[AlwaysTraining]

I am trying to balance cost, protection, durability and appearance for the paint job for a bolt gun which I want to use for hunting someday. It would probably only be in the field for 1 week or so a year. The current finish on the metal parts is very bad, and missing in some places.

The cheapest route would be to go with all store bought camo spray paint.

I am contemplating stepping up a little, and giving it a base coat in duracoat, and then using store bought camo paint on top of that. Will the spray paint stick to duracoat?

I would try to finish either one of those options with as many coats as were in a can of store bought flat clear coat.

This got me thinking, could I do a camo spray paint job with regular spray paint, and then hit it with a clear duracoat? This seems very scary as it may be rather difficult to remove the paint job if I totally mess it up, or have to change it for some other reason. Will the duracoat stick to spray paint? Would having it as the last coat offer superior durability, protection and apperance?

Also I have been reading about people using spray truck bed liner...Would this be a cost effective for a base coat compared to duracoat, it looks to be about half the price, would it be at least half as durable as duracoat? I am pretty sure spray paint will stick to this.

I have seen juju151's holy grail of cam jobs (viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20486) and will try to do something similar.

I would appreciate hearing anybody's experience with regular spray paint jobs and their durability, or any answers/opinions to my above questions, or anything else.

Thanks.

 

[ChipM]

And, as a follow up question, what colors work best year-round in Georgia?

 

[Marine6212]

Hey contact this company and see if they can help you!

http://www.apewraps.com/

They deal mostly in automotive but you never know what they can do if you ask!!

Marine6212

 

[ChipM]

Here is a good article on painting: http://www.kyledefoor.com/2010/09/rifle-painting.html

The Krylon website (http://www.krylon.com/products/camoufla ... echnology/) has a file with camo patterns to download: http://www.krylon.com/pdf/CamouflageStencils.pdf and also instructions: http://www.krylon.com/pdf/HowToPaintCamouflagePatterns.pdf

 

[AlwaysTraining]

I cooked up this idea where I am going to try to take some metal screen, then cut out some template shapes, and stick them on the screen. Also attach something solid like paper or thin cardboard around the edges to guard the over-spray. Then move, rotate and roughly shape this screen jig all around the gun and spray. Of course, I will test the method on something similar shape to a gun to practice. I mocked up the method in photoshop using the krylon colors, here was my second attempt.

 

[GODEVIL]

I like the ease of krylon myself...

 

[Fallschirmjäger]

Well... that puts my meager Krylon efforts to shame.

But, I really just wanted something to break up the Total blackness of my 930 from a distance.

(sigh) one day I'll have to get something better than an stone age cell for pictures.

 

[elandil]

Best thing I've ever had work for me is this.

Do the barrel and metal fixtures using Engine Enamel. You can usually find black and grey at most auto parts stores and walmart. This has the added advantage of being resistant to most cleaning solvents you will be using on the firearm.

Then, use a basic Krylon on the stock. Overlay with two coats of Clear Coat, and you should be good to go.

As for colors, I tend to use black and grey on the barrel, and grey, green, and brown on the stock. Works good here with the mix of pines and hardwoods, as well as the rocks and leaves.

 

[Slingblade]

I'm fond of the Krylon rattlecan approach myself.

 

[Jason F]

Have you seen Pat Rogers how to on hoe made camo jobs on lightfighter.net: http://lightfighter.net/eve/forums/a/tp ... /143106357

I'm thinking of following this route and painting my rifle when it warms up a bit.

 

[AlwaysTraining]

In the intrest of completeness, here is how it finally turned out.

More pics

 

[GODEVIL]

Looks great! :righton:

 

[fflintlock]

That turned out pretty darn good !
Tell me about that scope base, was it drilled and taped ? Has it held zero ? How's loading with the scope that close to the receiver ?
Thanks,

 

[Stooldaddy]

I think that's really sharp looking! :righton:

 

[pml]

Nice work.

 

[AlwaysTraining]

Thanks for the compliments guys. I like the way it turned out...but next time I am going to buy the duracoat camo kit...or try some simple version of digital camo, cutting out all the templates was very tedious.

I drilled and tapped the scope base, it is the bubba mosin entry level ATI scope mount. Some pics of the my drill/tap process are in here:
http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn23 ... 20Sporter/

It has held its zero, but I only have about 50 rounds through it. It should be fine though. I put the locktite on the screws.

Loading with the scope that close to the receiver is not fun. You have to get the knack for it too, the first few times I got a round briefly jamed down into the mag. It is hardest getting the first round in, the other ones are fairly simple. I wouldn't want to have to reload it if someone was shooting back at me. Next time I am at the range I will probably leave one in so I only have to reload the last 4 which should make it nicer. Hopefully in the field everything would get done with one shot, and it cycles "OK" for a mosin I guess. I have used other people's mosin's at the range and they cycle a bit smoother than mine, I think I just got unlucky, I have tried polishing the chamber and shining up the bearing surfaces and it is tolerable. I could probably shorten the bolt spring bit bit by bit and see if that helps. I took one link out, but didn't notice a change.

I saw a post somewhere where someone used the ATI mount, cut off the back of it, and put both rings in the first cross bolt positions on the mount. I think that would make it a bit easier to load with an inch more of clearance or so. The scope did look super cantilevered like that, but the mount is cantilevered anyway, and using the rear crossbolt slot may not make it that much more stable/secure. I could do that, but I don't think it will be worth it, risking some stability of the scope, gaining some usability for reloading, and loosing some cosmetic appeal. I found a pic of something similar: