View Full Version : Dissapointed with cerakote on Aero precision receivers
black22rifle
11-19-14, 09:17
I received both of my Aero Precision Burnt bronze Ceracoated upper and lower receivers yesterday. I have to say I am disappointing with the finish on them, the Cerakote wears very easily. Things like the ejection cover door spring have scraped the paint off very easily as well as mounting both receivers together. Is this Normal? Up until now I read a lot about Cerakote being very tough but this stuff doesn't even seem half as tough as the plain jane class 3 annodizing. In addition, There are a few "white" spots where the paint did not reach, but I suspect this is normal.
Sounds like it was applied wrong.
Cerakote is supposed to be very tough. Sounds like it was a shoddy job. I'd contact the manufacturer before publicly blasting them...
But honestly, did you expect a top notch job for a bottom of the barrel price?
black22rifle
11-19-14, 09:38
I didn't mean to come off as blasting them, I was just asking if it is normal.
From Aero Precision, yes I do expect good quality. They claim to make their AR parts using the same level of QC they are held to when manufacturing parts for Boeing
Cerakote is tougher than everyday paint but it is still paint. I guess you could split hairs and call it a coating but paint is also a coating. Anodizing is a process that changes the color and surface hardness of the aluminum. It is not a coating. In my opinion what you are seeing is normal.
I have several Aero uppers and lowers including a Stelth Gray set. The quality of the parts is exceptional and so far the ceracoat has withstood quite a few rounds of 5.56 being cycled through. Contact Aero, us Washington folks are easy to talk to :-)
RVTMaverick
11-19-14, 20:56
My .02 is this, I feel by the sounds of what you are describing, I'd say and willing to bet, at the very least the prep work was not good, which in turn effected the quality of the job.. +2 about making contact and finding out if they are willing to make it right?
Please keep us posted as to what happens...
Peace Jeff
SpeedRacer
11-19-14, 20:59
I recall someone else here had complaints about an Aero set in burnt bronze as well. Maybe it was a bad batch, or maybe that color is harder to apply correctly?
Cerakote is tougher than everyday paint but it is still paint. I guess you could split hairs and call it a coating but paint is also a coating. Anodizing is a process that changes the color and surface hardness of the aluminum. It is not a coating. In my opinion what you are seeing is normal.
Anodizing is a conversion coat. It converts aluminum to aluminum oxide which coats the part. Anodizing turns the aluminum a dull grey. Any color you get during the anodizing process is actually from an added dye
plouffedaddy
11-20-14, 09:30
Cerakote is tougher than everyday paint but it is still paint. I guess you could split hairs and call it a coating but paint is also a coating. Anodizing is a process that changes the color and surface hardness of the aluminum. It is not a coating. In my opinion what you are seeing is normal.
Indeed.
nateebumpo
11-20-14, 13:01
I've dropped a cerakoted rifle about 5 feet onto a stone driveway with no ill effects, same rifle has in the neighborhood of 2500 rounds through it and the only real finish wear is on the case deflector. I'd say shoddy prep. That said it isn't an indestructible finish but you do have to put some work into messing it up. My 2 cents anyway.
Jwknutson17
11-20-14, 13:14
My BCM HSP Jack that is cerakoted by (???? I dont know) has wear from ejection port door hitting the lower after 500 rounds on it. Dont care really. Same with my DD in Mil-Spec Brown pretty much out of the box. I would run it. More hassle to be sending stuff back and forth in my opinion.
Singlestack Wonder
11-20-14, 13:26
I've dropped a cerakoted rifle about 5 feet onto a stone driveway with no ill effects, same rifle has in the neighborhood of 2500 rounds through it and the only real finish wear is on the case deflector. I'd say shoddy prep. That said it isn't an indestructible finish but you do have to put some work into messing it up. My 2 cents anyway.
2500 rounds is nothing. Is there wear wear the ejection port cover contacts the receiver when open? Even with cerokote, I would expect some wear showing there.
RVTMaverick
11-20-14, 13:58
I've dropped a cerakoted rifle about 5 feet onto a stone driveway with no ill effects, same rifle has in the neighborhood of 2500 rounds through it and the only real finish wear is on the case deflector. I'd say shoddy prep. That said it isn't an indestructible finish but you do have to put some work into messing it up. My 2 cents anyway.
DAM! 5' onto a stone driveway!?>?:shout::suicide: I had a sh!t when mine fell off the bed onto padded Carpet floor, I can't even think how or what I would have felt dropping her
on stones :fie: and from 5' too!
Well I'm looking on the bright side here, atleast it wasn't my PDW landing in the stones...:p ;)
black22rifle
11-20-14, 14:50
I have already emailed them about it, I am awaiting a response.
It's what you should have done before starting the post. This thread should have been closed long ago.
I agree that first action should have been to contact Aero. I also can't help but wonder if that set you purchased was the on sale pieces that were ~ $65 upper and $66 lower? While not blem pieces; that may have been why they were on sale?
black22rifle
11-20-14, 21:13
I'm not sure why you think this thread should be locked, its not like they are not functional I was just stating they are not what i expected. Yes they are the ones that were on sale.
nateebumpo
11-22-14, 13:35
2500 rounds is nothing. Is there wear wear the ejection port cover contacts the receiver when open? Even with cerokote, I would expect some wear showing there.
Well to be fair, the thing has only been together since July so I think it's a fairly respectable round count for the time it's seen use and it's not a gun I run near as much as others in the stable. As far as wear on the lower from the port cover, it's a shiny buffed line with no finish actually missing though I guess it is still wear regardless. Same on the buffer tube from the leaf springs in a ti-7 stock, shiny and buffed pair of lines but not missing finish. Also forgot about wear under the optic mount (adm mount fwiw.) The pic rail on the upper under the mount is rubbed shiny where it sits with a few small spots that have worn through to anodizing underneath. Other than that, the stuff is solid and far more durable than I would have imagined it could be.
To the height it fell, it was laying the bed rail of my truck and a buddy hopped on the tailgate to sit and down it went. Stupid on my part to put it there to begin with but it is what is. I wasn't happy about it but it was done and proved to me how durable a kmr handguard and magpul pro front sights are, so some good knowledge came off it. Nothing bent or broke and the sight just folded down and you can't tell by looking at it that anything ever happened, once I cleaned the stone dust off of it. Where the handguard hit, you can see a smudge sort of but no cerakote chipped off and you really have to look to see it.
Don't know what else to say other than, applied properly cerakote is some stupid tough stuff though it is still paint and can be damaged (but it takes some doing), ime anyway.
I'm not sure why you think this thread should be locked, its not like they are not functional I was just stating they are not what i expected. Yes they are the ones that were on sale.
As I recall, there is a board rule requiring you contact the manufacturer and give them an opportunity to resolve any issues before you can post a thread.
There is also reasonable room for "Is this normal????" type questions as well. And my read is, no, that seems much softer, maybe should contact the mfg and give them a chance to resolve.
Sent from my PRC-104 using phonetics
black22rifle
11-22-14, 18:59
All I was really asking was is this normal since this is my first experience with Cerakote.
RVTMaverick
11-23-14, 06:27
All I was really asking was is this normal since this is my first experience with Cerakote.
IMHO: You have done NOTHING Wrong (Wholey CRAP) asking a question and looking for feed back to other peoples experiences with a product is okay. I am actually looking forward to hearing what they do (IF anything) for you.
Still, it's a shame that even on gun sites there is some people so short in tolerance.. :confused: but as you know People are people no matter where you go.
IF you don't like the topic or so bothered by it, why not just blow it off, especially when you have more people talking-responding to the issue(s)
To say something a topic like this should be locked up and shut down is just ridiculous. My .02
GH41 It's what you should have done before starting the post. This thread should have been closed long ago.
Questioning GH41 what is "closed long ago." as your reply is ONLY approx. 30 hours after he started this thread/topic it is NOT even 1.5 days opened!..?
Peace Jeff
I hate to necro this old thread, but...
I too purchased one of their most recent upper/lower combos and finally got around to inspecting it tonight and assembling a few pieces on the upper. I am seeing the same thing, with regards to the coating being awful. There are plenty of spaces between the Pic rail slots that are not colored, the ejector door spring scratched through the coating super easy, and the PLASTIC upper vice block I used rubbed the lip and removed the coating. I'll take pictures and show it, but it is awful. Very unhappy especially when I also bought the $25 burnt bronze billet trigger guard to match.
On the chance OP sees this thread, I wonder if he ever heard back from Aero.
What did aero say about it?
Is Cerakote caramic or organic?
Have you contacted Aero Precision yourself? If not, please feel free to do so.
I hate to necro this old thread, but...
I too purchased one of their most recent upper/lower combos and finally got around to inspecting it tonight and assembling a few pieces on the upper. I am seeing the same thing, with regards to the coating being awful. There are plenty of spaces between the Pic rail slots that are not colored, the ejector door spring scratched through the coating super easy, and the PLASTIC upper vice block I used rubbed the lip and removed the coating. I'll take pictures and show it, but it is awful. Very unhappy especially when I also bought the $25 burnt bronze billet trigger guard to match.
