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.

 

Wear restistance is it’s top selling point of duty treatment. It is very hard to wear a duty treatment gun.

 

Well MR. Admin.,
I'm not trying to cut anyone down, it's their choice to spend an extra $300 on a delicate finish that's solvent sensitive. I think I'd rather have a handgun that wears a little for some character than to have one that might turn out spotted or streaked from an oil or solvent.

I'm 67 and been around guns all my life. I've read warnings about certain stock finishes like a gloss lacquer finish or some plastics but never metal. And I've never owned a firearm that had a warning about using a special oil or solvent to clean with.

Jim D

 

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.

 

Steve,
I'm with you brother. I really like DW's a lot, a good looking gun a very smooth and well built for a production gun. I know that DW could come up with a better finish that wouldn't do that. You don't hear complaints about other guns, NH, WC, GI, or even Kimber for that matter. I'm just saying that I wouldn't pay an extra $300 for it.

When I was building rifles, I probably had 30+ cerakoted by X-WERKS in Phoenix. I don't know the process they used but I know there are several different kinds of cerakote and the process by which they apply it. I just know that I've had many different solvents and oils get on them and all just wiped off without any discoloring are any other problems.

I'll quit this thread just by saying that for the money DW/CZ gets for their firearms now days that they could find a better finish and people like you would & could do work on them.

Jim D

 

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.

 

To each their own. And I don't have a favorite solvent, that's the point, I want to use what is available to me wherever I'm at.

And what about if you send it to a gunsmith and they just happen to use the wrong oil or solvent and it gets screwed up, like what happened to Steve with the tape?

I think you think I'm blasting DW and I'm not, I really like their firearms a lot. I'm just saying that for me, I wouldn't pay an extra $300 for a finish like that. I would be worried that it will get screwed up all the time.

Jim D

 

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.

 

WC145,

Sorry if my thread offended you in someway. I see you have 3,780 posts so I'll just leave them to you so no one will get offended.

Jim D

 

I'm not offended. I just expected there to be an actual question about the Duty Treat finish. Instead it was a thinly veiled rant about how expensive it is even though it isn't impervious to any and all chemicals. My answer to your "question" was simple - if you don't think it's worth it don't complain about the product or the cost, just don't buy it. I just don't see the point of complaining about something you don't own and don't intend to buy. Except, in your last post you announce that you bought a Dan Wesson with the Duty Treat finish so now I have absolutely no idea why you started the thread to begin with. It would have been so much simpler to just ask what cleaners shouldn't be used with the Duty Treat finish on your new gun.

 

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.

 

Post #12 applies to you also I guess.

 

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.

 

opcorn:

 

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----opcorn:

 

Picky is good.

 

BR549er,

Thank you, that was very courteous of you. I've barely been a member a month and have already bought 2 guns from the classifieds. When I joined I made no bones about being brand new to 1911's having bought my first one on line 1-1-19. But I'm not young and have had hundreds if not thousands of guns.

I'm a 67 year old leg disabled vet and I can't drive and have to use a walker to walk but I still shoot and love guns. I decided that I was going to sell what I have now, about 80 guns, and invest in 1911's. I just sold a NIB Cooper rifle and have a Nighthawk that will be here Thursday. That makes 5 1911's now. Being disabled I like tinkering with guns and I love talking to "nice" people on these forums and I really like this one especially.

You may wonder how I've had so many guns and the answer is for about 20 years, gun shows was a hobby of mine and I traveled all across the south & east going to gun shows and buying & selling. I see in your signature you mention .17 HMR. I've had several of them and love to shoot them as well. I have 2 NIB now that I'll be selling but they are high quality one's. Thanks again brother, I appreciate what you had to say.

Jim D

 

I have many duty treat guns and never had a problem with a good petro based oil (Lucas,Weapon Shield) cleaned it with Kroil even shoot the "insides" of frame and slide with poly safe Gun Scrubber. When Gun Scrubber dries it leaves a residual on the surface but comes off with a lightly oiled patch for final cleaning or a silicone cloth does it well. I don't power blast the outside and then go scrubbing on it. Take extra 30 seconds to put a barrel soaked in Benchrest #9 away from treated parts. 8oz can Kroil $13 1OZ bottle Lucas Extreme gun oil $5 at O'Reillys so for $20 you can clean and lube your gun for a year. Why is it so had to follow the manual? The Duty Treat is the best looking black gun finish there is hands down. If it takes an extra $300 and a few extra minutes to clean it is worth it to me. You do have to worry about Cerakote it will show wear faster than Duty Treat and isn't impervious to harsher cleaners.

 

The finish isn’t as easy to “cloud” as you may believe; this is a partial list of cleaners and lubes I’ve used for three years without incident:
FP 10
Wilson Ultima
G96
Ballistol
Weapons Shield
Synthetic Transmission Fluid
Motor oil
Mineral oil
EWL oil
IPA
Marvel Mystery Oil
WD 40
Kroil
Boar carbon cleaner
MP 7
and probably others.
It has been carried every day for a few years and is holding up well.

 

ImperialBlade,

I really, really appreciate what you had to say. That was real impressive of you and I respect you a lot for your statement. No apologies needed sir and I'll do better and learn to search before I speak. I'm pretty dumb with computers but even more so with 1911's, but I'm learning.

I made a long post about #20 but I'm slow typing with 2 fingers and others posted while I was slow typing and I appreciate the posts.

Jim D

 

We are truly here to help. We all started off at the beginning of this journey. Some had sheppards to guide us, others did not. I want to think we, in this forum, are the sheppard.

Best regards,
Eric

 

^^^^^
Just like july19 stated.
There are far less products that may discolor the finish then ones that won't.

 

BCD, 1st and foremost, thank you for your service. I consider myself a newbie still as well.
With that being said there are some advantages to the forum search engine,(even google) especially with the DW "DT" finish.

Now, for what it's worth (virtually nothing I know, LOL), I mix my own cleaner, 1 qt Dextron "GM' Trans fluid & 4oz of acetone (That's right ACETONE). I use an empty Costco (large) Cashew's plastic container. I've been using it for over 4 years & have 3 DW's, ECO/2 Vbobs with duty treat/coat, I've soaked the slides in that solution, some times overnight & it DID NOT negatively effect the finish. They still look brand new many cleanings later. Plus $7.00 of materials will last you forever & the cashews are great (if you eat them first).:grin:

As others have said, It is an extremely durable finish to wear, scratches, nicks etc.

It may however melt in front of your eyes with "brake cleaner" sprayed on.:bang:


George

 

Thank you again Eric, that's very thoughtful and nice of you.

Have a fantastic great week ahead buddy! Stay Safe.

Jim Daniel

 

George,

Man, thanks a bunch, I appreciate that and I'll try it. I didn't mention it, but I have a DW ECP 9mm on the way now and it has the DT. I got it NIB for $1199 delivered and it is not a "blem" or demo. Couldn't pass it up for that price.

Jim D.