Spray Painting Rifles

Rifle look really good.
Kinda an odd question but what sponges did you use?
I have a McMillan a3 I am wanting to do a similar paint job to.

The cheaper the better. The big grout sponges in with the tile grout at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Cut them with scissors, then rip little chunks out of the smooth edges to make them more “natural looking”
 
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Rifle look really good.
Kinda an odd question but what sponges did you use?
I have a McMillan a3 I am wanting to do a similar paint job to.
I went to hobby lobby and bought a 4 pack of the natural sea sponges for like. $4. They’re small, but the right size. They worked great. I got them wet and squeezed them out really good so they were damp. Dip in paint and go to town
 
I went to hobby lobby and bought a 4 pack of the natural sea sponges for like. $4. They’re small, but the right size. They worked great. I got them wet and squeezed them out really good so they were damp. Dip in paint and go to town
Two thumbs up for the small sea sponges. Always worked for me in the past. The natural sponges are good to go out of the package. I tried the grout, and also car sponges in my first few attempts and didn't like the time I had to spend picking on them first to not make the stock look like some horrible painter's accident.
 
A rascal I picked up with a blemished stock , the kids had fun giving it a krylon camo job using some leaves for stencils
 

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Is everyone having good luck with Krylon/Rustoleum, or is it worth the extra dollars to go with something like Duracoat?
I think you would be very surprised with the results you get from spray paint with multiple layers of clear coat. Much easier and cheaper to touch up when they get worn too.
 
My previous Aluma-Hyde project since I'm not one to usually sell my weapons. CMMG done up with some taping to protect some areas. Found an old mesh laundry bag for some added "texture". I may try the sponge method on a different setup. Glad to say I color outside the lines....
 

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So many nice jobs on stocks, jealous.

So many unpainted barrels?

I do have one piece of experience to add.

#1. Ear plug foamies will quickly keep paint out of barrel.

#2. First shot through the earplug will cause a huge flier possibly missing paper altogether.

No dammage to the gas gun but dirty looks from the rso. Lol
 
My previous Aluma-Hyde project since I'm not one to usually sell my weapons. CMMG done up with some taping to protect some areas. Found an old mesh laundry bag for some added "texture". I may try the sponge method on a different setup. Glad to say I color outside the lines....
I've used Ghillie netting before to get a similar effect but larger, slightly reminiscent of Kryptek.
 
Has anyone ever used the Montana Gold Acrylic Professional Spray Paints? Saw some of those, supposedly they are matte and they come in lots more shades suitable for camo than Krylon or Rust-Oleum. I'm just wondering how well they'd hold up and if they have any drawbacks. Price is about twice what Krylon, or Rust-Oleum is.
 
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Did get some of the Montana Gold Spray Paints and they are matte. I got Duck Season, Everglade, and Hazlenut will see how they all shake out and then might combine them with some of the Krylon and Rustoleum on my new build when it's getting warm enough to get a good cure again, will probably be next year because right now it's snowing here in the mountains.
 
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Hel
I would try adding more khaki with that army green, I’m not a fan of How the brown krylon come out on any of my guns.
Helps to break up the contour though, but I see your point that's why I've been looking into some more reddish brown spray paints like the Montana Gold Hazlenut.
 
Here is another option for spray paint, there is a company Montana Cans that makes all kinds of webbing, crackling, different effects.
Pic is a little dark, lighting wasn’t very good in shop that night. This black web looks awesome on the Coyote color in dead weeds on edge of field View attachment 7003174
Wow!! I guess it must really suck to have a shop like that.
 
Really nice! Looks like you used Ghillie netting? Another good name would have been "Carbon-Copper Boa".
Actually, that big netting is from my gals "slutty pirate" halloween costume. I told her they would be ruined but she was all in. I love this one. The gal. And the rifle. The smaller net (you will see on other pics) is a leftover damp dirty clothes laundry bag I don't know why I saved from my time with Uncle Sam's Misguided Children. I have lots of others that I've painted but I am not very good at documenting shit. My gal reminds me to take pics.
 
I like the netting look. Not sure it really helps invisibility but it does look cool.
I totally agree with the netting probably not adding much to invisibility. But I don't hunt enemy combatants at 58 years old, HA! I know I've shot lots of critters wearing only red plaid and zero cammo on a factory wooden stocked rifle. I think good concealment and lack of movement are the real factors with most game. Scent is a factor, too. But I also agree that these cammo paint jobs look real cool and there are some real cool rifles pictured in this thread. I'm taking notes.
 
These all look brilliant. Seriously great effects.

My question is has anyone experienced paint running off due to contact with sweat and other moisture? I would consider doing this for my PSR rifle (using my original Tikka stack as a practice).

Do you use an under coat of some kind first?

Excellent video! Thanks for the contribution.
Never any sort of transfer due to sweat. Even the Krylon is fairly solvent proof once cured. I've "graduated" to Duracoat. All of it is just paint so it does scratch and wear but I consider those marks as character building.

Be sure you clean everything thoroughly with a detergent. Do not be afraid to use Dawn on your optics nor any other part of your firearm. I then wipe it all several times with clean, lint free rags and lots of denatured alcohol (let it drip off) before I apply any sort of masking or color. I also wear nitrile or latex gloves once I start wiping with alcohol and never touch anything with bare skin at all. I usually let it all cure for several days before I reassemble. Then, once it is all together, I like to make sure it sees some temperature, say a good hot day for a few hours. I then clean it and shoot it like I stole it.