Photos of "dipped" or painted hunting rifles

[AK103K]

if i want a rifle camo'd in the future, i'll stick to a krylon externally only.

I used to take things apart to paint them, but gave that up quite awhile back. To much work.

These days, a quick degrease, some masking here and there, and spray away. My early paint jobs took days, these days, it takes about an hour, two max.

I havent had any problems with function. 99% of the time, I paint the gun as one piece, but I do mask areas that you dont want paint on. As to the bolt on a bolt gun, I wouldnt paint anything that moves internally. Seems to me, thats just asking for trouble. The bolt handle, and the rear portion outside the receiver, should not be a problem.

Even with the guns I did disassemble, I never saw any loss of accuracy with them. Guns that were shooters before, were still shooters after.

 

[captain awesome]

i always thought it would be a great way to lose a rifle or shotgun. I have never been absent minded enough to walk off without my rifle while hunting after sitting a trail or watering hole, but my cousin has. and that was an all black rifle. he went back and got it but it was a good mile down the trail before he realized what he did. hes a pot smoking idiot that spends more time high than he does sober, but regardless i think it would be a even more of a possibility with a camo'ed one.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Camo hunting rifles.

Here are some of mine. L-R: (1)Gew 98 in 6.5x55 Swede, (2)Stevens Model 200 in .308 win., (3)1935 Shang-kai- Shek 98 in 7x57 Mauser and (4)Ruger 1022. All carry Nikon glass except for the Chinese Mauser which bears a Weaver Buck Commander.

 

[Hookeye]

I still prefer to leave my metal unpainted. Black plastic stocks are boring (but then so is a safe full of camo stocked rifles).

Any pattern I can duplicate (was an art major of fair skill). But how much time do i want to spend? What is the gain?

Yup, smarter and more lazy, I do the 2 hr Krylon and masking tape paint jobs now.

Bigger patterns help break up outline too.

The splotch pattern full camo stuff looks good, but only if the bipod and can are painted to match. If all accessories aren't painted to match, IMHO might as well have just done the stock only.

A higher level of camo might be of advantage. I've killed geese with shiny 1100 magnums in RKW on bright sunny days.

Keep it low, and angled toward their incoming direction.

Think if the metal and stock dull it should be good enough. Yup, currently run an 1100 SP Magnum....factory camo stock (swapped in). Bbl however is regular blued, but then Big Green never did do a great blue and polish job............IMHO it's halfway to matte LOL.

Camo guns.........but no glare reducers or sunshades on scopes, or binos............or people wearing regular glasses.

Glare from something small and shiny will act like a beacon. Even a pen in an old army jacket pocket..............from hundreds of yards away.

So yeah, I think the amount of camo one needs to be very over rated. Unless one is trying to hide from the enemy who has optics.

Critters? Non shiny, stay low, go slow.

 

[Hookeye]

Camo= lost gun?
I dunno.
Spent a good while looking for a black 870 turkey gun.
Sat it up against a tree when I looked over and saw some morels.
Found about 25 big ones, loaded up and went to landowner's house.
Went back, found a few more, and couldn't find my shotgun.
Just did a grid and eventually got on the high side and there it was.

Now a Blackwidow greybark recurve...........could take even longer...........

 

[Citadel99]

Looks great. Do the animals care? In my experience, no. I'd wager none of the amazing trophies at Cabelas were shot with a camo rifle.

I have one that is painted. And it chipped. And the chips are all I can see when I look at that M1A. Drives me crazy. Wood stock coming soon.

Mark

 

[Hookeye]

Chipped paint I find much more tolerable than dinged (or heaven forbid- gouged) figured walnut.
Straight grain boring stuff, the dings and dents might make it look better LOL.

On your M1A........I'd run it til it looks like total crap and repaint, or just let it gain character.

 

[AK103K]

I think the effectiveness of the paint job gets better with use. Chips and wear on the paint doesnt hurt a thing.

