Flat Dark Earth (FDE) Anodizing:
Greystone Defense Brown®(GDB®)
For firearm manufacturers, the value of anodizing extends beyond the superior protection it provides against wear and corrosion: aesthetic appeal is also key. The military and gun owners alike expect their equipment to perform well – and look just right.
As a leading provider of precision, high-volume Type II and Type III aluminum hardcoat anodizing, Greystone understands the importance of delivering on both function and form. That’s why our team has worked tirelessly to meet one of the firearm industry’s biggest unmet needs: anodizing in the Flat Dark Earth (FDE) family of colors, with accurate and consistent coloring.
Introducing Greystone Defense Brown®
Anodizing is offered in a range of colors, including black and clear. In recent years, demand for FDE anodizing has skyrocketed among firearm manufacturers and users. To meet demand, many finishing providers have tried to capture the sandy, earth-toned brown shade – and failed.
With the introduction of Greystone Defense Brown® (GDB®), Greystone has succeeded in delivering FDE anodizing to the market. Greystone anodizes aluminum alloys 6061 and 7075 with GDB® using our custom MIL-SPEC Type III hardcoat aluminum anodizing process. Every GDB® run is carefully monitored and undergoes sampling for colorimetric testing to ensure outputs closely adhere to an objective standard.
Download the GDB® technical data sheet
* The images above illustrate the acceptable variation in tone, saturation and lightness for all GDB® anodized products.
In addition to perfecting the shade, Greystone’s engineers have achieved even thickness distribution from part to part and batch to batch. GDB® coatings target 1± 0.2 mil (0.0008 to 0.0012”) thickness. We have extensive experience anodizing difficult geometries and can anodize a diverse range of part types. All firearm parts are anodized on Greystone’s fully automated, high-volume production lines in Virginia.
The Benefits of Anodizing Over Painting or Ceramic Coating
Before GDB® was available, the dearth of FDE anodizing services on the market led many firearm manufacturers to coat their parts with paint or ceramic coating. While they may deliver the desired color, both can yield suboptimal results: paint and ceramic can flake and chip and it can be challenging to achieve even coverage — especially on parts with complex geometries and blind or tapped holes.
Unlike paint and ceramic coating, anodizing improves the intrinsic properties of the metal it treats. When parts are anodized, they are placed in a charged electrolyte bath, which leaves an anodic oxide coating on the metal’s surface. That coating makes parts durable and highly resistant to corrosion and wear.
Parts anodized in GDB® meet the following performance benchmarks:
- Wear Resistance: wear index >1.5 mg/1000 cycles (per ASTM D4060-19, Taber Abrasion Testing)
- Corrosion Resistance: neutral salt spray performance >336 hours/2 weeks (per ASTM B117-19)
Get Your Sample or Quote Today
Ready to see Greystone Defense Brown® for yourself? Speak with one of our precision anodizing experts or get a free GDB® anodizing sample.
Firearm manufacturers rely on Greystone to provide superior hardcoat anodizing solutions for their parts in GDB®, black and clear. Our development of GDB® exemplifies our commitment to serving you with best-in-class service and finishing solutions. To learn more about GDB®, download the technical data sheet by filling out the form on this page.
