A brief instructional article on the controversial subject of spray painting, or "rattle canning" your firearm!
Of course the first thing you should do before painting your rifle would be to ask yourself one simple question. Why? What purpose(s) will the change in color serve? Maybe it's to break up the pattern of the weapon to make it less noticeable against the environment. Are you looking to add an additional layer of protection to the metal? Or maybe you just want to give it that unique touch that makes it your own. If you are looking for more of a protective coating then it would probably be best to look into options such as Duracoat and Ceracoat.
Here are some pros and cons about spray painting your rifle. Only you can decide if it is something you want to do.
Pros:
Adds a less permanent layer of protection
Changes the color or breaks up the "image" of the rifle
Allows you to change the color yourself as things may dictate (i.e. going from green to white for snow)
Is much cheaper and able to be done in a relatively short amount of time (it's up to you how much time/effort goes into it)
Can be reapplied with little prep work
Cons:
Offers much less protection than more permanent options available
Is prone to "yellowing" or other discoloration over long periods of time
Is prone to chipping, flaking or scratching off, especially in areas of frequent metal-to-metal contact
*I personally painted my rifle, not only to help break up the image of the rifle, but also to add that personal touch to it.
Now that we got that out of the way...
Safety Warning!!! As simple safety protocol and with all work involving firearms, make sure that your weapon is unloaded and safe. Use care to treat every firearm as LOADED until you yourself have verified that it is safe.
Step One: Disassemble and Cleaning
Once the firearm is safe and unloaded, begin to disassemble the firearm as per its intended design.
Clean your firearm to ensure all surfaces are clean and that the paint will make contact with the firearm only and not to any dirt or debris that may be on there.
At this point it would probably be wise to use a degreasing agent on the parts of the firearm that you are wanting to paint. This will ensure a strong bond of the paint to the metal.
Step Two: Taping and Plugging
The next step is to prevent the paint from being able to get to where you do NOT want it. Start by doing the essentials first. This means taping off the internal parts or simply removing any internal moving parts that can be. Keep in mind that thought it is not much, the paint will add bulk to whatever it is applied. This means that if there is already barely enough room for two mechanisms to move over/around each other that adding paint may affect that movement (especially internally).
*A simple way to keep paint out of the inside of a flash hider and the barrel would be to use a cylindrical foam ear plug.
Step Three: Now you should be ready to paint!
Be sure that you paint in a well ventilated area and with appropriate PPE, or Personal Protective Equipment (i.e. a mask and safety glasses, maybe gloves).
It is up to you what colors you apply or patterns if any you can create. I personally used the Krylon camouflage colors to create the pattern I wanted.
Follow the directions on the can to apply several thin coats until the desired coat, pattern or design is achieved. Be sure to let the paint dry in between coats.
Patterns and designs can be achieved by using tape or other objects to keep certain colors of paint from adhering to the metal in certain places. You can also simply "dust" the metal in some areas to add a bit of color without changing the whole area. To do this, simply hold the can about 12 inches from the metal and quickly press the sprayer as you quickly pass over the desired area. The density of the "dusting" can be added to by multiple passes.
Once you have the main color/pattern done and it has dried I like to apply a couple pf coats of Krylon Matte Clear Coat to it all. This does add a small amount of "shine" to it being "matte" and not the "ultra-flat" like the paint, however it does add a protective coating to the paint and gives it a more professionally done appearance.
Step Four: Drying and Reassembly
Let the painted parts dry completely before handling them. The paint can should have the appropriate dry time indicated on it. Once drying is complete you can remove the tape and plugging and reassemble your firearm.
Don't worry too much if some of the paint comes off, fixing it is as simple as breaking out the can and touching it up!
**I will add pictures as soon as I can. Current WIP if I think of anything else.