On the chance OP sees this thread, I wonder if he ever heard back from Aero.
Have you contacted Aero Precision yourself? If not, please feel free to do so.
Yes sent them a message through their online system last night before posting. I will be sure to update when/if they contact me back.
Also some pictures to show.
4714847147
Update from Aero:
After submitting an initial photo (the first one I posted above) with my initial ticket to Aero (they only allow you to submit one image at a time), they responded wanting pictures of the ejector port cover. So I uploaded the second pic above. Got the following back:
Aero: Unfortunately, the photo received does not show any portion of the receiver scratched or uncoated.
So I take both photos, drop them in powerpoint, add red circles highlighting the areas that are poorly coated and have easily scratched. Here is what I get back:
Aero: Thank you for the additional photos unfortunately because the item was scratched during installation we would not be able to exchange the product for you.
In reference to the coating, the item is properly coated. Each burnt Bronze upper will be coated the same. If you would like to purchase another in place of the one that has been
blemished I can sell you one at a discounted rate of $11.26. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
So they view their coating as both acceptable and admit it is representative of their coating process. Lesson learned. I'll just have any other coatings done by a professional. Glad I've never dropped any coin for their specialty sets they have each month.
Update from Aero:
After submitting an initial photo (the first one I posted above) with my initial ticket to Aero (they only allow you to submit one image at a time), they responded wanting pictures of the ejector port cover. So I uploaded the second pic above. Got the following back:
Aero: Unfortunately, the photo received does not show any portion of the receiver scratched or uncoated.
So I take both photos, drop them in powerpoint, add red circles highlighting the areas that are poorly coated and have easily scratched. Here is what I get back:
Aero: Thank you for the additional photos unfortunately because the item was scratched during installation we would not be able to exchange the product for you.
In reference to the coating, the item is properly coated. Each burnt Bronze upper will be coated the same. If you would like to purchase another in place of the one that has been
blemished I can sell you one at a discounted rate of $11.26. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
So they view their coating as both acceptable and admit it is representative of their coating process. Lesson learned. I'll just have any other coatings done by a professional. Glad I've never dropped any coin for their specialty sets they have each month.
I'm not sure where the areas are that have easily scratched, I don't see any issues in your images. The spring looks like it was pulled across, and I'm not all that impressed with Cerakote anyway. Too many people think it is better than anodizing, but I've never seen it come even close to the same level of protection. If you want something a different color, you should understand it is going to be a more fragile finish which lays upon the anodizing.
I would agree with AP, your first image shows nothing wrong. If you see a real world actual issue with your naked eye, the problem would be in your picture.
From Aero Precision, yes I do expect good quality. They claim to make their AR parts using the same level of QC they are held to when manufacturing parts for Boeing
That can never be true unless you want each lower to cost $1000
TacticalFun
08-23-17, 12:32
1 year and 3300 rounds. Cerakote is scuffed but has held up very well. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170823/9fe9a5c0ccbdfaeaca4635b36a0d51db.jpg
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk
Yes sent them a message through their online system last night before posting. I will be sure to update when/if they contact me back.
Also some pictures to show.
4714847147
In your two photos, I do some some shiny spots. Did you use a reaction rod device or the poly clam shell device?
I can't tell if that wear would be from install, or from their coating process. You can see shiny spots where the paint either didn't stick, or it rubbed off when you torqued your barrel or MD down if you didn't use a reaction rod.
This can happen during the triple torque down session with the clam shell when the shell will rub back and forth between the "back-off" turns and "tightening" cycles.
Just my thoughts on it. It's minimal, if they won't replace it, move forward. Just gets that "Used" look that people are paying big bucks for that much earlier.
Shoot it, have fun with it. Don't buy Aero next time for a coated/painted set. Or fully inspect prior to any install so they cannot claim you did the damages. Sorry, I know it's not the best answer, but, hey, at least it's only a cosmetic issue.
That's a shame. I've been eying those for the past few weeks. Really wanted to get the green
Stick - It's harder to see in the pictures (cell phone, Note 5), but the coating is very light and doesn't extend into the rail areas. It was like that before I touched it. The other areas are where I used the plastic clam-shell upper holder to install the forward assist. Those are areas that wore off from the clamping.
By contrast, I have the FDE coated upper and lowers from Aero, and they are very well done. I am going to continue the bronze build (and take Aero up on their offer of a replacements upper for $11) but will be thinking twice about buying a nice rail and having it coated in bronze to match. I'll likely just get a black one and build the thing with black furniture.
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