Inexpensive Refinishing Options, Rem 870 and Similar

[flyboy015]

Looking to refinish my 870 Express. Like many copies out there, mine is beginning to rust even with babying and a wipe down with oil after every use. Specifically, I'd like to go with something inexpensive, as I don't currently have the money for a nice cerakote job. I've had limited experience with Brownell's proprietary Aluma-Hyde II, and I'm a fan of it, but the one color I thought about going with, their Dark Parkerizing Grey, is out of stock. I contacted a CS rep and they told me it could be two months or more before they have it in stock again. In the meantime, I figured I might explore other options. I picked up a few cans of dark gray spray paint, Krylon, Rustoleum and the like, but nothing I've painted on a test piece looks all that great. I started out wanting a matte gray finish to go with the black plastic furniture, which would still look good for a year or more down the road when I get a Boyd's American Plainsman stock and forend in their beautiful satin finish. Has anyone had any experience with any other inexpensive options?

[JoeSixpack]

What's your budget? Believe it or not flat black krylon is not only easy to apply but also looks damn good when done right..

down side is it's not particularly durable, you can toss a clear coat on top to help but most of the time is spent on prep work..the better your prep the better it will turn out.

flat paint easiest to apply, they generally lay down well, It takes some skill to apply any type of gloss.

[flyboy015]

What's your budget?

Brownell's aluma-hyde is about $14 a can, I didn't mind spending that for my AR-15 furniture. I'd say $30 probably, I have the receiver and tube, plus two barrels to do, one 18.5" and a 28" vent rib.

Flat black probably wouldn't look bad at all. I just thought maybe a little grey in there could class it up a bit.

And you're right about durability, I'd definitely bake the paint on after a 30 min air cure and then apply a clear coat once cool

For prep, I'm thinking scotch brite or 400 grit sand paper all over the barrels and receiver, wiped down thoroughly with acetone.

[Fishbed77]

Perhaps consider the aerosol can Duracote that's now available. It's about $50 per can, but will be more durable than spray paint.

[JoeSixpack]

Flyboy I think you're on the right track.

My prep is a little different, I use Harbor Freight 1200 grit wet/dry paper (it's the black stuff)

Then wipe clean, Then I use non-chlorinated (most are these days) break cleaner.
Then wipe clean again, but acetone should work just fine also.

I like to use a hot air gun to get the metal warm before spraying, Im not sure if it's necessarily but I feel like it opens the metals pores up a bit and helps the paint tack up a little faster early on.

Try to do your paint in layers, The lighter the better.
If the weather is nice I will spray a layer, let it sit in the sun all day.
next day spray another layer.. and so on.. till I get about 3 light layers.
Then I let it cure in the sun for 2-3 days weather permitting of course.

I've never done the spray and bake, I was always worried about putting it in the oven where I cook food, if you have something else or a 2nd oven that would probably work well though.

I think your prep will turn out pretty good what kinda issues are you having that it's not turning out well?
I also agree with fishbed if you're willing to put out the money there are more durable finishes out there you could try for.

although spray paint will run you like 4 bucks so the price is attractive.

[Bill DeShivs]

Metal doesn't have pores. Heating allows the first coat to dry faster.

[JoeSixpack]

Actually in a way it does most metal surfaces are not smooth even when polished..
But I guess what I mean is the metal will expand slightly when heated... or at least that's my logic.

[flyboy015]

"I like to use a hot air gun to get the metal warm before spraying, Im not sure if it's necessarily but I feel like it opens the metals pores up a bit and helps the paint tack up a little faster early on."

Completely forgot to mention that I do preheat my parts in the oven...nothing specific just hot to the touch, then allow to cool slightly. That way any other oil or grease is apparent and you can clean it and reheat to double check...that's a page I've taken from the book of Cerakote!

[T. O'Heir]

If it's rusting you need to look at where you're storing it first.
Aluma-Hyde II($23.97 on Amazon) is basically paint. It'll do the same thing a Krylon Camouflage paint kit does, but for more money.
Parkerizing is only grey if it's zinc based. It's black, if it's manganese based.

[flyboy015]

"If it's rusting you need to look at where you're storing it first."

I can understand your confusion; you must have never owned a recent (past ten years) Remington 870 Express. The finish on the Express models is junk, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. This is a home defense gun, and is kept behind the headboard of my bed, in my climate controlled bedroom. Remington's finishing techniques likely leave a lot of tiny surface flaws and impurities in their relatively cheap barrel material seem to act as a magnet for corrosion. I'm not at all upset about the fact that the gun is rusting, just to be clear. But with a new coat of paint I can stop worrying about it completely.

[ccr]

I agree the newer 870 finish is garbage. look into getting the gun Parkerized it is not costly but will prevent rust

[flyboy015]

Well, this morning I finished my paint job, reassembled the 870 and was able to relieve my AR-15 of bedside protection detail! I had decided to go with spray paint after some consideration, as I have access to my buddy's blast booth and the work could all be undone if it didn't turn out well.

Supplies included new (clean) mech's gloves, plenty of acetone and lint-free cloths, and extra-fine scotchbrite, as well as several pairs of powder-free nitrile gloves.

I don't have a "before" photo of the black oxide finish as it currently was at the start; this image was taken after I removed all rust and scruffed up the surface with the above mentioned scotchbrite. Cleaned thoroughly with acetone.

Baked the parts at 210 degrees for a hair under ten minutes to get a nice level of heat into the metal for the first light coat of paint. Allowed to cool slightly. (Cool enough to touch bare skin, though my hands were freshly gloved)



Rustoleum Hammered "Antique Pewter" ($5-something at Lowes) and Krylon Matte Clear (under $4 at Walmart) were used for the job.

Sprayed four light coats of paint in all, allowed ten minutes to set up before each next coat. Allowed a 30-min air cure, then baked the parts in the gas oven for approximately an hour at the same temp. (210 degrees) A shout-out is necessary to my loving wife, who didn't mind me using the oven for a few hours each day. I should also mention, the vapors were not terrible at all. Just kept the fan running on the over-range microwave and lit a candle.



Allowed the parts to cool; then let sit at room temp for 24 hours. Sprayed a generous coat of Matte clear and baked at 190 degrees for a half hour, allowed to cool and sit overnight.

A decent closeup shot of the finish:



I'm very happy with the way it turned out, especially for $10. I believe with the paint having been baked, it will be at least by some margin more durable than a standard air-cure rattlecan job, though only time will tell. This barrel doesn't see nearly as much action as the 28" does; I haven't touched that yet except to remove the two bead sights, I was thinking about doing something with a little metallic blue and red paint I have on hand, in addition to this Rustoleum paint, in the form of an American flag.


Cheers fellas, just wanted to share my experience with everyone!

[JoeSixpack]

need to fix your image urls.

Looks pretty decent though, I don't know about lasting a life time but I think it'll last a while.

I'd like to see an assembled shot but the close up looks pretty good.
Nicely done.

[MarkCO]

AlumaHyde II at $12 a can is the only durable finish I have tried short of CeraKote. Big fan of it. I use it on barrels and handguards on a pretty regular basis.