Cerakote H-Series Colors for AR-15 & AR-10 Parts
Every part we send out to our certified Cerakote applicator goes through the H-Series line, an oven-baked ceramic-polymer coating that goes on as a direct swap for Type II anodizing, PVD, plating, or ordinary paint and powder coat. It’s baked on at a comparatively low 250-300 degrees F, but once cured it holds up to service temperatures as high as 500 degrees F — which is why it’s become the default finish across the firearms industry for anyone who cares about both toughness and color that actually stays consistent from batch to batch.
On the durability side, the numbers back it up: ASTM D2794 drop-impact testing puts nearly every H-Series color at 160 in-lbs before failure, which happens to be the ceiling of what the test rig itself can register — in other words, the coating outran the test. Day to day, that means it shrugs off the dings and scrapes that would chip or peel a painted finish.
Cerakote’s own published H-Series technical data backs up the rest of the picture: a pencil hardness rating of 9H (about as scratch-resistant as a coating gets), 2,000+ hours of corrosion resistance under ASTM B117 salt-spray testing, and an excellent UV stability rating, so color doesn’t chalk or fade with sun exposure the way cheaper finishes can.
Colors We Use
These are the nine Cerakote H-Series colors currently used on Daytona Tactical parts. Each links to the matching color page on the site so you can go straight from “I like this color” to “here’s everything available in it.”
Zombie Green (H-168)
A saturated yellow-green that’s become one of our most-requested “statement” builds. Shop every Zombie Green part we carry.
Sig™ Pink (H-224)
Cerakote’s official Sig Pink — a true magenta-leaning pink rather than a pastel. A favorite for builds meant to stand out on the range.
Blue Titanium (H-185)
A deep, faintly metallic blue that reads almost gunmetal indoors and pops in direct sun.
Tungsten (H-237)
A neutral mid-grey that pairs cleanly with black hardware — our most popular grey finish.
Magpul® O.D. Green (H-232)
The Magpul-matched olive drab shade, built to match Magpul furniture straight out of the box.
Magpul® Flat Dark Earth (H-267)
The Magpul-matched FDE shade — pairs with Magpul FDE furniture without any guesswork.
Burnt Bronze (H-148)
A warm, deep bronze with a faint metallic shimmer — an alternative to FDE or O.D. Green for builders who want something different.
Bright Purple (H-217)
A vivid, true purple — one of our boldest color options for a build meant to be noticed.
Armor Black (H-190)
Used specifically on flash cans. Every other black part we sell is anodized, not Cerakoted — a different process with different properties.
A Note on Black Finishes
Armor Black Cerakote (H-190) is used specifically on flash cans. Every other black part on the site is anodized, not Cerakoted — a different process with different properties.
Cerakote vs. Anodizing (Why We Use It)
Anodizing works by chemically converting the metal’s own surface into an oxide layer — which is exactly why it comes with a few tradeoffs Cerakote doesn’t have:
- Matching colors across two different orders of the same anodized part can be a gamble; run-to-run shade drift is a known limitation of the process. Cerakote’s manufacturer holds every batch to a tight color-consistency tolerance instead.
- Because anodizing grows a brittle oxide layer directly out of the base metal, it can leave the aluminum with added residual stress. Cerakote sits on top as a coating instead of altering the metal underneath, so the part’s structural properties aren’t touched.
- Some anodizing baths use hexavalent chromium, a regulated carcinogen. Cerakote’s formulation is heavy-metal-free and VOC-compliant nationwide, which is also just a nicer thing to have your parts finished with.
