Choosing the best aluminum oxide blasting grit for guns

When starting a new cosmetic project on your gun, you may find yourself wanting to remove an old coat of paint. One of the ways of doing that is through abrasive blasting, specifically using aluminum oxide. 

Abrasive blasting makes use of an air compressor to propel blast abrasive grains through a nozzle at high velocity onto your chosen project surface. It has various applications, including the removal of gun coatings. 

Understanding Blasting Grit 

It’s not simply a matter of buying a bag of garnet sand, you must also take the grit size into account. Cerakote recommends using #100 grit aluminum oxide to remove coatings from guns.

The higher the grit number, the finer the abrasive is, which creates a smooth surface finish. Lower grit numbers mean the abrasives are more coarse, but materials scrape off much quicker.

As you can see, there’s quite a bit to take into consideration, but fortunately there’s a far easier method for getting the job done without relying on aluminum oxide. 

The Best Method 

10X Engineered Materials has created a line of superoxalloy abrasives that will get the job done and leave the surface of your gun smooth, clean, and ready to recoat. Products include KinetiX (high-production grades) and EpiX (precision grades), both of which perform in finer grit sizes, as well as or better than expensive, clean, ultra-high-performance media.

These abrasives are made up of polymorphous particles, meaning they can perform multiple functions at one time, removing the layers quicker and more efficiently in just one step. Additionally, these abrasives are strong but gentle and will leave the underlying surface unharmed. 

Currently, KinetiX and EpiX are available from distributors around the US. If you don’t see a distributor near you, contact 10X and we will work with you to get you what you need. EpiX abrasive, which is best for precision applications such as powder coating and medical applications, is also available to purchase directly from the 10X Engineered Materials website.