Cat Whisperer, yeah, the baked on coating would have been very nice but I'm out here in the "sticks" without access to anything like that. So, I went to the local Super Walmart and bought a can of Rust-oleum auto primer (gray) and primed it. The primer even looked real good and reminded me of the U.S. Naval tubes. Then, I used Rust-oleum again, matt black and it covered the gray primer very well. I'm letting it dry for the recommended 24 hours before reassembling the entire gun. Whoever made this cannon, did a lot of planning and welding. The trunion caps are such that they have brass inserts that provide a bearing surface for the trunions. Double D has furnished me with some instructions on posting a picture but for some reason, I couldn't even register with the freebie one, Photobucket.com. as it wouldn't accept anything I put in as who recommended their service. Sent them an e-mail almost a week ago but Photobucket customer service has never responded. Guess I can't really say too much since it is a free service. Thanks, Blaster (Bob in CO)