How do you repaint an aluminum receiver and lever

[ithaca49]

I have this old ithaca 49 that the paint on the receiver is fairly beat up and I was wondering how i could go about repainting it or touching it up. Do you have to seal the aluminum so it doesnt oxidize after sanding and then paint? How many coats of each? any help would be great!

 

[ogree]

Well, you could strip down the gun, sand it and hit it with a couple coats of Krylon and it would probably look good for a while, but solvents used for cleaning the rifle would eventually remove the paint in various areas that it contacted creating a mess and you would end up with the rifle looking worse than when you started.

There are spray & bake on coatings specifically designed for firearms, they are a safer bet as most are resistant to oils & solvents.

A third option is to have the aluminum parts hard anodized, a plating company will be able to do this and it really should cost you no more than about $65 to have a few aluminum pieces done.

Any way you go, the end product will look as good as the prep of the parts prior to finishing, for the bake on finishes to adhere well you really need to blast the parts first.

 

[az_imuth]

I don't think it is actually an aluminum receiver, but an aluminum/zinc alloy. If you go to rimfirecentral and look through the Henry forum you'll find lots of posts where people have refinished their Henry rifles. They are made from a similar alloy and this would allow you use their experiences to determine what would be best for your Ithaca.

I also own a M49 Ithaca and had it out the other day when my son and I took out several other rimfire lever guns. The Ithaca was a blast to shoot and really put the hurt to our swinging targets. It is also a great single shot beginners rifle for kids since you have to manually cock the hammer after you chamber a round.

Best of luck on your refinishing project!

 

[CraigC]

It's pot metal. I'd refinish it with Brownells' Aluma-Hyde II.

 

[ithaca49]

Thanks for all of the responses! I checked out the Aluma-Hyde II stuff (in semi gloss black) and I think that would be about perfect for me. That stuff will be great for a mossberg 500 receiver I have to refinish too. Has anybody used it that they have some tips on what to do and what not to do?

 

[nastynatesfish]

The aulnihyde is tough to use and takes forever to cure, like a week or two. Get some lauer duracoat in whatever color. The hk black or the like would almost match the blue coloring and you don't have to bake it and it'll be cured in 24 hours and gets harder over a week but you can handle it after a few hours if its not to humid. You won't be let down with the lauer products. I've done 3 guns with it and I love them.

 

[gb6491]

I've had really good results with Wheeler Cerama Coat on alloy parts.
Here's a how to from Shooting Times:
http://www.shootingtimes.com/gunsmithing/0706/index.html

You might also want to consider Dupli-Color High Heat 1200 degree engine paint:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=324116&highlight=duplicolor

Regards,
Greg

 

[Oohrah]

I have a Remington 552 that got scuffed and areas of finish left the receiver. Took it all down and polishe the Aluminium receiver to bare metal ( Not highly polished, but enough to take the old finish off) a couple of decades ago. I didn't put any finish on it, and it still remains kind of a different contrasting silver. There is no evidence of any corrosion or oxidation and has been that way for a good many years now. A cast metal such as some of Stevens/Savage triggerguards looking almost like a pot metal will oxidize, and kind of looks like an old battery terminal if left exposed. I'm qiute certain in this case it is painted, simular to their simulated ebony forearm tips were paint ons. At least the late 50s and 60s.

 

[southerndude]

DURA COAT is the way to go.