Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

300snipe

300snipe

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jan 22, 2009
175
1
Northern Nevada, NV
#1
Been seeing a lot of nice rifles that have been krylon'd everywhere (scope, bolt, mag, barrel, trigger) - and then a lot that only have the stock painted. So I'm wondering why some people choose to paint the full gun. Seems it would drop the resale value significantly as well as get paint into places paint shouldn't be.

Can someone help me understand this choice?
 
#2
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

Different strokes for different folks. If done properly, it should enhance the value of the rifle. Also, IMHO, it breaks the monotony of a plain rifle. It takes guts to apply a $3 spray pain to a many thousand dollars rifle and scope. In the end, I think it looks nicer. Been thinking about doing the same for my guns.
 
#4
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

Painting a rifle is a personal choice. Most folks need a rifle camo'ed like they need a 4 wheel drive truck that never sees anything but dry pavement.

But fashion dictates that full camo is cool, even if the Hindu Kush is not your operating territory.

But camo jobs do come in all flavors. A "professional" camo job (by professional I mean the quality of the work, not how much it costs) is something I might buy, and might even pay a premium for, even if I don't really "need" a camo'ed rifle and scope.

A slap dab camo job, that looks like it was done in my grand daughters finger painting class, would and should earn a big discount.

Further, living in North Carolina and hunting with a full desert type camo might look a bit silly, just like Woodland Camo might look out of place in Wyoming, for example. Your camo choice may limit your selling arena.

But since looking cool, is always more important than actually knowing what is about, Camo everything is the new rage, even if you don't really need it.

And if done well of course, it should have little or no impact on resale.

Bob



 
#6
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

Clint Smith used to draw gasps from a class by racking his $4K+ chromed and engraved Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special on a fence post - to which he would say, "It's a <span style="font-style: italic">tool</span>, people."

Build a glass case if what you have is collector's firearms. I have mine to shoot, and a few dings and some paint are just a sign that you use your tools.
 
#7
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

great replies - makes sense. The ones I've seen that have the digitized camo look the most professional and could imply a higher resale or at least no drop in resale.

The everything-in-camo fad is definitely in full swing. I wouldn't mind if it calmed down a bit.
 
#8
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lindy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Clint Smith used to draw gasps from a class by racking his $4K+ chromed and engraved Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special on a fence post - to which he would say, "It's a <span style="font-style: italic">tool</span>, people."

Build a glass case if what you have is collector's firearms. I have mine to shoot, and a few dings and some paint are just a sign that you use your tools.
</div></div>

Agreed that they are tools. I'm a function over form kind of person, so in my mind if you're not out hunting or an actual sniper that needs a camo gun for the feature that camo adds to the weapon, why spend the time and effort to make it look that way? That makes it pointless in the tool category as it's not a feature needed for the job. Might as well paint your screwdrivers and hammers all camo too at that point.

Live and let live and all that, I really don't care what other people do with their stuff as long as they're enjoying themselves and not getting in the way of my personal freedoms.

Just wanted to see why some people do the paint jobs since it's rather prevalent these days. Some of them look really cool, others... not so much.
 
#9
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

Everytime I see a post like this, I have to laugh.

Safe queens never seem to make the "Field Cut" with alot of folks, which ask's the question,...Who are you trying to impress by having a high dollar "Sniper Type Rifle" but are not willing to get her scared up? Your high dollar smoke poll is supposed to save you when the going get's ruff,..granted most all shooters protect the stick an glass first an foremost when in the field. Being afraid to even paint it because of resale?

Do you guys by them for resale, use, or show off,.... mine are just tools that get used an scared up,...That said, all my gear an I, will take a beating this weekend at a two day shoot,....Maybe I should stay home an make sure, they don't leave the safe,....Then again I'm not a gear queer, I use my shit, and use it hard,...they both have lots of field experience, duct tape, 550 cord, an all.
 
