What kind of paint for a gun?

oldcars · May 26, 2011, 04:27 PM

Hi, I am in the middle of my first 2 Mauser builds and one of the rifles has a few parts that are pitted, etc. Long story short, I want to Paint the rifle for now because I don't really have the extra money to blue it, and I don't want to wait 2 weeks for shipping and spend all the money to buy duracoat and everything that is involved in that process. I will be bead blasting the barreled action, bottom metal, bolt shroud, and scope mount and then painting them flat black.

Has anyone done this before? What is the best Paint to use that can be obtained locally at a hardware or department store ? I was thinking BBQ paint or woodstove paint? any other ideas? I will wait for a warm day and heat the parts first, and spray light thin coats, but any other tricks?

I know this won't be as durrable as Duracoat or Bluing, but I just need something that will be in-expensive and work for now while I see if the gun even shoots well !

If it matters, the gun is a dinged up but #'s matching "byf 42" mod.98 with a 7mm-08 A&B 24" barrel , Parker Hale trigger,old pitted FN bolt shroud, old pitted Leupold 1 piece mount & rings, & a Parker Hale stock.

GURU1911 · May 26, 2011, 04:54 PM

I would suggest you consider one of the high-temp spray coatings used on engines & exhaust headers. Consult with the fellows at napa / o-reilly / auto zone or a paint and body shop which does engine powder-coatings. Be sure to degrease the metal very well before spraying. Good luck & report back to the forum readers how the project turned out.

Guru1911

dlb435 · May 27, 2011, 07:41 AM

Use Gun Kote (Brownell's http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1...RE__GUN_FINISH )
This stuff stinks like heck when it's in the oven. Be sure to get the little ladies permission first or build a small oven to cure the peice outside.

Don P · May 27, 2011, 11:19 AM

I tried header paint on a barrel and the cleaning solvents we use WILL take the paint off.

GURU1911 · May 27, 2011, 09:56 PM

Send your pistol to "robar" or "coal creek armory" and have your pistol properly plated with a coating that meets your personal requirements. The "robar np3" is my personal favorite !!!

Guru1911

oldcars · May 28, 2011, 12:55 AM

Well, it's a barreled Mauser action so it won't fit in the oven. I blued the other one I am building but I don't want to spend the money to blue this one right now, plus some of the parts were pitted so I am just going to Blast it and paint it with something. I won't try header paint!

Geezerbiker · May 28, 2011, 08:27 AM

Have you considered DuraCoat? I bought some for my Mauser .308 tactical/varmint rifle but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. I plan to soda blast all the parts then spray it on with an airbrush. The nice thing about DuraCoat is that it's a 2 part epoxy that doesn't have to be baked on...

Tony

chadstrickland · May 28, 2011, 09:16 AM

Since it cannot fit in the oven..and this is something to do in a fix..get some baking laqure ( idk how to spell it ) from brownells and use a heat gun

..its works ok.not as good as a oven tho and it doesn't take as long as that duro kote ..but its not as good..imo

Crazy Reformer · May 30, 2011, 10:29 PM

I was hoping that there was more discussion on this topic because my M93/1916 that I bought 42years ago looks like it was painted with a high gloss black paint. All of the metal parts except for the bolt look like they were painted not blued,the coating started to chip on the magazine follower so I removed what acted like paint and revealed a nicly blued follower. Has anyone ever seen this before?

Edward429451 · May 31, 2011, 12:08 AM

Wallyworld sells Milspec Krylon in a spray can. It worked great on my shotgun.

Clark · May 31, 2011, 01:53 AM

This is what I use:
http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct....24&sid=1917830

It is about $4/ spray can at the local hardware store.

It will peel right off highly polished steel, and it will stick like glue and wear like iron on a clean rough finish.

I use it on stainless steel barrels and fiber glass stocks.

GURU1911 · May 31, 2011, 09:35 AM

Ye-haw, but that looks good. I assume you only had to let it air dry. Keep us guys posted on how well it wears & holds up over time. I would be interested in giving this a try one day.

Thanks for sharing with the shooters of this forum.

Guru1911

candr44 · May 31, 2011, 09:37 AM

Engine paint holds up well to solvents. Lowe's also sells Rustoleum Profesional High Performance Enamel paint in a spray can that holds up well. It comes in a taller than usual can and I have only seen it in stainless steel and flat black. I've used both of these paints on a couple rifles and the Rustoleum paint seems to hold up better.

There are appliance epoxy paints and high temperature epoxy paints for brake calipers that seem to hold up well but I haven't tried them on a gun.

oldcars · June 1, 2011, 10:04 PM

Thanks for all the info guys!

