What's the Cheapest/Best Way to Camoflauge a Rifle?

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there is a story about a man who did a camo paint so good that he let it down and never found it again... legend said he's still looking for it.

I don't know about a gun, but there is a big frickin' spider in that picture!



I hate spiders.

Jason
 
+1 on burlap

There is a youtube channel that I subscribe to, GhillieArnhem and he has videos on how to camouflage various things. It's a 9 part video, but it's really great stuff. He disguises a rifle using a rifle wrap that he shows how to make using burlap and para-cord and some other inexpensive things.

I like this because it does not require you to alter your equipment, and can be easily interchanged to suit various environments, ie, desert to woodland, etc

http://youtu.be/noQ-lFDKw-8
 
I don't know about a gun, but there is a big frickin' spider in that picture!

I hate spiders.

Jason

OMG... my brain was telling me there was a shape in that visual randomness but I kept trying to make it a firearm. I didn't even see that big creepy spider. I'm gonna have trouble sleeping tonight. ICK!! *shivers down spine*
 
Ive used Aluma Hyde II on a lot of different things, including guns, and it does work well. The only part I dont like about it for camo jobs on guns is, its basically "permanent". I have used it for a base coat a couple of times, and it works well there, as you can remove the other type paints above it, without removing the AH II base.

Mostly I use Testors Military Flats (since the 60's) and lately, some Krylon. I like the Testors due to the colors available and its fairly easy to remove later if you want to change. Krylon seems to come off pretty easy too, but they just lack in colors. They also seem to change thier colors from batch to batch. At least I had some troubles there in that respect last time around. My "base" was different between two guns using the same "color" (not lot/can).

These two were done using a little of both. One each of my AK's and AR's.....

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AK103K, I've seen and admired the pics you've posted of that AK before, but I haven't seen your multicam AR. Both look great.

Jason
 
Thanks. :)

Since it came out, Multicam has been my favorite camo. It truly does seem to be a "chameleon", and seems to work well pretty much everywhere.
 
Since it came out, Multicam has been my favorite camo. It truly does seem to be a "chameleon", and seems to work well pretty much everywhere.

I agree 100%, I wish it wasn't so dang expensive though.


Jason
 
That has been its only real downside, but you can get it somewhat reasonable these days if you shop around. Still, it does draw a premium.
 
Another fan of AK103K's work here. The AR turned out great, and is the first I have seen it.

Unlike you, my artistic capabilities are a big fat 0 here.:eek:

Thanks for sharing your pics and "how to" knowledge here.

Great work.

Any plans for painting up another rifle in the future yet?

I agree 100% regarding Multicam.




11B
 
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Thanks for the encouraging comments frag. :)


Believe it or dont, if you saw how easy it really is to do, you'd realize being "artistic" has nothing to do with it ( I can barely draw stick people :)). The hardest part is just getting up the nerve to do the first pass with the spray can, and finding the right colors. After that, insanity starts to set in. :D


Nothing in the works right off, but I have been eyeing up my old Savage Scout. Then again, nothing is safe around here once winter lay off comes around.
 
Krylon and a laundry bag are the staple of a do-it-yourselfer, thats a good job you did on the AK.

Krylon is relatively inexpensive and can be refreshed or removed as required,I camo'd my AR that I carry in my patrol car with it and once it wore in and got some dirt on it, it looks more natural.

I'm going to experiment later this year with my next project rifle.
 
Thanks Havelock. I appreciate it. That's the cool thing about using Krylon - I don't care if it gets scratched or worn. Any wear will just add to the character of the camo and I won't be brought to tears when my $100.00+ camo design is scratched.
 
Any wear will just add to the character of the camo....
Thats been my experience as well. Use actually helps make it even more effective.
 
Ive tried the various cammo tapes that have come out over the years. The results were never really very good. Its a pain to put on, and sometimes a pain to get off, and I always worried about rust underneath, although I never really found any. Then again, I probably really didnt have them on long enough to really see if it was going to be a problem. They were always limited in patterns too, and very often, the colors were "bad". They also tend to "shine", especially with wear.

The newer ace bandage type "wrap" tapes seem promising, but they too have some worries. I have my 700 wrapped in the "desert" pattern, which is similar to Multicam. While its colors and breakup are good, its not the best at staying on, and if it were to get wet, I think it will have to be removed and the gun tended to. The only real reason this gun is taped instead of painted, is because it has a "rubbery" type stock (Hogue over molded ), and I dont think the paint will adhere properly. If I start getting bored (which is really just at the drop of a hat. :)) maybe this one will be a winter project. :)
 
Nice Job AK103 !!!.... But I just have this thing in the back of my head, from my childhood I guess, about Testor's paint....

I too have been strongly considering making a "Rattle Can Rembrandt" out of three of my long guns... Just worried about the durability, and touchups... Leaning toward the Alumahyde... or a bake on...
 
Nice job Omaney! :)



Just worried about the durability, and touchups... Leaning toward the Alumahyde... or a bake on...
Bob,

Durability is a lot better than you might think. Touch ups if you really even need to do them, are also very easy. I usually always give the whole gun a couple of two or three coats of Testors clear flat lacquer when Im done too. It evens out the overall paint job, and flattens the whole thing even more. It also gives a couple extra layers of protection.

Getting Aluma Hyde II and some of the others off later on, is not so easy. Its great stuff when applied as directed, but you really have to follow the directions to the letter. The waiting period isnt a "guide line", its basically law, and needs to followed. If not, youre likely to be disappointed. Leave it alone, and it wears like steel.

Personally, if you havet done anything yet, Id start with Testors or Krylon, etc. If it turns out something other than you though or like, you can at least get it off.

These are all pics of the same gun at various stages over the last ten years or so. The paint was removed between most of them.....

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The gun on the right is also the same gun, during a change. You can still see some of the green still on the grip and a few other places. I just needed to hit the grip and a couple of spots with a toothbrush to finish it.

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Wow, you guys have bigger cojones than me! There's no way I could take a firearm worth hundreds of dollars and put spray paint on it! NWIH. I can't even force myself to re-paint the metal parts on my old Enfields that were previously painted black to begin with, even though they need it.
 
I can't even force myself to re-paint the metal parts on my old Enfields that were previously painted black to begin with, even though they need it.
Now that is something Aluma Hyde II is really good for. Ive used it in that capacity on a number of guns, including AK's, and my MP5 as well. The AK in the last pic above was done in AH II for awhile prior to being cammied, and you can see it doesnt come off when the other paints are removed. Lots of good, useable colors too.

This is my MP5 (if "hundreds of dollars" bothers you, dont ask here :) ) after it was reparked and then hit with AH II. The stock is original HK paint, so you can see the paints a pretty good match for color.

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Finished......

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I got my AH-II and will be doing another.... definitely looking forward to it.
 
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