Would you paint an 870's barrel and reciever?

look2thehorizon · September 24, 2009, 10:01 PM

Brand new to this forum! Seems pretty cool...

I have a WingMaster (don't worry, I don't want to paint the WM!!!) and have been shooting clays and upland for a while now. I have some buddies who want me to get into ducks, and I've been training my new lab pup to be ready for this season. I'm ready to go, except... I just don't have it in me to drag my WM's walnut stock thru the muck.

A guy I know has a 870 Express Super Mag that he wants to get rid of for around $150. It shoots great, cycles great (I shot it myself) but the barrel and receiver have a bit of rust. That appears to me to be just cosmetic, but the wood stock is pretty beat up too. So I got to thinking...

My potential duck buddies are fanatical about camo. They think a black gun is like a neon sign to ducks. I disagree. Anyway, what if I bought a camo stock and forend, and some Krylon Camo spray paint, and sprayed over the rust to give the exposed metal a DIY camo paint job. I'd have a pretty decent, indestructable duck gun for under $250.

What do you think?

murphyboy88 · September 24, 2009, 10:29 PM

well i havent been here long either but i would say go for it as long as you dont get any paint in the action you should be good.being a waterfowl hunter myself i would have to disagree with your friends about a black gun.... in my experience movement is your worst enemy... if you cant hold still you will have problems... happy hunting

look2thehorizon · September 24, 2009, 11:01 PM

I guess my biggest concern is the paint chipping off. Or causing a problem with the way the gun functions.

Help a new guy out...

hogdogs · September 24, 2009, 11:05 PM

Take the bugger all the way apart... Buy some "industrial enamel" spray the receiver and barrel and put it in the oven at 170-200 for 40-60 minutes... Heck the Express is from smooth and i bet it holds up as good as engine paint....
Brent

murphyboy88 · September 24, 2009, 11:07 PM

plenty of people paint their guns .. its just a matter of doing it right.. consult a professional would be your best bet

Sarge · September 24, 2009, 11:19 PM

I'd do it in a heartbeat if the gun already had some rust, and was likely to be used where it would collect more.

murphyboy88 · September 24, 2009, 11:27 PM

id listen to sarge if i was you ... he probably has alot of firearm experience..... unless you want a gunsmith to take it, thatll cost alot anyways.. i say do it and if it doesnt work out too well then you can try again, persistence is the key

Bill DeShivs · September 25, 2009, 02:08 AM

The ducks don't care what color it is.

TxGun · September 25, 2009, 02:45 AM

Plenty of paints/coatings specifically for that purpose. Degrease it well 2-3 times and tape it off and have at it.

CajunBass · September 25, 2009, 05:07 AM

I painted my Sears/Mossberg pump gun, twenty-five years or so ago. I used some stuff called "Bowdull" made oddly enough for bows, and it worked like a champ. I just sprayed it in place and let it dry, flipped it over and did the other side. I never had a problem with it.

It looks a little worn and beat up these days but it's put more than a few deer on the ground over the years.

I'd do the same to the 870 you mentioned. I don't think "Bowdull" is around anymore, but I'm sure there is something else.

Rigby1962 · September 25, 2009, 05:11 AM

I could never bring myself to paint a gun, not even the lowliest junk. I would strip the stock stain it with dark walnut and finish it with mat urethane. The metal I would steel wool the rust and cold blue.

NickySantoro · September 25, 2009, 08:05 AM

I've had good luck refinishing some real dogs with Alumahide II. Check Brownells.

Lee Lapin · September 25, 2009, 04:25 PM

Shoot. Paint the stock and forearm too, don't spend $$$ on camo furniture. Just don't paint the magazine tube between the forearm and the receiver, that's where the forearm tube runs when you pump the gun and you don't want to add paint to that area. And if paint wears off, spray it some more. Gotta keep your friends happy, whether the ducks care or not

.

lpl

look2thehorizon · September 25, 2009, 04:51 PM

It sounds like good prep and finding the right coating are the keys. If it ends up looking ugly, all the better! As long as it kills ducks, it doesn't rust, and the finish doesn't peel off, that all I care about.

By the way, I build fine "furniture" (not gun stocks!) on the side. If I need to see some beautiful wood, I'll pull out my Wingmaster and shoot some pheasants...

Thanks to all for giving me the confidence to give this a try!

Chipperman · September 25, 2009, 05:11 PM

Be sure to post before and after pics.

Good luck!

Pahoo · September 25, 2009, 06:11 PM

I understand the Express is a bit on the rough side but have you considered camo, tape? At the end of the season, you can peel it back off and perhaps refinish the stock. Do you have any concerns about the rust that might still be active, under the paint? This is an option. I dress up my Remington in this manner and even give it a winter camo tape for deer season. By the way, you can fool a duck with camo but a squirrel will spot you a mile away no matter what. ...

Be Safe !!!

kozak6 · September 25, 2009, 08:27 PM

I wouldn't paint it, but that's only because I don't have much faith in my painting abilities, and I still have nightmares about some of the paintjobs I've seen.

If it's destined to be a beater shotgun, make sure you stop the rust before you paint it.

Slamfire · September 25, 2009, 08:30 PM

Paint, varnish, for centuries they have been used as rust barriers.

Painting is cheap compared with re bluing, and it works.

10 Beers · September 26, 2009, 09:53 AM

It's amazing what you can do with #0000 steel wool soaked with oil.

RsqVet · September 26, 2009, 11:34 PM

Sure --- paint away, Krylon is what 6 bucks a can and can be redone anytime you please, other stuff might be 25 bucks a can... on a user gun like that just spray away.

Heck what do you think our guys in the sand box do? Whatever works.

As to fears of jamming it up... heck It's an 870, unless you pour paint in the action, it will be fine.

Swampghost · September 26, 2009, 11:48 PM

They also make tapes and sleeves if you don't want to paint.

My basic premise is that if the arms value is under $500 and will not increase, paint away.

BTW, commonly used paints can be removed. Downside is that the removal process may also remove the original stock finish.

Acids WILL remove bluing as I have recently re-learned. Place expletive here.

roklok · September 27, 2009, 03:40 AM

I bought a Mossberg 500 from a guy last year for 20 bucks. The receiver was worn silver and the barrel was rusty. I sanded the rust off, and spray painted the entire gun with Krylon camo paint, in a wide "tiger stripe" pattern. I even painted the bolt and elevator. Gun works fine, and I killed a slew of ducks and specklebellies with it this spring.

For a knockabout waterfowl shotgun, it is hard to go wrong with simply painting away !

look2thehorizon · September 28, 2009, 08:51 PM

Exactly what I'm looking for, a knockaround gun that I can drop in the muck, or toss in the truck and not feel bad about it...

b.thomas · September 28, 2009, 11:32 PM

You don't need camo for duck hunting or even the flat black stuff.
People have duck hunted for more the a hundred years with shotguns just like your Wingmaster ...I know got mine just for that, thirty-five years ago!
By the Express and give a go work over with some 4/O steel wool and oil.Want to add some camo to the barrel, then check out some camo tape from Cabelas.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...set=ISO-8859-1

look2thehorizon · September 29, 2009, 04:49 PM

I shot clay with it a couple days ago and it shoots just fine, except the scratch / splinter I got on my cheek from the missing chunk of wood on the comb. The finish is all but gone near the butt pad, and the "hardwood" there doesn't feel too hard anymore.

I really think the butt stock needs replacing. It's beat up so bad that I asked the guy if he pounded tent stakes with it... He didn't deny it. Anybody think that a synthetic replacement stock and fore-end is a bad choice?

I know I don't NEED camo, but my duck buddies seem to think I do. I don't really care either way.

Roklok, does that Krylon Camo paint hold up well? It's a heckuvalot cheaper than Alumina-Hide from Brownells.

September 24, 2009, 10:01 PM	#1
look2thehorizon Junior Member Join Date: September 24, 2009 Posts: 9	Would you paint an 870's barrel and reciever? Brand new to this forum! Seems pretty cool... I have a WingMaster (don't worry, I don't want to paint the WM!!!) and have been shooting clays and upland for a while now. I have some buddies who want me to get into ducks, and I've been training my new lab pup to be ready for this season. I'm ready to go, except... I just don't have it in me to drag my WM's walnut stock thru the muck. A guy I know has a 870 Express Super Mag that he wants to get rid of for around $150. It shoots great, cycles great (I shot it myself) but the barrel and receiver have a bit of rust. That appears to me to be just cosmetic, but the wood stock is pretty beat up too. So I got to thinking... My potential duck buddies are fanatical about camo. They think a black gun is like a neon sign to ducks. I disagree. Anyway, what if I bought a camo stock and forend, and some Krylon Camo spray paint, and sprayed over the rust to give the exposed metal a DIY camo paint job. I'd have a pretty decent, indestructable duck gun for under $250. What do you think?