#11
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

guess its personal pref. for my duty rifle its all painted up with aluma hyde2 from brownells. everything but critical moving parts. for my range gun its all stock in that scary assault rifle black color
shocked.gif
 
#12
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

I kyloned/camo'd my vARmint rifle mostly due to that big shiny stainless steel barrel.

I kryloned/camo'd the GI synthetic stocks on the M1A's to make them look a little better than they did when I got them.

I kryloned/camo'd the S&W M&P15 because I didn't have anything else to do that afternoon and I wanted to experiment with ripped strips of masking tape to make the "stripes" in the two tone camo job.

I painted the synthetic stock on the M1 Garand to make it look better.

The krylon is cheap, it's changeable and it's easy to touch up when I scar it up enough to need a new coat/pattern.

The kylon comes off with carb. cleaner and a tooth brush if you scrub it while the paint is wet with the carb. cleaner. It didn't damage the plastic AR stock/handguard but I know it will damage some other types of plastic so if you go that route to strip krylon off test it someplace "out of sight" first.
 
#13
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 300snipe</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Some of them look really cool, others... not so much. </div></div>

Like Lindy, I'll be 63 this year, and there is a difference between Tactical, an Tacticool,...I've seen this site go from the former to the latter, with a new phase being added,... Gucci.

Being a Gucci, is all about show, which works for many here,...you never see a Gucci posting in Fieldcraft, shooting a match, much less a run an gun.
 
#14
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 81Z4ME</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I kyloned/camo'd my vARmint rifle mostly due to that big shiny stainless steel barrel.

I kryloned/camo'd the GI synthetic stocks on the M1A's to make them look a little better than they did when I got them.

I kryloned/camo'd the S&W M&P15 because I didn't have anything else to do that afternoon and I wanted to experiment with ripped strips of masking tape to make the "stripes" in the two tone camo job.

I painted the synthetic stock on the M1 Garand to make it look better.

The krylon is cheap, it's changeable and it's easy to touch up when I scar it up enough to need a new coat/pattern.

The kylon comes off with carb. cleaner and a tooth brush if you scrub it while the paint is wet with the carb. cleaner. It didn't damage the plastic AR stock/handguard but I know it will damage some other types of plastic so if you go that route to strip krylon off test it someplace "out of sight" first. </div></div>

this is the kind of answer that makes sense. even saying "because I didn't have anything else to do" is a good one. I wasn't aware that you could get the spray off that easily, never tried so... yeah.

During riding season I regularly visit a certain motorcycle forum and one time posted a series of pics from when I chopped my mufflers in half and repacked them - EFI adjusted for the new back-pressure and they sounded great ... but of course there were the folks that had to come back with "it'll hurt your resale!" and all that. But it was something fun to do.. and I never plan on selling the bike anyway. Why would I? It's not an investment it's for putting miles on.

Same goes with guns of course. I don't understand the trailer queen motos and guns that never leave the safe. Maybe I just don't have enough money to be buying guns that don't get used and shot all the time. Granted some guns are actually collectors items and you don't want to mess those up but if you're buying a sniper / LR type of gun it's made to be out in the dirt. I don't want to bust up my guns with scratches but that's only so I don't have to spend money on new parts more than required. From an aesthetic viewpoint I prefer most guns without camo (although the digitized ones look pretty good) but that's just me.

Resale value is kind of a nonsense notion - unless there's something really special about a gun you're rarely going to get anywhere close to what you paid for it if you do sell it. I have, with two exceptions over the last several years, a no-selling-guns policy. For what you get in cash you might as well keep it and shoot it or wait a while and give it to your kid when you have a kid.

edit: as to the gucci thing, good accurate guns aren't cheap and just having one sitting around not being in a match or hauled out into the woods/desert/etc to be used doesn't make sense. I guess some people don't mind forking over money for an object and then looking at it but why bother if you're not going to use it for what it was made for? function function...
 
#16
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

Not quite as old as Lindy (but getting close).

Once again he's right, these are tools.

Besides, I hate to carry/use bright and shiny stuff.
 
#17
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

Ive painted both my rifles. I like to customize my stuff. But I also run through equipment pretty quick also. I paint my stocks, sometimes the barrel but just the barrel. I only paint parts that could easily be removed later.

