TO Paint or NOT to Paint

[EDELWEISS]

Ive been painting my "Tactical" guns for years. Sometimes its just "rattle can variable" to break up a long black rifle and sometimes its "look at me cool" Rhodesian Land Rover green and Baby puke yellow on a A5 done with an old sock (like the originals) and well done Tiger stripes to match the "Roach's" M79 from Apocalypse Now on a cut down 10ga. Ive never do it on a (4 leg) hunting gun; but Ive sorta got the urge.

It all started when I bought a Rem 700 for my wife who decided she wanted something else. My first step was to grab a MagPul Hunter stock, then I decided I didnt like the sporter barrel in that stock. I decided to go back to the original stock and give it some special treatment by shortening the barrel and doing some other "tactical" treatment. That one turned out so well, now Im looking hard at my Tikka that I use for deer hunting. I know its kinda silly, its not like I'll be crawling through tall grass...

Ive never made the leap to a professional Cerakote cammo job. Part of me likes the way rattle can looks better as"wears" for tactical stuff and part really likes a pimped out finely done custom work.

Do you paint?

 

[Red Leg]

Never

But then the whole civilian "tactical" thing doesn't interest me very much.

 

[EDELWEISS]

Never

But then the whole civilian "tactical" thing doesn't interest me very much.

Hahaha, spend a shift or two with me in the Land of Freddie Gray and you might change your mind on the tactical thing and see whay a AR is never more than a step or two away (On and Off duty)... but this is about hunting, so I get your point

Best

 

[Red Leg]

Hahaha, spend a shift or two with me in the Land of Freddie Gray and you might change your mind on the tactical thing and see whay a AR is never more than a step or two away (On and Off duty)... but this is about hunting, so I get your point

Best

Lol - point taken. Be careful out there.

 

[mdwest]

I used to paint my "tactical" stuff.. but havent done it in a long time.. even then Im not really sure it was practical or served a whole lot of purpose (even when being used in a "tactical" situation..)..

$4.99 cans of krylon was all I ever used.. served the purpose and was inexpensive, and quick and easy to do..

I have used flat black alumihyde to refinish a couple of old hunting rifles and a mid 50's built m1 carbine over the years.. its not nearly as pretty as a professionally done hot blue or as clean looking as a professionally done cerakote or duracoat job.. but.. for $14.99 it doesnt look bad at all.. and can bring an old worn beater back to life a little bit.. and offers good rust prevention and actually wears really well if you bake it after application...

 

[gizmo]

I spent almost 2 years building a custom 300 win mag myself at home. As soon as I can I plan on duracoating it in flat coyote tan and some flat OD green.

 

[Velo Dog]

Here in Alaska, painted rifles, to fight against rust and wood stock swelling up in bad weather, are not unusual at all.
I've not seen any expensive rifles done in paint, only very affordable models but plenty of those for sure.
A walk through any gun show here will usually turn up one or more
"Rustolium " spray painted black or green Remington 700, Savage 110, Winchester push feed M70, Marlin lever action and so forth.

 

[EDELWEISS]

...
A walk through any gun show here will usually turn up one or more
"Rustolium " spray painted black or green .....

Ive had a couple guns "refinished" with black Cerakote, but nothing fancy, although its tempting to "do" a LOOK AT ME custom piece. Truthfully I do try to do my own LOOK AT ME work, and so far I have met my standards, my Rhodesian A5 looks 'ruff because thats the way they really looked. My other Picasso's look better (at least to me), because I took my time deciding what I wanted and how I wanted to accomplish it.

Ive never "bought into" the idea that its necessary for hunting game, Im sure some think its important; but I figure me stalking close was more of a clue than a Mossy Oak or Dirty Girl stock. To me, painting is just one more thing that extends the hunt, like the 100s of lists I make and add to and tear up and scribble in the margins when prepping for the "next hunting trip".

I havent done it to my double rifles or my single shots, they are classic just the way they are; but I have on occasion considered having oak leaves and acorns carved into the stock...and as to the gunshow masterpieces, well my experience is that they arent for sale because of the art work???

 

[curtism1234]

I recently picked up a 2nd synthetic stock for my Savage 110 and bought some sandpaper, primer, and texture rattle cans. I just have not been motivated to take this on this past fall and it will likely wait till the spring now when the weather is warmer.

Question:

How much does paint/clear thickness affect free floating the barrel? Is it wise to relieve some of the stock to compensate or does it not matter?

Thanks

 

[Ray B]

The "tactical" rifle that I have is a SIG with FDE stocks- seems it stands for Flat Dirt Earth, anyway it's light brown, non-reflective. I see no reason to interrupt the lines by adding additional splotches of color, but then it's your gun so you can have it the way you want.

 

[EDELWEISS]

...How much does paint/clear thickness affect free floating the barrel? Is it wise to relieve some of the stock to compensate or does it not matter?

Thanks

How'bout just covering the barrel channel (and anything else you dont want painted) with masking tape???

 

[curtism1234]

How'bout just covering the barrel channel (and anything else you dont want painted) with masking tape???

Yes, that is the overall plan. My concern was just the outer edge of the stock now touching the barrel. I'd like to hit that as to not have a fine line of unfinished stock showing, but I suppose i'll shoot the rifle first and sand down a little if it causes problems.

 

[rookhawk]

@curtism1234 you'd be amazed how often free floated barrels are actually binding but shoot perfectly. Then you remove the stock, clear obstruction and they don't shoot well anymore. For typical hunting distances free float matters little. Some of my best guns have a set screw unfloating the barrel to provide a specific tension point on the barrel for repeatable harmonics.

Most important thing in my opinion is to torque your screws precisely. I'd either float completely or not at all with your paint project. I'd like to see a dollar bill slide freely at all temps, at all angles, and regardless of the downward tension you apply to the fore end when shouldered off sticks, free hand or prone.

Enjoy chasing gremlins, it's a total chore I've experienced myself!

 

[EDELWEISS]

Well I did it! Im always so nervous before and then I get a case of manic motivation. I decided to go with a tiger stripe design. Since I was staring with a black Rem 700 stock, I just taped of the "stripes" (the parts I wanted to stay black) then hit it with brown rattle can spray paint. I had planned to add some green highlights (like the Cammo pattern Tiger stripe; but it turns out the brown I chose was too dark. Once I removed the tape over the black, it looked more actual TIGER than Tiger Stripe cammo. I LIKED IT. Next it gets a flat clear coat to limit scratches; but thats the beauty of cammo paint VS Gucciflauge, cammo can look rough (look better as it ages), Guccci shows every nick.

To accessorize I made a sling (Tandy Leather kit) and added an accent of fur on tiger print cow hide. Now I just need a Tiger hat band....

 

[rinehart0050]

Pics?

 

[greyfox]

I recently picked up a 2nd synthetic stock for my Savage 110 and bought some sandpaper, primer, and texture rattle cans. I just have not been motivated to take this on this past fall and it will likely wait till the spring now when the weather is warmer.

Question:

How much does paint/clear thickness affect free floating the barrel? Is it wise to relieve some of the stock to compensate or does it not matter?

Thanks

If the barrel is free floated now, and you're happy with it. run some painters tape in the channel before painting,
Short answer: YES paining will affect the free float and yo'll have to sand it out to get the desired results, tape off the actions and barrel channel.