Final Word on Marinecote Finish?

[blacksmith]

I am very familiar with the properties of different finishes. But what in the world is Marinecote :?:

I've heard everything from nickel plated, electroless nickel, Duracoat to stainless. And to complicate things apparently there are two different Mariner finishes.

 

[LAZY EYED SNIPER]

There were older 590 Mariner models that were stainless.

As far as the newer Mariner models, Mossberg keeps the particulars of their proprietary finish well guarded which is the cause of so much conflicting speculation...

 

[blacksmith]

You ever get that wood forend I sent you on your Mariner?

 

[LAZY EYED SNIPER]

Don't have the mariner yet, but the forend is ready and waiting.

The 590A1 mariners are a bit scarce and I haven't necessarily been in a hurry to track one down...

 

[blacksmith]

Found This Today.

 

[GunnyGene]

There were older 590 Mariner models that were stainless.

Nope. Mossberg never made a stainless shotgun. I had this question a year ago on my '89 Mariner and emailed Havlin about it. The first ones with Marinecote were just polished to look like stainless.

My 590:

Havlins reply to my question, on this thread from Feb 2013. viewtopic.php?f=22&t=6734&start=25

Update: Havlin replied:

590 marine cote made since 1988. Your serial number dates to 1989
First finishes were high polished and looked like stainless. By 1992, they had dulled it down to a satin finish, still silver, and today the finish is almost a dull matte gray - the users didn't want the glare off the high polish finish so Mossberg adjusted.

None made with stainless, but that first finish looks that way and confuses many

As noted in the email there were actually 3 variations of Marinecote: Shiny, Satin, & matte gray. I don't know the specifics of how they accomplished that, but it could be as simple as a little dulling additive in the original formula.