Painting Rifles. Suggestions?

[NKBJ]

Being married to a quilter, well, would probably opt for a removable sleeve rather than the airbrush.
A walk through JoAnnes Fabrics will give you lots to choose from.

 

[BrettonJudy7]

Camo jobs for me are just stocks, not the metal.
Spray can w matte clear over.

These look great!

How did you achieve the pattern?
Any specific reason why you wouldn't want to paint the metal?

 

[bwframe]

That is some pretty sweet work by Hookeye on his stocks.

I'm curious if the paint he used is susceptible to pealing when exposed to gun oil?

I picked up a very nicely hand painted camo patterned Savage FVSR in the INGO classifieds. The whole gun, including scope was painted. It was meticulously painted, obviously masked as appropriate. I intended to strip the gun down, but upon inspection, decided I really liked it.

Weeks later, my judicious lubing of the bolt of the rifle seeped out and had the surrounding area paint pealing.

 

[Hookeye]

The tiger stripe pattern was done w blue painters tape torn and layered to build up stripes (torn gives random edge).
I degreased and flat blacked the stock, let that cure, then went back and built up the tape lines. Then covered it w green, and then did tan where the tape was.
That way when tape removed, leaving the black stripe, there'd be max contrast.

It has several coats of matte clear over it. Looks new years later. No chips. Matte clear adds some sheen back, compared to the flat camo colors by themselves, but it isn't glossy, so is tolerable.

I use Remoil, which has some solvent in it, so after wiping down the metal I do go back w a dry paper towel and wipe off the stock. Seems to work fine.

The Contender rifle was done w a sponge and clear coated same way.

Painter's Choice matte clear............is stinky stuff. Do that outside.

When doing patterns w tape your edges can have topography. My tiger 700 was fine, but any fancier patterns would have been noticeable.
Airbrushing might be the way to go on that stuff, but I wanted a crisp edge and it wasn't bad.

Painting stocks.........knowing when to say "when" is half the battle.
Too busy, topography...........you can mess it up trying to make it perfect.

Yup, I removed the sponge paint on the TC w acetone and redid w old school green, one color. That clear made me use a lot of paper towels and elbow grease.
Have thought about removing the tiger stripe............kinda tired of camo anything.

But am lazy.

Much prefer the splatter stuff on HS Precision stocks.

 

[Hookeye]

I did a general spray camo on a 700 stock years ago and did not clear coat it. It chipped here and there.
Which gave it a battle worn look (after a couple summers of blasting groundhogs).
Remoil of metal would take some paint off (see it on paper towel).
Did not leave oils on the paint, oil it and wipe off, but also didn't care about the chips and scratches.
It looked pretty cool after a few years LOL

 

[ditcherman]

I have really enjoyed Cerakoting my ARs, that of course were lost in a terrible boating accident and no pictures exist. I have enjoyed mixing colors to make them one of a kind and just got an email today about cerakotes new copper metallic, which I can't wait to try on an 80% that I don't have. I have used both an automotive airgun and the Preval sprayers, and I think the Preval sprays it little dry but it's so tempting to use because it's so easy.
Personally I don't want to do all the prep work and then rattle can it. I have never done any masking or pattern painting.
Mine are no where near flawless, I am more of a farm/construction equipment painter, and if I wanted one perfect would not hesitate to send it to AllenM.

 

[BrettonJudy7]

I have really enjoyed Cerakoting my ARs, that of course were lost in a terrible boating accident and no pictures exist. I have enjoyed mixing colors to make them one of a kind and just got an email today about cerakotes new copper metallic, which I can't wait to try on an 80% that I don't have. I have used both an automotive airgun and the Preval sprayers, and I think the Preval sprays it little dry but it's so tempting to use because it's so easy.
Personally I don't want to do all the prep work and then rattle can it. I have never done any masking or pattern painting.
Mine are no where near flawless, I am more of a farm/construction equipment painter, and if I wanted one perfect would not hesitate to send it to AllenM.

I bet if you hadn't lost all of your AR's in a boating accident, that metallic copper might look pretty sharp! I guess we'll never be able to experience that.

 

[Hohn]

Camo jobs for me are just stocks, not the metal.
Spray can w matte clear over.

Those are awesome looking rifles!

I agree with the "don't paint the whole thing" approach. But I've seen some decently looking jobs that violated this rule.

 

[craigkim]

I like Krylon rattle can and then Testors enamel model paints or Tamiya. I have painted most of my rifles that I hunt with this way. The one above is my first one, which is my 458 before I put a hand rail on it. People say to me, "how durable is it?" "who cares?" If it gets a little scratch or scuff, you just touch it up! I can do things by had that would be very difficult to do with cerakote too. I made custom stencils which gave positive images rather than negative images. When you lay leaves or brush over a rifle and spray you get a negative image, but if you cut out a leaf or grass pattern and spray you get the positive image and then you can use a small brush to add details. Several years ago I remember reading instructions put out by the military on rattle can painting your issued AR. It'll all come off, with some work, if you want.

This was supposed to be a sortof mossy tree trunk look.

 

[craigkim]

I found my Browning Gold too. Anyway, the finish is really pretty durable if you clean with alcohol really well and then use a flat primer prior to spraying.