Here are some examples.

100_2426.jpg

100_2424.jpg


100_2363.jpg

100_2359.jpg
 
#18
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

I painted the 308 4 or 5 times. Having said that, I dont paint them to be camouflaged, it is an added bonus. I paint my rifles because its a challenge, it takes some balls to spray paint an expensive rifle with a 4 dollar can of paint.

100_2411.jpg


100_2403.jpg
 
#20
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

I paint mine out of pure laziness. Get the rifle clean once, paint it and forget it. However a good cerakote would do the same.
 
#24
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

There's no reason I'd sell my rifle. I'll shoot it until I need another barrel or decided to change calibers and keep changing it to make me happy. So resale means Jack shit to me. That being said I don't paint things until I know I like them.

For me it's mainly about looks for me. I really don't hunt much and even then it's only coyotes. I dont think I could deal with the after the shot part of deer.
 
#25
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Quicky06</div><div class="ubbcode-body">There's no reason I'd sell my rifle. I'll shoot it until I need another barrel or decided to change calibers and keep changing it to make me happy. So resale means Jack shit to me. That being said I don't paint things until I know I like them.

For me it's mainly about looks for me. I really don't hunt much and even then it's only coyotes. I dont think I could deal with the after the shot part of deer.

</div></div>

I'm the opposite - I hunt deer for meat and for the fun of the hunt. Coyotes, while definitely a challenge and sounds like tons of fun - remind me of my dog too much, plus I've heard coyote taste like crap. I know most hunt coyotes for removing predatory animals and other reasons but the canine family is more like bambi to me than deer are... maybe because when I was a kid I hated that movie
wink.gif
 
#27
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 300snipe</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Quicky06</div><div class="ubbcode-body">There's no reason I'd sell my rifle. I'll shoot it until I need another barrel or decided to change calibers and keep changing it to make me happy. So resale means Jack shit to me. That being said I don't paint things until I know I like them.

For me it's mainly about looks for me. I really don't hunt much and even then it's only coyotes. I dont think I could deal with the after the shot part of deer.

</div></div>

I only hung them on my uncles horse ranch. They have taken a horse or two every year. I don't eat them he does I just enjoy the chalange and am happy to help. It's either Laying on The second story of the barn or shoveling shit down below.



I'm the opposite - I hunt deer for meat and for the fun of the hunt. Coyotes, while definitely a challenge and sounds like tons of fun - remind me of my dog too much, plus I've heard coyote taste like crap. I know most hunt coyotes for removing predatory animals and other reasons but the canine family is more like bambi to me than deer are... maybe because when I was a kid I hated that movie
wink.gif
</div></div>
 
#28
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

A buddy and I painted some ARs a couple weeks ago.

No good reason for it, other than something to do on a weekend.

Cool thing about Krylon jobs is that they are easy to redo if they get messed up and you can even take it off completely later (with some scrubbing, haha)
 
#29
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

Several coatings have better protective qualities than parkerizing and oiling/greasing. Add to that a color or pattern that appeals to you or supports your mission and it's a win-win. The right coating, properly applied, can withstand a ton of abuse. Constantly-cycled parts like a bolt are better-off unpainted to avoid gumming up the action and wearing out an expensive paint job. You can get a fine paint job with krylon but it will wear out.
 
#30
Re: Reasons and drawbacks for painting a rifle?

more as a rust preventative on my model 700...for some reason, that gun just cant keep from getting little rust spots all over it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
?? advice on selecting 300 prc rifle ??
Replies
12
Views
607
cellular
C
P
6GT, 25x47, or other?
Replies
26
Views
973
davere
davere
T
Another caliber selection post
Replies
32
Views
840
_Thor_
T
Werk125
SOLD MK13 Mod 3
Replies
2
Views
785
Werk125
Werk125
M
SOLD Tikka T3, 6br, krg, timney
Replies
1
Views
341
Malfieri
M
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Merch
Alerts