Question about DW duty finish???

I use the same Weapon Shield to clean my wife's Guardian that I use on all my guns. The duty treat on the slide hasn't melted so far. Still looks like new.

 

It is nearly impervious to any physical wear due to carry and handling and will resist scratching and chipping, flaking etc.. It just doesn't do chemicals real well as it tend to cloud the finish. I have even had a small amount of tape residue get stuck in the finish and not come out. It's a good hard surface, but it is a one and done deal nobody really wants to try and work any on aesthetics or anything with that finish on a gun.. I know I won't be doing anymore of them personally. And don't get me wrong I am a huge DW fan, I just am not a fan of this finish any longer.

 

Agreed, we have a couple really great Smiths that frequent this forum that do some of the best Cerakote finish I have ever seen. And imo if applied correctly is just about as good of a finish as any other. The bad applicators, and those taking short cuts, not parking pistols or firearms first etc.. Give the actual product a bad name that it really don't deserve. I always say also, any finish will only hold up as well as you take care of it period. Lets face it there are some people that could destroy anything lol.. And not GAS one way or the other about how bad they beat stuff up haha.. But, for those that care and care for their stuff I believe it's a very decent finish option.

 

/steps on soapbox

It amazes me there is so much hate about Duty Treated pistols because people want to use brand X of a cleaner they have used on other guns their entire lives. When they find out they can't use their beloved brand they lose their mind. They go to forums and social media platforms venting and demonizing DW over the finish of their gun, specifically what you can and can not use on it.

How about following the manufacturer's recommendations and call it a day? (Nah, that would be too easy!!)

Another perspective or analogy: Do I get upset when I can not use the car engine oil I have in my gargage from upteen years ago, in my new fancy car? No, I do not. I follow what the automaker says I should use and don't give it a second thought. My car cost a hell of a lot more than my DW pistols.

/steps off soapbox

 

Well, this thread was a waste of time.

 

If you're not going to pay for Duty Treat because some solvents can discolor it, then just don't. I don't understand the complaint. No one ever complained because Hoppes #9 can damage nickel finishes, they just didn't buy nickel or didn't use Hoppes. I don't like the .40S&W caliber, I don't complain about guns being made in .40S&W, I just don't buy them.

 

Why don’t you go buy a $100k + Mercedes, BMW, Bentley automobile that mandates a particular synthetic brand of oil type be used in the engine and put regular petroleum non approved oil in because that’s what you like. Just don’t piss and moan when the engine fails and it’s not covered under the manufacturer warranty.

 

BCD45,

This subject is a common thread started by newcomers. I'm fairly new, and have seen this several times. Usually someone posts the "eating popcorn" or "eyeroll" emoji.
I had questions about duty treat, I used the search function.
Easy peasy.

Learn your lesson with respect from the old timers and don't disrespect them. There is so much knowledge and experience here I'd posit you shouldn't worry about their feelings and accept there are people in this world that know more than you do.

 

Let's all step back, breath and sing kumbaya (me included).
BCD 45 asked a question or made a statement and we let him have it with "both barrels" (again, me included).

We all started somewhere learning all this stuff, some stuff along the way are new so we asked questions. We (again, including myself) sometime need to step back and be better at the knowledge sharing. Yes, the topic has been brought up many times before, and yes, some folks may not be "forum savvy" or internet savvy so the search function may not have occurred to them.

I offer an apology to BCD 45, my "rant" post was not in line with the standards of this forum or the membership as a whole.

*Editor's note - I wrote this response after a long walk and thinking about my original response to BCD 45.

 

Preface I have no dog in this.
‘... strippers and degreasers... There is no way for us to test everything and that is why we only recommend a few that we know will work and work well.’
That’s all the text I need to tell me it’s a CYA statement from DW Legal.
What I use for my HK’s and others, my DT Valkyrie gets as well and I find no discoloring of any kind and is as durable as any top tier maker. If these guys employ basic ferritic nitrocarburizing hardening into their products, I trust common gun cleaning agents won’t mar the top coat.

 

Get it finished in melonite or Ion Bond. The spray and bake finishes are limited BUT they are easier to refinish. After experience with just about every finish that became popular from the Robar, Birdsong, Cerakote and even the Wilson spray and bake finish I would not even consider one now. Hell when doing a build with an aluminum frame I spec out that the actual Military Specification for anodizing MIL-A-8625 (LR) be used if they cannot the build does not happen. Part of that is I am familiar with that particular process even if we used Type I Chromic for our stuff at work. Maybe I am just too picky.

Your experience and mileage may vary of course.

Oh and almost forgot----