 30$ airbrushes with 15$ compressed air can at most Walmarts and hobby shops. Sure, that's not a "professional" airbrush and it doesn't have fancy features, but as long as you're not making precise drawings with it, it should do the job.

I just painted it this morning so I am unsure of how it will wear. The full cure time is 1-2 weeks so I wont even be mounting this on to anything for that period.

Nice writeup Ex, good pics for comparison.

That's absolutely correct, You don't need the best equipment to do this. Duracoat even offers a re usable stencil system. As long as you can spray thin even coats it will work.

Magpul FDE doesn't look anything like that... Unless your WB is completely off...

What airbush system do you use? I always wanted to get one, but the high price tag have always turned me off. The walmart/CT stuff sucked, broke after a couple usage....

It's most likely your monitor, unless you happen to be using a colour calibrated professional monitor.

It looks off on my laptop monitor as well, but knowing that Ex is a awesome photographer I'd take his word on the colours.

You guys are both right. I tried to adjust the pics to help people who do not have a calibrated monitor. I do have a calibrated monitor. This pic is as close as I can get to the actual colours.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...DSC_0002-1.jpg

My monitor is color calibrated. Same as both my photo printers. Spyder 3 Studio was used to color calibrate everything to match the industry standard (don't ask anymore, i was not the one to do it).

Your second photo looks almost spot on (FDE is a bitch i know).

Nice review Ex, my custom 1911 pistol will be done with DuraCoat, looking forward to it after seeing Kokanee's work with his.

"bake" it for best result.

Careful, there are two types of duracoat. This one is the non bake type.