Lots of words, but by not reading them because you "didn't have the time," doesn't mean they don't apply.

Action Cerakote and Laser (ACL) strives to provide customers with high-quality service. If there is ever any issues, problems or concerns, please reach out directly to Mike Fortner, Owner, and we will come up with a solution. I never want a customer to be unhappy with the results of my hard work. If there are any Cerakote defects that got by quality control that have to do with the application process, these will be fixed free of charge, which basically means the entire piece will be repainted from scratch. Cerakote is durable, but not bullet proof. Normal wear and tear is expected.

If the project is painted in the color that was requested and agreed upon, without defects, full payment is expected. If you find you do not like the color you chose once completed, do not like the amount of coverage,  or want a different shade or color,  I will repaint the project in a different color of your chosing, one time for a 50% discount. In plain English, you pay full price for the initial paint job you chose and agreed upon, and half that price for the redo on the same project. This will be discussed on a case by case basis.

ACL does not facilitate firearm transfers. Never, no way, not going to happen. We do not sell firearms to the public. We provide a cosmetic service.  We are not set up to do background checks, or set up to file the necessary paperwork with government agencies for firearm transfers. Therefore, sending a firearm directly from a distribuitor for Cerakote or laser services will not be accepted, and the firearm will be returned unopened to the sender. In order to facilitate the work you would like ACL to do on a new firearm, please first have your firearm transferred from a distributor to your choice of retail FFL, go through the required background check and have the firearm transferred to you personally. Then you may arrange to drop off the firearm at ACL for Cerakote or laser work.

When dropping off a firearm, this must be accompanied by a valid form of picture identification such as drivers license. For NFA items, a copy of the appropriate ATF Form 1 or Form 4 needs to accompany each NFA Item. The identification must match the individual dropping off the firearm. Firearms will be logged in to a bound book under that individual's information per ATF regulations. Per ATF regulations, that firearm is now the property of ACL. Once the work is complete, the firearm must be given back to the individual, and ONLY the individual who it was signed in under. We will not release a firearm or NFA item to anyone other than the person who's name appears in the bound book, so don't send your wife or your "buddy" to pick up your firearm, as it will not be released to them. Not my personal rules, votes matter.

Turnaround and completion times vary, and will be agreed upon prior to dropping off any project. I strive to get projects returned in 3 weeks or less.

Payment is due upon receipt of the project. Unless other arrangements are made, projects that are not collected after 90 days of completion may incur a daily storage fee. This also applies to any firearms that are "dropped off" with the intention of "getting back to me" with exact project details.  Firearm storage fees will not exceed $5 per day after 90 day grace period. Any project, including firearms not collected within 1 year (365 days from drop off) will be considered abandoned and become the property of ACL. 

Color Matching.
Many customers want to match an existing color on their project, such as match a lower receiver to a buttstock. Cerakote has a wide range of standard colors, and with very few anomalies, are quite uniform from batch to batch. As an example, a new bottle of MagPul FDE today, should match an older application of MagPul FDE from a different batch. This typically is a spot-on match for factory MagPul furniture colors as well. That being said, exact matches are not always the rule. Subtle variations such as application thickness, substrate, humidity, batch differences, and even the moon's spacial relationship to Jupiter can all affect the end result. Lighting also plays a big difference in the perception of the color. Substrate is also a big deal, with the same color, being sprayed at the same time appearing slightly different on polymer vs. metal. If the color you are trying to match is a known Cerakote color, we can apply that exact color, but can not guarantee it will be a 100% match. It will be extremely close, and probably look identical. If you are the type of individual who can pick out color differences between two freshly minted, sequentially numbered dollar bills, then my advise to you is to lower your standards, and be realistic. The color you choose will be the color applied and it will look awesome!

We have a complete Cerakote master swatch set in the shop that you can go through at your lesiure to identify which color you would like. The color on the swatch should be darn near identical to the end color on the project. There could be subtle variations, wich usually occur by the way the light hits non-flat surfaces. The swatch is flat, projects usually aren't. My guarantee is that if you choose a red color for your project it will be spot on, or very close to the red color of the swatch, but it will never be blue, or something completely different.

What parts get painted is up to the customer, however recommendations and suggestions will be offered. I believe in having contrasting colors on the firearm which give it more depth. The two examples below were painted by excellent Certified Applicators found on Cerakote's website. This is not a cirtique on their application, just showing a firearm that is "completely" painted in a single color vs a firearm with contrasting attributes. Anything and everything can be painted, but sometimes "less is more." If professional recommendations were made, and not accepted, please refer to the second paragraph above.

Example of "Completely Covered" Firearm.

Example of "Contrasting Colors" Firearm

​Internet Projects.
Many customers send pictures of projects that they have found on the Internet, and would like them to be duplicated. This is a completely acceptable request, and very fun, unique projects to do. However, unless the exact Cerakote colors are provided, there is no way to match that picture 100%. If there are stencils or specific designs on the internet project, they may not be able to be replicated identically. If there is a grainy picture of only one side of the project there will need to be some poetic licensing and speculation on what the entire project will look like. Please provide as much information as you can when making these types of custom requests. We will discuss your expectations as to what is important to replicate and what has more leeway. I will use my experience and resources to try and get as close as I can to replicating the information you request, but a carbon-copy match is not realistic. Please be flexable in your expectations when I present you a 3 dimensional project from a 1 dimensional picture concept. My promise to you is that it will be outstanding, and you will be very hppy with the end result.

Unknown Factory Colors.
Many customers ask to match an unknown factory finish. This is pretty much impossible. The big-name manufacturers have near unlimited resources to do research and development. When they come up with "their" green for their product, you can bet they will not disclose the color mix. ACL is a small shop, and I do not have the resources to mix unlimited different colors by single drops, prep a surface, spray, bake, and then compare to an original. It's just not time or cost effective. I do not have that cool computer driven paint mixing machine you've seen at Home Depot or Lowes. ACL will not be able to perfectly match most undisclosed factory custom cerakote colors.

There are a few options when you have a specific non-standard Cerakote color you would like to match. 
1. Choose a color that is very similar, which will have a small, similar color contrast to the original.
2. Chose a contrasting color that accentuates the original color.
3. Choose a color that is very close to the original color, and repaint the entire project in the new color.


Bottom Line.
I want to provide you, the customer with a project that you are absolutely happy with. I will always do my best to give you what you want, within my skill level, and within the realms of reality. I do like to try new processes that can be out of my comfort zone, sometimes resulting in the acquisition of a new skill, and sometimes ending in utter failure. But that's how we grow as individuals, by taking chances outside our comfort zones. I appreciate your interest in my work, and getting to the end of this page!

​-Mike