Mobuck · June 3, 2011, 10:07 PM

Krylon is my choice for Bubba specials.

jglenn · June 10, 2011, 02:27 PM

Cerakote is easily the best and hardest paint you can apply by yourself.

goes on super thin. no runs at all and is hard as nails once it's heat cured.

you can make yourself a heat box quite easily if you need a long heating box.

Mr. Whimsy · June 25, 2011, 10:38 AM

Interesting... will Krylon or engine paint stay on if the parts are not "roughened"?

Also, thanks to all the posters who didn't actually read the question and suggested "Duracoat" or other expensive coatings like Robar NP3 despite the OP's desire to do this on the cheap.

oneoldsap · June 25, 2011, 11:58 AM

Benjamin-Moore acrylic latex , applied with a Brush of course !

dday1203 · May 18, 2012, 10:45 PM

I have RUSTOLEUM paint on barrels many times. I like to use the fine textured kind and follow up with a clear coat enamel. It holds up quite well.

nice thing is if it gets chipped you can fix it up fairly easily

edward5759 · May 19, 2012, 02:33 PM

I just converted several Mausers "Spanish Flat bottoms 1892" to 257 Roberts. one was pretty bad with pits.
I was at Harbor Freight and bought one of their little air brush kits for $ 12.00 to 14.00 Dollars. then ordered some Dura Coat from Brownells. "Woodland green" was the color.
I sprayed several cotes and let it sit 15 to 20 minuets between coats, it was almost 100 degrees outside here in Arizona. so it dried quickly.
I then let them sit in a corner for several weeks to cure.
It came out so nice I did three more of the Mauser actions.
on clean-up the thing I did wrong was I used Acetone in the plastic cup that came with the air brush.
I then used a paint reducer from an auto paint store and it worked great.
I jeweled the bolts and then drilled and taped the receivers. Three of them I sold for $425.00 each!
The forth I gave to a 14 year old boy who was interested in shooting and hunting. I made a reloading die for an arbor press, like a lee classic. Mom keeps the bolt

Have fun that's the important thing!

Ed

plateshooter · May 20, 2012, 04:53 AM

I have used Krylon truck bed liner paint on several guns. Spray it on and wait until you can not smell any solvent from the painted surface to be sure it is completely cured. Takes about a week if I remember correctly. Works great on metal and plastic stocks as well.

Mrgunsngear · May 20, 2012, 07:03 AM

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Alumahyde II. IMO, it's the best do it yourself finishe that doesn't require baking. As long as you let it cure for a week or two, it'll last a long, long time...

Jo6pak · May 20, 2012, 10:26 AM

+1 on Duracoat

They have a new shake and spray system that is as easy as spray paint.

tobnpr · May 20, 2012, 10:52 AM

Year old thread....

jimisbell · May 20, 2012, 06:26 PM

I just painted a Stevens 820B with Rustoleum. The client didnt want to spring for bluing or duracote or cerecote. Hell the gun isnt worth more that $125 in good shape. And this was not in good shape. I have to replace two springs in it and he wanted it "refinished". If he were not a friend I would have turned down the job, but even after telling him it wasnt worth the time or money he wanted "something done" so I suggested a coat of Rustoleum. It looks prety good so far.

May 26, 2011, 04:27 PM	#1
oldcars Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2007 Posts: 375	What kind of paint for a gun? Hi, I am in the middle of my first 2 Mauser builds and one of the rifles has a few parts that are pitted, etc. Long story short, I want to Paint the rifle for now because I don't really have the extra money to blue it, and I don't want to wait 2 weeks for shipping and spend all the money to buy duracoat and everything that is involved in that process. I will be bead blasting the barreled action, bottom metal, bolt shroud, and scope mount and then painting them flat black. Has anyone done this before? What is the best Paint to use that can be obtained locally at a hardware or department store ? I was thinking BBQ paint or woodstove paint? any other ideas? I will wait for a warm day and heat the parts first, and spray light thin coats, but any other tricks? I know this won't be as durrable as Duracoat or Bluing, but I just need something that will be in-expensive and work for now while I see if the gun even shoots well ! If it matters, the gun is a dinged up but #'s matching "byf 42" mod.98 with a 7mm-08 A&B 24" barrel , Parker Hale trigger,old pitted FN bolt shroud, old pitted Leupold 1 piece mount & rings, & a Parker Hale stock.

