Painting my M1A

[Slinky]

Like the title says, I've decided to paint my M1A.(black stocks get HOT in the desert) I've done my research, but feel nervous about potentially ruining my favorite gun. Aside from surface preparation is there anything I should know before busting out the rattle can?

Specifically has any one else here painted a M1/M14 and if so can you give me any advice or suggestions?

PS: I've heard stories about how paint can ruin your bedding, should I paint in the stock, or disassemble her and paint everything separately?

 

[funfaler]

I painted my Standard, so can't help you with the bedding question.

I taped the front/rear sights. Put a plug in the flashider up to the barrel. Covered the bolt (actually left it locked back and plugged up the mag well, bolt face and chamber with paper towels).

Then I hit the whole thing with a tan/light brown, then a few large (2-3 inch wide) diagnal lines in dark brown and green.

Left a mag in as well, to match it.

Came out fine, functions very well, at least out to 500 yards

If you PM your email, I will send a couple of pics, don't know how to post them.

Did some FALs as well.

Nothing like putting $2 worth of paint on a $1200 rifle

 

[Geno]

Don't use paint. There are options such as Gun Kote, etc. But, once you apply it, it's there. It has to be removed by sandblasting.

Because rifles and carbines do no fit in an oven, go with the no-bake formula.

Doc2005

 

[Mark whiz]

Slinky,
I take it you are only planning on painting your stock, correct?? If so, it really isn't a big deal. Once you've taken the action and trigger assembly out of the stock it's really a straight forward process. Clean it well to make sure all grease and oils have been removed and then have at it. I can't imagine any standard spray paints that would damage any bedding you have (although if you spray the bedded area too heavily it might tighten things up too much).
One thing you probably will want to do is rough up the final coat somehow to make sure the stock isn't too slick to hold firmly. A "krinkle" satin clear finish coat would probably work as well - Wally World has lots of options in the textured sprays that should work ok and Krylon makes the standard camo colors.

 

[james_bond]

http://www.optactical.com/weaponpainting.html

not mine but it looks good.

 

[Slinky]

Thanks for help, that last link in particular was perfect. I'll be sure to post a pic or two here when she's done.

PS: funfaler, what type of paint did you use? and how well has it held up?

 

[samsquanch]

my friend bought a old beater pump shotgun to try painting before he did his main gun. said it was well worth the 100 bucks he paid for the beater and he learned a few things. he ended up buying a small air brush setup with a compressor and has done a few guns for friends.. he used dura coat paint..

 

[Roswell 1847]

I'd mask off the bedded areas and paint stock and barrel separately, and mask off any part of the barrel and action thats not visible when in the stock.

If you get paint on anything that touches the barrel you could end up with it peeling unevenly due to heat and if you try to remove the paint any solvents might eat away at the bedding compound.

I coat the inside of my wooden stocks with a thin coating of bedding compound just to seal them from soaking up oil and solvents, just enough to seal the wood and sand away any excess, then I do the actual bedding only at the prescribed points.

 

[browneyesno2]

check out some of these rifles - painted m1as posted on an m14 forum:


http://www.m-14forum.com/upload/showthread.php?t=32781


these guys know what they are doing. ask around the forums

 

[ocabj]

Brownells Alumahyde II.

The stuff is solvent proof and it applies just like regular spray paint.

 

[funfaler]

I did not paint mine to be a "show" gun (no pun intended).

I used Krylon (sp?), camo paint, at @$4-5 a can. It is holding up very well, and I shoot it a bunch, over 1000 rounds since the paint. Some has rubbed off near the grip, and a little off of the buttstock, where the cheek weld is.

The good news is that the paint is removable with a little elbow grease and some Hoppes.

Like I said, it is meant to be a practical, camo paint job, not a gun refinish.

PM me an email, happy to send some pictures.