 

[BrettonJudy7]

I like Krylon rattle can and then Testors enamel model paints or Tamiya. I have painted most of my rifles that I hunt with this way. The one above is my first one, which is my 458 before I put a hand rail on it. People say to me, "how durable is it?" "who cares?" If it gets a little scratch or scuff, you just touch it up! I can do things by had that would be very difficult to do with cerakote too. I made custom stencils which gave positive images rather than negative images. When you lay leaves or brush over a rifle and spray you get a negative image, but if you cut out a leaf or grass pattern and spray you get the positive image and then you can use a small brush to add details. Several years ago I remember reading instructions put out by the military on rattle can painting your issued AR. It'll all come off, with some work, if you want.

This was supposed to be a sortof mossy tree trunk look.

Very nice! So if I'm understanding this correctly, you will cut out the shapes and spray it that way? Instead of spraying over the shaper?

 

[craigkim]

Very nice! So if I'm understanding this correctly, you will cut out the shapes and spray it that way? Instead of spraying over the shaper?

Yes, you make stencils. I used some poster board, Bristol Board, and an exacto knife. Draw your patterns or trace them onto the board and cut them out. You can see on my shotgun, I did some like little islands. You can get a similar result by laying leaves or objects over, but you have to choose your base color or what you want the object like a leaf to be, and then spray that over the area. After that you come through with your leaf and shoot your background color over it. The advantage to a stencil is that you can shoot one color of green for most of a leaf or shape and then blend the edges with another color or two, because you are painting within the stencil. Then you can come back and make little details with a bristle brush. Testors and Tamiya sell lots of cool camo colors for model armor.

Hopefully this isn't confusing, but when you use stencils, you pick your background color spray the area, then use the stencil to lay the pattern on.

 

[johntheplinker]

Being married to a quilter, well, would probably opt for a removable sleeve rather than the airbrush.
A walk through JoAnnes Fabrics will give you lots to choose from.

I like that idea! Makes changing for the season/climate easy and quick. I've used the self adhesive wrap stuff but it is expensive and doesn't adhere well on smaller areas.

 

[Sigblaster]

I recently just completed an XM177E2 build. I've some folks who have painted theris. Either some jungle camo, green, or some desert camo. That really got me thinking about painting rifles. I've never done it before, but have several AR's that I would be willing to try this on. So, some questions arose, that I thought would be best asked to Ingo users.

Have you painted your rifle before?
If so, what color did you choose?
Did you choose the color/pattern based on your area that you reside? Or based on trying to achieve a certain look?
What are your suggestions for rifle paints and patterns?
Suggestions for patterns based on the area that you live?

Just curious about this, and eager to see what others have done previously.

What is the reason behind you wanting to paint your rifle? If it's just for looks, then have at it. I do like the look of a cool pattern on a rifle like some have posted above.

But if you want to camo it up because you think it will give you some tactical advantage when the poop hits the fan, I would urge you to reconsider. From the day or two I spent in the Army, I can tell you that your movement, sound, and unnatural silhouette will give you away long before the color of your rifle will.

Since you went to the time and effort of creating an XM177E2 clone, I suggest you go with a more period-correct camouflage technique, like burlap strips and natural materials tied to it. This will also give you the advantage of being able to adjust your camouflage to the seasons and terrain, as NKBJ and johntheplinker suggested.

But besides all that, why no pics of your XM177E2?

 

[CPT Nervous]

I use camo rattle cans and a mesh net for a stencil. I paint a pattern based on my area and what I will be using it for. GarandThumb did a video using the technique I use a while back.

 

[bwframe]

Call this tinfoil hat stuff, but I wonder about painting your defensive rifle unique enough that it could identify you in surveillance video?

If you have dressed in effective gray man attire and had to escape an area (shooting or not) could your custom painted long gun tie you back to that area?

 

[jspy5]

Call this tinfoil hat stuff, but I wonder about painting your defensive rifle unique enough that it could identify you in surveillance video?

If you have dressed in effective gray man attire and had to escape an area (shooting or not) could your custom painted long gun tie you back to that area?

Interesting point as I seen something just this week where a guy was all hooded up, etc and was nabbed by police because of his tats which were pretty distinctive.

 

[johntheplinker]

May be a consideration, but the way I look at it, if I'm running down the street with a AR in my hands then getting caught on camera is least of my worries.

 

[flightsimmer]

I have looked at hundreds of pictures of painted AR-15's and I still cannot decide how I want to paint my all black M-4 configuration. I do not mind a distressed look at all and the paint dosen't have to be durable because I might change my mind and want to take it off anyway. What I think I want is a pattern and or colors that break up the silhouette of the rifle as much as possible in most backgrounds which seems pretty much impossible to do.
Still looking. It seems to me that the barrel is one of the parts hardest to hide.

 

[bwframe]

May be a consideration, but the way I look at it, if I'm running down the street with a AR in my hands then getting caught on camera is least of my worries.

Understood.

However, saying you made your stealth escape from riotville with your loved ones, could your unique rifle be seen in other surveillance video pinning you to a license plate?

Maybe you never took a shot, but other's did? And you are the only one to be identified?

Maybe some AFTIFA/BLM weinie decided to say that you pointed your gun at them, then they recorded you carrying your unique "automatic weapon of war," to your car?