Paint is a great preservative of whats underneath. Ive stripped guns that were painted over 20 years, and the bluing underneath was pristine. The wood was in great shape as well.

 

[MCMXI]

I'm finally able to add my own pictures to this thread.

one caveat, for what it's worth, none of my dipped or otherwise painted rifles shoot as well as my non-painted rifles. i've tried two or three and they look friggin awesome. but the parts don't fit together as well as they otherwise would, which makes them a little stiff and they dang sure don't shoot as well. really really disappointing.

so if you're going to have something dipped, especially all parts.... i'd satisfy myself that the rifle shoots great BEFORE it's dipped, and then you know if it comes back shooting horrible, what done it. and you don't have to spend an inordinate amount of time and money trying to figure out if you got a bad barrel or your stock wasn't bedded right or something else


if i want a rifle camo'd in the future, i'll stick to a krylon externally only.

So far accuracy looks good comparing before & after for this .375 H&H Mag.

 

[dubbleA]

MCMXI

That turned out great, well done sir. By the target pictured the rifle is not only a looker it's a great shooter too.

 

[rodensouth]

Very nice! I like the pattern and complete coverage.

What made you change your mind over original pattern in your OP?

 

[MCMXI]

dubbleA, thanks for the positive comments. The rifle shot good before so I'm pleased to see that it still shoots good.

Very nice! I like the pattern and complete coverage.

What made you change your mind over original pattern in your OP?

I like how the KUIU Verde turned out and I think it's better than the camo203 that I initially chose, but the reason for the change is that the camo203 film is cheap and resulted in a poor dipped finish. If you read my other thread on this rifle I mention that the KUIU films are from TWN and they make higher quality films than Ozarks Hydrographics.


http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=788474

 

[Holescreek]

 

[Clark]

I have done 4 rifles with Aluma-hyde II
http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-to...-prod1117.aspx

To get the rifles hot enough for painting, I went to the used store and got an old heating plate.
I built a paint box from sticks and cardboard.
I made a baffle of cardboard on the bottom so paint cannot drip on the hot plate.
I put a thermometer in the top.
It still was not hot enough.
So I put a blanket around it, and it got hot.

I painted 4 rifles:
VZ24 7mmRM Lothar walther CM barrel, High Tech Specialties stock
Comm Mauser 260 Shilen Stainless barrel, High Tech Specialties stock
Rem700, 7mmRM, Shilen Stainless barrel, High Tech Specialties stock
Sav110 .223, Lothar Walther CM barrel, Boyd's pro varmint stock

 

[jmorris]

Depends on the background but sometimes black even works ok, if you stack them like wood, even better if you are in a blind.

 

[Gunnerboy]

my entry to this game.

 

[Nature Boy]

My painted M1A pounding prairie dogs

 

[dubbleA]

My self built 6.5x55 riding piggyback on the boar. It was taken at just over 400 yards with a 140gr Barnes Hunting VLD. PSSsssst thuD flop.

 

[Apple a Day]

Ruger Mini-14

 

[rduchateau2954]

My self built 6.5x55 riding piggyback on the boar. It was taken at just over 400 yards with a 140gr Barnes Hunting VLD. PSSsssst thuD flop.

That's an amazing Camo job!

 

[Crowcifier666]

rduchateau2954 said:

rduchateau2954

+1

Jmorris said:

if you stack them like wood

LOL!

 

[200Apples]

.
Was linked to this older thread (rather than finding it on my own)... and all I can say is, "amazing!" camo jobs in here. First Place goes to dubbleA for sure.

I have a black composite stock on my Ruger Scout. I'm interested in painting only the exterior of the stock... I will have to learn more.

Thanks for posting your amazing rigs, fellas.

 

[taliv]

yeah, this is a great thread.

 

[MCMXI]

My girlfriend's 6.5x47 Lapua that has been dipped.

 

[CopperFouling]

What is the 6.5x47 Lapua? A custom job? Love the round, by the way. And the paint, for that matter.