May 26, 2011, 04:54 PM	#2
GURU1911 Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2010 Location: SEALY, THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS Posts: 501	Paint job for your rifle I would suggest you consider one of the high-temp spray coatings used on engines & exhaust headers. Consult with the fellows at napa / o-reilly / auto zone or a paint and body shop which does engine powder-coatings. Be sure to degrease the metal very well before spraying. Good luck & report back to the forum readers how the project turned out. Guru1911 __________________ NRA LIFE MEMBER (1984) & PRESIDENT: S.W. LA. R&P CLUB, LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA (1994-1999) METALLIC CARTRIDGE RELOADER (1977) & GENTILE CHRISTIAN ZIONIST INFIDEL !!! "THERE AIN'T TOO MANY THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T FIX, WITH $500 DOLLARS OR A .30-06"

May 27, 2011, 11:19 AM	#4
Don P Senior Member Join Date: December 17, 2005 Location: Swamp dweller Posts: 6,187	I tried header paint on a barrel and the cleaning solvents we use *WILL* take the paint off. __________________ *NRA Life Member, NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, NRA Certified Pistol Instructor,, USPSA & Steel Challange NROI Range Officer, ICORE Range Officer, ,MAG 40 Graduate* *As you are, I once was, As I am, You will be.*

May 27, 2011, 09:56 PM	#5
GURU1911 Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2010 Location: SEALY, THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS Posts: 501	Send your pistol to "robar" or "coal creek armory" and have your pistol properly plated with a coating that meets your personal requirements. The "robar np3" is my personal favorite !!! Guru1911 __________________ NRA LIFE MEMBER (1984) & PRESIDENT: S.W. LA. R&P CLUB, LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA (1994-1999) METALLIC CARTRIDGE RELOADER (1977) & GENTILE CHRISTIAN ZIONIST INFIDEL !!! "THERE AIN'T TOO MANY THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T FIX, WITH $500 DOLLARS OR A .30-06"

May 28, 2011, 09:16 AM	#8
chadstrickland Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2011 Location: alabama Posts: 537	Since it cannot fit in the oven..and this is something to do in a fix..get some baking laqure ( idk how to spell it ) from brownells and use a heat gun ..its works ok.not as good as a oven tho and it doesn't take as long as that duro kote ..but its not as good..imo __________________ Two weapons that was designed by the same man still in use by the us military 100 years later...1911 and m2...is there anything that comes close.....lol annd maybe perhaps a sig sauer p226 tac ops edition..

May 27, 2011, 07:41 AM	#3
dlb435 Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2009 Posts: 654	Use Gun Kote (Brownell's http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1...RE__GUN_FINISH ) This stuff stinks like heck when it's in the oven. Be sure to get the little ladies permission first or build a small oven to cure the peice outside.

May 28, 2011, 12:55 AM	#6
oldcars Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2007 Posts: 375	Well, it's a barreled Mauser action so it won't fit in the oven. I blued the other one I am building but I don't want to spend the money to blue this one right now, plus some of the parts were pitted so I am just going to Blast it and paint it with something. I won't try header paint!

May 28, 2011, 08:27 AM	#7
Geezerbiker Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2011 Location: Willamina, OR Posts: 1,908	Have you considered DuraCoat? I bought some for my Mauser .308 tactical/varmint rifle but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. I plan to soda blast all the parts then spray it on with an airbrush. The nice thing about DuraCoat is that it's a 2 part epoxy that doesn't have to be baked on... Tony

May 30, 2011, 10:29 PM	#9
Crazy Reformer Junior Member Join Date: May 17, 2011 Location: Kaysville,Utah Posts: 8	Paint for a gun I was hoping that there was more discussion on this topic because my M93/1916 that I bought 42years ago looks like it was painted with a high gloss black paint. All of the metal parts except for the bolt look like they were painted not blued,the coating started to chip on the magazine follower so I removed what acted like paint and revealed a nicly blued follower. Has anyone ever seen this before?

May 31, 2011, 12:08 AM	#10
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	Wallyworld sells Milspec Krylon in a spray can. It worked great on my shotgun.

May 31, 2011, 09:35 AM	#12
GURU1911 Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2010 Location: SEALY, THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS Posts: 501	Attention: Mr. Clark Ye-haw, but that looks good. I assume you only had to let it air dry. Keep us guys posted on how well it wears & holds up over time. I would be interested in giving this a try one day. Thanks for sharing with the shooters of this forum. Guru1911 __________________ NRA LIFE MEMBER (1984) & PRESIDENT: S.W. LA. R&P CLUB, LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA (1994-1999) METALLIC CARTRIDGE RELOADER (1977) & GENTILE CHRISTIAN ZIONIST INFIDEL !!! "THERE AIN'T TOO MANY THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T FIX, WITH $500 DOLLARS OR A .30-06"

May 31, 2011, 09:37 AM	#13
candr44 Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2006 Posts: 481	Engine paint holds up well to solvents. Lowe's also sells Rustoleum Profesional High Performance Enamel paint in a spray can that holds up well. It comes in a taller than usual can and I have only seen it in stainless steel and flat black. I've used both of these paints on a couple rifles and the Rustoleum paint seems to hold up better. There are appliance epoxy paints and high temperature epoxy paints for brake calipers that seem to hold up well but I haven't tried them on a gun.

