-EX- Posted March 28, 2010 Report Share Posted March 28, 2010 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. 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. 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. 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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
-EX- Posted March 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2010 Here's an Updated Picture. I can't seem to edit my post Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Semtex Posted March 29, 2010 Report Share Posted March 29, 2010 It's not that bad a match. Although from what I have been told the VLTOR FDE duracoat is a closer match to the Magpul FDE products. I sent some of my bits away to a guy in the UK with a Magpul MOE grip for a sample colour and he colour matched it and sprayed a crane stock for me. It came out really well, The colour match was not spot on but it was close enough that you had to really study the two bits to tell the difference. The finish on the Duracoat is great, nice and hard wearing. I'll see if I can find some pics. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rudds Posted March 29, 2010 Report Share Posted March 29, 2010 Considering getting an air compressor ect for painting, but that will be another thing for the summer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uscmCorps Posted March 29, 2010 Report Share Posted March 29, 2010 I'm really curious how well the Duracoat holds up, especially on a high wear part like a pistol grip. I personally swear by Brownells Alumahyde II Coyote Paint as the closest match to Magpul FDE. Though I don't know if you can get it in the UK. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pariah_WP Posted March 30, 2010 Report Share Posted March 30, 2010 I have had similar results (please forgive the whackiness of that configuration...it was a transitional stage) to the OP with the Duracoat MagPul FDE color. In the link/picture you can see that standard Duracoat MagPul FDE is too light and needs the slightest hint of orange to match properly. Close, but no cigar. I have Duracoated quite a few things (actually over 5 guns and a lot of random bits-n-bobs) and I have found that it doesn't so much chip off like conventional paints as "wear off". I mean it can chip, but usually that isn't the case. It fades/thins to slowly reveal what is under it. I sprayed a VFG with it and that is exactly what happened. Over the course of a year and a half it just sort of thinned out around the back until it looked terrible and I recoated it. I maybe should have stripped it first, but I just decided to spray over. It worked ok. Still holding up. I need to shoot some shots of that for reference on something that is worn in. I have personally found that a 4ish-to-1 (I eyeball it) mixture of "Tactical Woodland Tan" and "Tactical Woodland Brown" (colors T7 and T9 respectively on the Duracoat color mating chart) makes an almost exact match to actual MagPul FDE tactical items. Some people report success mixing varying quantities of the standard paint colors "Desert Warrior Dark Earth" and "Desert Warrior Tan" (colors 70 and 89 on the DCMC), but I have yet to buy those colors. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mugur Posted November 9, 2010 Report Share Posted November 9, 2010 Sorry to bring this up, but... Is there any way to buy this (or similar) paint in UK? Thank you! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
usmc0621fro Posted November 11, 2010 Report Share Posted November 11, 2010 I'm really curious how well the Duracoat holds up, especially on a high wear part like a pistol grip. I personally swear by Brownells Alumahyde II Coyote Paint as the closest match to Magpul FDE. Though I don't know if you can get it in the UK. That is exactly what I use as well USCM. It is nearly perfectly, only off by maybe 1 shade and you can only tell in the right lighting conditions. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kojak Posted November 11, 2010 Report Share Posted November 11, 2010 I'm really curious how well the Duracoat holds up, especially on a high wear part like a pistol grip. I personally swear by Brownells Alumahyde II Coyote Paint as the closest match to Magpul FDE. Though I don't know if you can get it in the UK. That is exactly what I use as well USCM. It is nearly perfectly, only off by maybe 1 shade and you can only tell in the right lighting conditions. I tried Coyote Alumahyde and was not very happy with the color. Later I found this thread and painted my CASV with Earth Brown Alumahyde: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aznriptide859 Posted November 11, 2010 Report Share Posted November 11, 2010 Hmm, the Alumahyde Coyote I have is an exact match to Magpul's FDE. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mimesis Posted November 11, 2010 Report Share Posted November 11, 2010 (edited) Several of the reviews mention the match with Magpul FDE. http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=42939/pid=1117/sku/Coyote?review=1 Also, Earth Brown looks too grey here (though admittedly on my monitor, Desert Tan looks pink!) Edited November 11, 2010 by mimesis Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mugur Posted November 12, 2010 Report Share Posted November 12, 2010 How about the resistance to wear/scratch of this particular paint? I know duracoat is very durable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CplHicks Posted November 12, 2010 Report Share Posted November 12, 2010 Jagersporting arms are a Duracoat refinisher in the UK. Would you diffinatly need a airbrush, or could this be used in normal automotive spray gun is spraying larger items? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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