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I'm in the market for a new shotgun. It's going to take a lot of abuse. It will get dirty, and wet, ride in a gun rack in a UTV, and sometimes a boat. I was considering stainless until I started looking at some of the camo wrapped guns. Has anyone here had one for a while that's been out hunting with it a lot? If so, how is the finish holding up? And what brand do you have?

If it will be used in the way you're describing i wouldn't worry about the finish so long as it doesn't become shiny with wear.

I'm not worried about the "looks" of the finish. But if the camo comes off due to wear, then it kind of defeats part of the purpose of the wrap.

I have a Mossberg 500 that has held up well, but it's only been on two duck hunts.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/pro ... CCU+[abbreviated profanity deleted]+MOB

(I think the profanity filter on the board is a bit too aggressive when it thinks it needs to filter a valid link.)

I have had experience with blued and camo wrapped and dipped shotguns. I have been duck, dove, and Teal hunting since I was 5 so I know quite a bit on how shotguns ride in boats, atvs, trucks, and getting wet. A blued shotgun can be fine for hunting as long as you wipe it down after the hunt and take extra care. The wrapped shotguns tend to do fine as long as you get a good tight wrap and have good adhesion. I've seen it last several seasons before it starts getting torn up. Now a dipped shotgun tends to be the best in my opinion because it really coats the gun and basically keeps it from rusting on the outside at all. Dipping is also very durable to chips and scratches. I would never hunt with a shotgun that was not blued (black) or camo. A shiny stainless gun is like a beacon from the air

cmgee67 wrote:I have had experience with blued and camo wrapped and dipped shotguns. I have been duck, dove, and Teal hunting since I was 5 so I know quite a bit on how shotguns ride in boats, atvs, trucks, and getting wet. A blued shotgun can be fine for hunting as long as you wipe it down after the hunt and take extra care. The wrapped shotguns tend to do fine as long as you get a good tight wrap and have good adhesion. I've seen it last several seasons before it starts getting torn up. Now a dipped shotgun tends to be the best in my opinion because it really coats the gun and basically keeps it from rusting on the outside at all. Dipping is also very durable to chips and scratches. I would never hunt with a shotgun that was not blued (black) or camo. A shiny stainless gun is like a beacon from the air

I am also interested, I want to make my Mossberg 500 strictly a HD or TD (truck defense) gun. and was looking at the Mossberg 930 semi auto waterfowl to use for hunting. They have one that is already camo, but it is over $100 more than the black, and I was thinking of doing a camo job myself, since the kit is only about $30.

Think I'd go for something in stainless with synthetic hardware, and then GunKote moly disulfide bake-on for the metal parts in the appropriate flat earth tone. That should be as near indestructible as you can get, and worst case, you'll have plenty of GunKote left to redo it if needed.

KD5NRH wrote:Think I'd go for something in stainless with synthetic hardware, and then GunKote moly disulfide bake-on for the metal parts in the appropriate flat earth tone. That should be as near indestructible as you can get, and worst case, you'll have plenty of GunKote left to redo it if needed.

I don't have an oven big enough for a shotgun. And I don't think putting it in the smoker would be a good idea.

By some rattle can spray paint in subdued colors.

Lynyrd wrote:

KD5NRH wrote:Think I'd go for something in stainless with synthetic hardware, and then GunKote moly disulfide bake-on for the metal parts in the appropriate flat earth tone. That should be as near indestructible as you can get, and worst case, you'll have plenty of GunKote left to redo it if needed.

I don't have an oven big enough for a shotgun. And I don't think putting it in the smoker would be a good idea.

Actually it would probably work fine. That stuff makes the best grill and exhaust paint I've found, if you can get either of those to clean bare metal.

All you have to do is get it hot enough without going hot enough to screw up the heat treat.

And do make sure the gun is unloaded before baking.