Painting a AR-15

[Sinlessorrow]

So i wantto paint my M4gery.

It is properly lubed(read that dripping) so I'm guessing i would have to hose the whole down with brake cleaner right?

I have a lot of rustoleum i use at work and around the house, would that be a good paint to use on the AR-15?

Also what parts should i remove when painting and can i just paint the gun assembled or do i have to completely take it apart?

[Shotgun693]

I did my G3 years ago. I used a no gloss auto paint. I painted it while assembled. Before you paint it think about where you're likely to be using it. Green doesn't work as well in the desert. White isn't good in South Texas.

[insomni]

for painting your M4. get some wadding and masking tape. (lots of newspaper makes good wadding so do cotton balls, but you'll need a few of them b/c they have to be tight).

wad the muzzle brake (pack it tight inside, acutally the first few shots will burn any excess off the inside of the crown)wad this tightly. This is your moneymaker.

wad the inside of the receiver tightly. TIGHTLY. ESPECIALLY the chamber. Don't let the paint get in there. also wad the magazine well, and use wadding and masking tape to cover the trigger assembly and stuff wadding tightly into the buffer tube. (remove bolt assembly and buffer assembly. Trigger assembly if you are comfortable in RELIABLY reassembling it... if you don't feel you can reassemble it, wad and tape it) Remove the charging handle. Keep your dust cover closed to avoid a weird shadow on your receiver. (tape this on the INSIDE just to kinda weatherseal the gap).

For the charging handle, tape the body of it and leave the actual handle unmasked.

Sights can be painted..... with a thin coat. (if it isnt too late, you might consider just getting some DE finished sights.... if not no worries, it won't really mess anything up)

this shouldn't be need to be said, but any optics should be removed, wadded and masked and painted separately.

remove the buttstock, and paint separately from the rest of the weapon. (assuming this is a telescoping buttstock... if it's a fixed m-16 style buttstock, leave it in place)

try to paint your weapon with the upper and lower receivers wadded, but still assembled so you get continuity of pattern.

Technique: Krylon cammo paint works well. really well. Rustoleum cammo works well too. You can buy it at walmart, home depot and lowes. Go look at the paints and pick the ones (3 or so, maybe 4, don't get carried away)) that best match your environment. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what brand you use as long as it's matte, flat or ultra flat finish. Also note black is a terrible color for cammo. TERRIBLE. NOTHING in nature is black. NOTHING. except coal and obsidian. Not even at night.

Primer it if you want, it's not really necessary. if you do, use a thin, even coat.


1. Go get whatever you're going to use to make your pattern: pine boughs, yeti net, leaves, whatever. the best nets to use are the nets with 1/4-1/2" spacing between the threads. anything larger, I'd use pine boughs, anything less, it's just going to look stupid like a DIY ACU pattern. play around with combinations using a piece of scrap cardboard box or some old ply wood to perfect your color combo and technique before going to town on your rifle.

2. Put your base layer down. If you're making leaves, or pine needles, this ought to be the color you want the leaves to be. this will be your "top" layer (even though you put it on first). Spray it evenly, and THINLY over the whole rifle. Wait for it to dry, then put on a second coat. This coat does well as OD green for woodland. Beige for desert.

3. Apply your texture material. This is your pine needles, net, whatever. Try not to place them evenly. This is especially true for netting. It will look really nice, but stands out if the net is evenly stretched. This is applied by laying the material over the weapon. Yah I know you can only do one side at a time.
Art takes patience.

4. apply darker green and brown in a tiger stripe pattern to disrupt the horizontal lines of the rifle. You're going to apply this paint over the leaves or net, so don't use your prized fishing net or anything like that. you can get creative with how you apply these colors.

5. Let it dry, then do the other side. Thin coats are the key to it not flaking. Though note, spray paint doesn't have the endurance of the finishes on guns, so it'll scrape, and you'll have to reapply every so often.... or keep the sweet battle worn look.


****Figure out a color combination you want FIRST. If you want dark leaves, put the dark paint on as a base coat, and then follow up with lighter colors in step 4.


FOR OPTICS: What I said about taking them off earlier only somwhat applies. If you want to be able to swap optics, paint them separately to avoid the weird black shadow on your upper rail. If you have a dedicated optic, you can leave it in place. If you have uncle mike's lens covers, paint with them in place. Do whatever you can to protect the glass b/c if you get paint on it, it ain't coming off without f-ing up your optic. Also, try to protect the zeroing screws. a couple black spots on the sides aren't going to compromise you (this is mostly an issue on EOTech where the screws are exposed... on other optics with covers on the adjustment screws, this isn't an issue, just piant with the covers in place)


Remember your keys to cammo:
1. Natural color
2. No shine. *note.... this is not telling you to paint the shiny parts inside your weapon.... those are supposed to be shiny, and therefore are on the inside where nobody's going to see them.
3. break up the unnatural lines of your rifle. Not much in nature grows in a straight line, and if it does, it does so vertically.
4. Eliminate unnatural shadows. let the light colors show on the bottom of your rifle.