June 1, 2011, 10:04 PM	#14
oldcars Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2007 Posts: 375	Thanks for all the info guys!

June 3, 2011, 10:07 PM	#15
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	Krylon is my choice for Bubba specials.

June 10, 2011, 02:27 PM	#16
jglenn Member Join Date: May 22, 2009 Location: Georgia Posts: 56	paint Cerakote is easily the best and hardest paint you can apply by yourself. goes on super thin. no runs at all and is hard as nails once it's heat cured. you can make yourself a heat box quite easily if you need a long heating box.

June 25, 2011, 10:38 AM	#17
Mr. Whimsy Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2010 Posts: 147	Interesting... will Krylon or engine paint stay on if the parts are not "roughened"? Also, thanks to all the posters who didn't actually read the question and suggested "Duracoat" or other expensive coatings like Robar NP3 despite the OP's desire to do this on the cheap.

June 25, 2011, 11:58 AM	#18
oneoldsap Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2009 Location: I live in the foot of the Green Mountains of Vermont Posts: 1,602	Benjamin-Moore acrylic latex , applied with a Brush of course !

May 18, 2012, 10:45 PM	#19
dday1203 Junior Member Join Date: May 18, 2012 Posts: 1	rustoleum I have RUSTOLEUM paint on barrels many times. I like to use the fine textured kind and follow up with a clear coat enamel. It holds up quite well. nice thing is if it gets chipped you can fix it up fairly easily

May 19, 2012, 02:33 PM	#20
edward5759 Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2009 Location: Phoenix, AZ. 30 miles from water, two feet from Hell. Posts: 355	I just converted several Mausers "Spanish Flat bottoms 1892" to 257 Roberts. one was pretty bad with pits. I was at Harbor Freight and bought one of their little air brush kits for $ 12.00 to 14.00 Dollars. then ordered some Dura Coat from Brownells. "Woodland green" was the color. I sprayed several cotes and let it sit 15 to 20 minuets between coats, it was almost 100 degrees outside here in Arizona. so it dried quickly. I then let them sit in a corner for several weeks to cure. It came out so nice I did three more of the Mauser actions. on clean-up the thing I did wrong was I used Acetone in the plastic cup that came with the air brush. I then used a paint reducer from an auto paint store and it worked great. I jeweled the bolts and then drilled and taped the receivers. Three of them I sold for $425.00 each! The forth I gave to a 14 year old boy who was interested in shooting and hunting. I made a reloading die for an arbor press, like a lee classic. Mom keeps the bolt Have fun that's the important thing! Ed __________________ Failure is part of success! This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!" -Adolf Hitler,1935"

May 20, 2012, 04:53 AM	#21
plateshooter Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 1999 Location: N.E. Ohio Posts: 522	I have used Krylon truck bed liner paint on several guns. Spray it on and wait until you can not smell any solvent from the painted surface to be sure it is completely cured. Takes about a week if I remember correctly. Works great on metal and plastic stocks as well. __________________ Make a hole

May 20, 2012, 07:03 AM	#22
Mrgunsngear Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2011 Location: Carolina Posts: 3,415	I'm surprised no one has mentioned Alumahyde II. IMO, it's the best do it yourself finishe that doesn't require baking. As long as you let it cure for a week or two, it'll last a long, long time... __________________ Mrgunsngear Youtube Channel

May 20, 2012, 10:26 AM	#23
Jo6pak Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2010 Location: West Coast...of WI Posts: 1,663	+1 on Duracoat They have a new shake and spray system that is as easy as spray paint. __________________ NRA Life Member, SAF contributor.

May 20, 2012, 10:52 AM	#24
tobnpr Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2010 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 4,556	Year old thread....

May 20, 2012, 06:26 PM	#25
jimisbell Member Join Date: May 19, 2012 Location: Third Coast Posts: 24	I just painted a Stevens 820B with Rustoleum. The client didnt want to spring for bluing or duracote or cerecote. Hell the gun isnt worth more that $125 in good shape. And this was not in good shape. I have to replace two springs in it and he wanted it "refinished". If he were not a friend I would have turned down the job, but even after telling him it wasnt worth the time or money he wanted "something done" so I suggested a coat of Rustoleum. It looks prety good so far. __________________ If you are NOT living on the edge, well then, you are just taking up too much space.