September 24, 2009, 11:19 PM	#6
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	I'd do it in a heartbeat if the gun already had some rust, and was likely to be used where it would collect more. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

September 25, 2009, 02:08 AM	#8
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	The ducks don't care what color it is. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

September 25, 2009, 05:07 AM	#10
CajunBass Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2005 Location: North Chesterfield, Virginia Posts: 4,767	I painted my Sears/Mossberg pump gun, twenty-five years or so ago. I used some stuff called "Bowdull" made oddly enough for bows, and it worked like a champ. I just sprayed it in place and let it dry, flipped it over and did the other side. I never had a problem with it. It looks a little worn and beat up these days but it's put more than a few deer on the ground over the years. I'd do the same to the 870 you mentioned. I don't think "Bowdull" is around anymore, but I'm sure there is something else. __________________ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

September 25, 2009, 04:25 PM	#13
Lee Lapin Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2004 Location: SE NC Posts: 1,239	Shoot. Paint the stock and forearm too, don't spend $$$ on camo furniture. Just don't paint the magazine tube between the forearm and the receiver, that's where the forearm tube runs when you pump the gun and you don't want to add paint to that area. And if paint wears off, spray it some more. Gotta keep your friends happy, whether the ducks care or not . lpl __________________ Mindset - Skillset - Toolset. In that order! Attitude and skill will get you through times of no gear, better than gear will get you through times of no attitude and no skill.

September 24, 2009, 10:29 PM	#2
murphyboy88 Member Join Date: September 23, 2009 Location: helena montana Posts: 81	well i havent been here long either but i would say go for it as long as you dont get any paint in the action you should be good.being a waterfowl hunter myself i would have to disagree with your friends about a black gun.... in my experience movement is your worst enemy... if you cant hold still you will have problems... happy hunting

September 24, 2009, 11:01 PM	#3
look2thehorizon Junior Member Join Date: September 24, 2009 Posts: 9	I guess my biggest concern is the paint chipping off. Or causing a problem with the way the gun functions. Help a new guy out...

September 24, 2009, 11:05 PM	#4
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Take the bugger all the way apart... Buy some "industrial enamel" spray the receiver and barrel and put it in the oven at 170-200 for 40-60 minutes... Heck the Express is from smooth and i bet it holds up as good as engine paint.... Brent

September 24, 2009, 11:07 PM	#5
murphyboy88 Member Join Date: September 23, 2009 Location: helena montana Posts: 81	plenty of people paint their guns .. its just a matter of doing it right.. consult a professional would be your best bet

September 24, 2009, 11:27 PM	#7
murphyboy88 Member Join Date: September 23, 2009 Location: helena montana Posts: 81	id listen to sarge if i was you ... he probably has alot of firearm experience..... unless you want a gunsmith to take it, thatll cost alot anyways.. i say do it and if it doesnt work out too well then you can try again, persistence is the key

September 25, 2009, 02:45 AM	#9
TxGun Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2008 Location: Family ranch - Central TX. Posts: 467	Plenty of paints/coatings specifically for that purpose. Degrease it well 2-3 times and tape it off and have at it.

September 25, 2009, 05:11 AM	#11
Rigby1962 Senior Member Join Date: June 26, 2007 Posts: 264	I could never bring myself to paint a gun, not even the lowliest junk. I would strip the stock stain it with dark walnut and finish it with mat urethane. The metal I would steel wool the rust and cold blue.

September 25, 2009, 08:05 AM	#12
NickySantoro Junior member Join Date: July 14, 2008 Posts: 217	I've had good luck refinishing some real dogs with Alumahide II. Check Brownells.

September 25, 2009, 04:51 PM	#14
look2thehorizon Junior Member Join Date: September 24, 2009 Posts: 9	It sounds like good prep and finding the right coating are the keys. If it ends up looking ugly, all the better! As long as it kills ducks, it doesn't rust, and the finish doesn't peel off, that all I care about. By the way, I build fine "furniture" (not gun stocks!) on the side. If I need to see some beautiful wood, I'll pull out my Wingmaster and shoot some pheasants... Thanks to all for giving me the confidence to give this a try!