*EDIT. I forgot to mention. Any sort of oil or crud will cause your paint not to stick. I clean mine with carbeurator cleaner first (The ONLY time that stuff gets near my rifle), and then wipe with dry rags until there is NOTHING left on it. NOTHING. just to get all the CLP n stuff off. Simple Green, shaving cream, or any other degreaser will work also with a HOT water bath....... just please if you love your rifle, only clean it like that once, you'll have to clean and lube the interior to ensure there's no rust afterwards.

relube it when you're done. Correct, you're not going to ever paint the inside of your receiver where the oil goes, but you really don't want any sort of residue leaking out onto any part of your rifle while painting or it'll ruin that part of the paintjob.

[tobnpr]

Good post above.

Got in a huge argument here about black in camo on another thread a while back.

Insomni is correct. Black was removed from the Universal Combat Pattern for that reason, and the fact that it stands out as "unnatural" -too dark- under night vision.

The Krylon Camo rattle can jobs are easy, wipe right off with mineral spirits if you want to remove or change the color scheme.

Put on several coats of MATTE clear coat for additional protection.

[AK103K]

Watch what paints you choose. Some are more permanent than others and can be a bitch if not impossible to get off if you change your mind later.

I used to get all technical with disassembly of the gun and parts, but after years of doing it that way, these days, I'm lazy, and have better things to do with my time. Its really not necessary for your general camo job. Now for something a little more detailed, that may be a different story. I just tape off anything I dont want paint on, like the tops of the sights, etc, and have at it.

If you have it dripping with solvent and lube, Id wipe things down with a dry rag or patches, then degrease the external parts of the gun where you intend to paint. I ususally use Gun scrubber. Do it a couple of times, and degrease your hands while youre at it, and especially just before painting.

For paints, I usually use Testors Military Flats, but lately, Ive been using Krylons flat camo colors too. I have removed both, and they do come off completely. Testors has pretty much any color you might need if youre trying to match a specific pattern. Krylon is pretty much just your basic tan, brown and green. As was mentioned, two or three coats of clear flat lacquer when youre done helps protect things and evens out the flatness.

As far as the black thing, and contrary to some opinions, there are a lot of things in nature that are "black". There are a lot of other things that are close enough in the color spectrum to be considered to be black, so if youre trying to mimic something along those lines, it can be appropriate.

Personally, I spray the whole gun in the lightest color as a base. From there, I usually then go light to dark with the other colors. Some patterns work better with a brush, others work OK with patterns. Lately, as Im again, lazy, Ive just been using sheets of printer paper with random patterns cut out.

Brownells has some video tips that are worth watching. They are geared towards Aluma Hyde II (good paint, but basically permanent), but they work well with everything else too.

Right side of the page under "learn more".....

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1...MA-HYDE-reg-II

Just be aware, this tends to become addictive. Once you get a couple under your belt, youre likely to be painting everything in sight.

This was my last, my M&P in Multicam....

[Sinlessorrow]

Thanks for all the awesome inpu everyone.

Last question is rustoleum ok for barrels? I have a ton of colors of rustoleum so i wouldnt be out of pocket any

[bigkrackers]

I bought a few cans of Aervoe and basically did what others have posted here.

[insomni]

I don't really see any problem with Rustoleum.... just make sure it's a matte enamel, glossy looks good on cars and outdoor furniture, bad on a gun in the woods.

If you want to remove the paint though, as mentioned by a couple other guys in this thread, it might not come off as easily as the Krylon Cammo. to test this, I'd paint some non rusty scrap metal, let it sit, and then try to remove it with mineral oil and greenpads.

If you're cool with not taking the paint off, it shouldn't matter. Most spraypaints are enamel paints anyway, which is what you want.


also I freehand my gear cammo jobs, but if you want here are some stencils
http://www.krylon.com/pdf/CamouflageStencils.pdf




AK, I've said it before, I'll say it again. I love your invisible rifle!!!!!

[AK103K]

Thanks.

Heres a couple more.....

[Palmetto-Pride]

Here's a solid Khaki color lower I did with Rustoleum. Not very impressive compared to the others.

[Sinlessorrow]

all of the rust-oleum I have is the automobile primer, now it says not to use on metal that gets above 200*F but I have not seen a reason to this.

[Benji2012]

i have a llama .45 that i was looking to practice on before i paint my AR. has anyone tried painting a pistol before?

[insomni]

no but I imagine the principles are the same: Wad everything a bullet passes through, and tape /cover/ remove any moving parts, or shiny surfaces.

[AK103K]

I havent had any troubles with paint and heat, even on guns with big mags and shooting them until to hot to touch the barrels.

If I was gong to paint a handgun, or a rifle/shotgun for a more traditional look, Id probably use one of the more permanent paints as they tend to be more durable. Ive used Brownells Aluma hyde I with good luck on a couple of guns, and a bunch of other stuff, and it works well. Its pretty tough stuff once cured. You do have to follow the directions to the letter for best results. If you dont, it might get ugly.

[Benji2012]

thanks everybody i'm going to paint it friday after work and i'll post some before and after pics.

