The Advantages of DuraCoat Finish

By Jordan Ricks
5-10-2005

I pushed through the thick brush along the edge of the field to position myself at the northern flank of my opponent’s base. I figured that they would place at least one or two snipers in the area to protect their flank and ward off any ‘backdoor attacks’ from my teammates, so I stayed away from any paths and worked my way up the perimeter of the field.

Finally, I was far enough north that I could turn in and begin belly-crawling towards the enemy stronghold. I burrowed through the dense vegetation while my eyes sifted through the small branches and tall weeds to scan the field in front of me. The sporadic pops of distant skirmishes had stopped, and I could hear nothing but the seemingly thunderous snap, crackle and pop of my advance as I crushed the dry weeds and snapped small branches and twigs. My eyes swept the field, searching carefully from side to side for any movement or things out-of-place.

After several passes of the field, I noticed a slight color variation in a patch of grass about 80 feet to my right. I squinted through my goggles but still couldn’t determine if I was studying another player or staring at a rock. Whatever it was, it remained motionless, and I debated whether to ignore it. Judging from what little I could see, if the object were a sniper, he appeared to be facing his own base. Unfortunately, I had lost communication with my squad earlier in the game and couldn’t radio to confirm if I had other teammates in the area.

Between my hurried scans of the rest of the field, I studied the shape intently, yet still there was no movement. I crept closer before coming to rest along the edge of an open field. I had a clear shot, but I didn’t want to reveal my position by shooting a rock – so I waited. As I scrutinized the shape from my new position, my vision suddenly seized on the distinguishing, almost sinister outline of an Autococker. The menacing black barrel was directed towards the pathways that spilled into a small clearing in front of the base, and my opponent had settled into an ideal spot to "greet" any intruders. Though his flank was vulnerable, he would be virtually invisible to anyone approaching from the east.

He still hadn’t moved an inch since my first eye contact, but now the ambusher would become ambush-ee. I carefully placed him in my sights and then raised the barrel slightly to compensate for the distance and gently squeezed my E-grip. He reacted as if the ground had suddenly released an electrical surge, leaping up and bolting behind a giant maple tree, but it was too late. I heard the satisfying echo of “hit, hit,” and I wanted to stand up and pound my chest, but I humbly remained in my nest and watched as he began his march to the deadman’s tent.

Had I not recognized the distinct shape of his paintball gun, I could have wandered unknowingly into his line of fire. The clear outline and black barrel of his marker betrayed him, and I was grateful that he didn’t have a rifle rag or a camo paint job on his gun.

The importance of marker camouflage may not always come in to play so dramatically as this, but it is a factor for woodsball^™ players. Some woodsballers try to limit the attention their guns draw by using tape, cheap paint or other markings, but these ghetto solutions tend to chip or wear off quickly. What’s worse, poorly applied paint or ‘tape goo’ can cause harm to the mechanics of the gun (and turn your beautiful marker into a sorry mess.)

To date, there has been only one finish designed specifically for firearms – DuraCoat^®. The characteristics of DuraCoat are unmatched for paintball applications, which is why SpecialOps Paintball uses it exclusively as the camouflage finish for our line of Digi-camo^™ A-5A2 markers. The color versatility of DuraCoat is virtually unlimited and allows Special Ops to produce four of the most impressive camo finishes you’ll ever see: The Woodland Digi-camo, Tigerstripe Digi-camo, Desert Digi-camo, and Urban Tigerstripe Digi-camo.

Many try to spray paint their paintball guns with rattle-can paint (and some misguided paintball vendors actually offer this as a “professional” finish). However, spray paint provides only a temporary finish that will leave your gun with scratched-off patches and bubbling paint. What’s worse, using rattle-can tech, the edges of your camo pattern will be blurry and ineffective. Good camo must have crisp edges or it blends into one shape and color – severely limiting the usefulness of the camo pattern.

DuraCoat is a fairly recent technology, and involves a two part chemical coating that is baked on in order to harden and set permanently into the material. The versatile finish is impact, mar, and abrasion resistant, and won’t chip off of your marker. It is also chemical and water resistant, and well-suited to handle harsh environments, including humid and salty coastal areas. DuraCoat’s protective qualities and resistance to salt corrosion will keep your marker free from rust for a lifetime – and then some.

Simply put, the protective attributes and color variations of DuraCoat are unmatched. It’s the most durable, long-lasting finish available. We figure that the best performing gun on the field should also be the best looking – yet darn near invisible when you need it to be.