September 25, 2009, 05:11 PM	#15
Chipperman Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2000 Location: Live Free or Die, Baby! Posts: 1,550	Be sure to post before and after pics. Good luck!

September 25, 2009, 06:11 PM	#16
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	I understand the Express is a bit on the rough side but have you considered camo, tape? At the end of the season, you can peel it back off and perhaps refinish the stock. Do you have any concerns about the rust that might still be active, under the paint? This is an option. I dress up my Remington in this manner and even give it a winter camo tape for deer season. By the way, you can fool a duck with camo but a squirrel will spot you a mile away no matter what. ... Be Safe !!!

September 25, 2009, 08:27 PM	#17
kozak6 Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2005 Location: AZ Posts: 3,113	I wouldn't paint it, but that's only because I don't have much faith in my painting abilities, and I still have nightmares about some of the paintjobs I've seen. If it's destined to be a beater shotgun, make sure you stop the rust before you paint it.

September 25, 2009, 08:30 PM	#18
Slamfire Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Posts: 5,261	Paint, varnish, for centuries they have been used as rust barriers. Painting is cheap compared with re bluing, and it works.

September 26, 2009, 09:53 AM	#19
10 Beers Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2008 Location: Paradise(South Florida) Posts: 343	It's amazing what you can do with #0000 steel wool soaked with oil. __________________ I got a fever, and the only cure is more guns. Ya wanna go shootin' tomarrow?

September 26, 2009, 11:34 PM	#20
RsqVet Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2005 Posts: 2,474	Sure --- paint away, Krylon is what 6 bucks a can and can be redone anytime you please, other stuff might be 25 bucks a can... on a user gun like that just spray away. Heck what do you think our guys in the sand box do? Whatever works. As to fears of jamming it up... heck It's an 870, unless you pour paint in the action, it will be fine.

September 26, 2009, 11:48 PM	#21
Swampghost Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: Florida, east coast Posts: 2,106	They also make tapes and sleeves if you don't want to paint. My basic premise is that if the arms value is under $500 and will not increase, paint away. BTW, commonly used paints can be removed. Downside is that the removal process may also remove the original stock finish. Acids WILL remove bluing as I have recently re-learned. Place expletive here. __________________ NRA Patron Member

September 27, 2009, 03:40 AM	#22
roklok Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2008 Location: Fort Yukon, Alaska Posts: 735	I bought a Mossberg 500 from a guy last year for 20 bucks. The receiver was worn silver and the barrel was rusty. I sanded the rust off, and spray painted the entire gun with Krylon camo paint, in a wide "tiger stripe" pattern. I even painted the bolt and elevator. Gun works fine, and I killed a slew of ducks and specklebellies with it this spring. For a knockabout waterfowl shotgun, it is hard to go wrong with simply painting away !

September 28, 2009, 08:51 PM	#23
look2thehorizon Junior Member Join Date: September 24, 2009 Posts: 9	Exactly what I'm looking for, a knockaround gun that I can drop in the muck, or toss in the truck and not feel bad about it...

September 28, 2009, 11:32 PM	#24
b.thomas Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Posts: 461	You don't need camo for duck hunting or even the flat black stuff. People have duck hunted for more the a hundred years with shotguns just like your Wingmaster ...I know got mine just for that, thirty-five years ago! By the Express and give a go work over with some 4/O steel wool and oil.Want to add some camo to the barrel, then check out some camo tape from Cabelas. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...set=ISO-8859-1

September 29, 2009, 04:49 PM	#25
look2thehorizon Junior Member Join Date: September 24, 2009 Posts: 9	I shot clay with it a couple days ago and it shoots just fine, except the scratch / splinter I got on my cheek from the missing chunk of wood on the comb. The finish is all but gone near the butt pad, and the "hardwood" there doesn't feel too hard anymore. I really think the butt stock needs replacing. It's beat up so bad that I asked the guy if he pounded tent stakes with it... He didn't deny it. Anybody think that a synthetic replacement stock and fore-end is a bad choice? I know I don't NEED camo, but my duck buddies seem to think I do. I don't really care either way. Roklok, does that Krylon Camo paint hold up well? It's a heckuvalot cheaper than Alumina-Hide from Brownells.