[AK103K]

Cool!

Have fun, the fist one is always the hardest, and the hardest part isnt actually doing it, its getting up the nerve for that first push on the nozzle.

[ColtCommando]

I was researching how to paint an AR-15 when I found this old thread. I found insomni's post in particular to be a very informative how-to on the topic. I realize there are many videos on the topic online at this point, but some of us are old fashioned and would just assume print the high points and take them to the workshop for reference. Keeping with that concept, I decided to rearrange insomni's original post so that it read more like an instruction manual. I in no way take credit for the content. Hopefully this helps someone.

Instructions for painting your M4

Supplies
• 3-4 colors of matte, flat, or ultra flat camo spray paint, such as Krylon or Rustoleum. Choose colors that best match your operational environment and avoid black.
• Painters/masking tape.
• Wadding. Newspaper, paper towels, and cotton balls make good wadding.
• Whatever you're going to use to make your pattern: pine boughs, yeti net, leaves, etc. The best nets to use have 1/4-1/2" spacing between the threads.


Preparation

Wad the muzzle brake tightly with a cotton ball or soft ear.

Wad the inside of the receiver TIGHTLY, ESPECIALLY the chamber. Wad the magazine well. Remove trigger assembly if you are comfortable in RELIABLY reassembling it. Otherwise, use wadding and masking tape to cover the trigger assembly. Stuff wadding tightly into the buffer tube. Remove bolt assembly, buffer assembly, and charging handle. Close your dust cover and tape on the INSIDE to seal the gap.

For the charging handle, tape the body of it and leave the actual handle unmasked.

Iron sights can be left on and painted with a thin coat.

Any optics should be removed, wadded, masked and painted separately.

Remove the buttstock and paint separately from the rest of the weapon.

Paint your weapon with the upper and lower receivers wadded, but still assembled so you get continuity of pattern.

Any sort of oil or crud will cause the paint not to stick. Clean interior and exterior surfaces with carburetor cleaner, then wipe with dry rags until there is NOTHING left on the surface. Clean and lube the interior after painting to prevent rust.

Technique

1. Work on one side of the rifle at a time. Put your base layer down. If you're making leaves or pine needles, this should be the color you want the leaves to be. This will be your "top" layer (even though you put it on first). Spray it evenly and THINLY over the whole rifle. Wait for it to dry, then put on a second coat. This coat does well as OD green for woodland, beige for desert.

2. Apply your texture material. This is your pine needles, net, whatever. Try not to place them evenly. This is especially true for netting. It will look really nice, but stands out if the net is evenly stretched. This is applied by laying the material over the weapon. Play around with combinations using a piece of scrap cardboard or old plywood to perfect your color combo and technique before going to town on your rifle. Figure out a color combination you want FIRST. If you want dark leaves, put the dark paint on as a base coat, and then follow up with lighter colors.

3. Apply darker green and brown in a tiger stripe pattern to disrupt the horizontal lines of the rifle. You're going to apply this paint over the leaves or net, so don't use your prized fishing net or anything like that. You can get creative with how you apply these colors.

4. Let it dry, then do the other side. Thin coats are the key to it not flaking. Note: spray paint doesn't have the endurance of the finishes on guns, so it'll scrape. Expect to reapply every so often or keep the battle-worn look.

FOR OPTICS: If you want to be able to swap optics, paint them separately to avoid the weird black shadow on your upper rail. If you have a dedicated optic, you can leave it in place. Mask clear lens covers and paint with them in place.

[shrewd]

It's not a big deal, I didn't even bother stuffing anything but the flash hider; just plug the magwell with a mag, close the dust cover and you're good to go.

[tirod]

Here's the official method: http://www.peosoldier.army.mil/docs/...ainting101.pdf

Simple rules, paint only what you want to have paint on it, not things like the bolt hold open spring.

Use matte clear to keep it protected so it doesn't deteriorate quickly.

And like the pics at the beginning of the thread, do it in a scheme that is effective, like the (finally!) official and approved pattern that took years for the Army to admit was better.

Why we still can't find out who approved UCP should be treated for what it is, a blunder of scandalous proportions that milked the American taxpayer.

The M16 was not - repeat - not originally black, that was a decision made by old school Army officers who needed to see a spit and shine weapon presentation. In Vietnam SF and others applied camo and it was commonly photographed. Often new fabric from uniforms was used. Some have tried to retail "skins" to do the job, and ironically, Woodland, which is still official for tropical use, is making a comeback. Parts are available with it already applied. http://www.ar15news.com/2014/11/21/w...-distributors/

[Big Shrek]

Good old Woodland Camo might have black in it, but it still works.
My old butt breaks out the antique Army gear every hunting season, as it can still fit in it

I can safely say the deer/hogs don't know black is outdated & spotted by NVG's more easily,
as Bambi & Pumbaa ain't got NVG's...

and the Desert Storm first pattern cammies ain't worth a dang out at Eglin AFB's hunting areas.

There was a nickname for this stuff and right now I'm brainfarting as to what it was...lol!

[Brotherbadger]

Great addition to an old thread. Thanks.