Finally got the nerve to camo my AR

[crashgordan]

nice job man...

[rugerla1]

nice job man...

Thank you! Took it to the range for the first time since I painted it today. Several people come up and really complemented me on the paint job! It was nice to hear that. They couldn't believe it was the only one I'd done. One said, "I've done several and none of them came out like that!" Lol I told him not to count on me being able to reproduce the same results, it may have been a fluke :lol:

[rugerla1]

Finally got it out to the range and got to put it on the ground and up against a tree to see how it meshed with it's surroundings. Pretty happy with it since I didn't really plan for a certain pattern. Winter time will be much less green so I'm hoping it matches even better.

 

 

[rugerla1]

So after seeing LeniorGunner's thread on his first AR, I got to thinking about mine since it was an M&P as well. Wanted to come back to this thread and see what it looked like before I painted it. So I started reading through my thread and kinda chuckled when I read my response below about "get another AR".

 

I appreciate that. I keep looking at it and thinking "Did I do that?" I really want to try another one and see what else I can come up with....just gotta get another AR lol

 

I didn't realize it had been such a short time ago that I tried building one and then another and so on. Here's what I have complete so far. Took two of the new ones to the range this past weekend but the one in the middle is now ready to go be tested out. It will also be painted as soon as we get another TN spring day in winter. Hope to have my pistol done soon but I've been saying that for 2 months! 

Anyway, little group picture of them:

 

[swim615]

Why do you have a pic of a tree and the ground ? I don't get it.

 

Seems you have black rifle disease I hate to see anyone catch it. It leaves you with a very empty wallet and extra AR parts everywhere.

 

Congrats on a great collection.

 

By the way you are running a little behind on the 1 per month club as well. You better finish that pistol asap.

[rugerla1]

Why do you have a pic of a tree and the ground ? I don't get it.
 
Seems you have black rifle disease I hate to see anyone catch it. It leaves you with a very empty wallet and extra AR parts everywhere.
 
Congrats on a great collection.
 
By the way you are running a little behind on the 1 per month club as well. You better finish that pistol asap.

That's my favorite tree and nap spot swim! :lol:
And yes, I have an empty wallet and parts everywhere. I got out of mud trucks for the same reason "broke and parts laying all around the garage"!

Thank you, and I may go ahead and order the barrel this weekend, that way I won't have any excuses.

[LagerHead]

I think a factory could not have done a better job. Looks great for sure.................... :up: :up: :up:

 

Wholeheartedly agree. Though I have seen several good homespun camo jobs, I think this one is among the best. 

[rugerla1]

Wholeheartedly agree. Though I have seen several good homespun camo jobs, I think this one is among the best.

Thank you LagerHead! I really appreciate that!

[musicman]

Ok, I still haven't done this yet... spring maybe? Anyways, I read back through your OP and I have a question... did you spray brake cleaner over EVERYTHING? Plastic stock, rubbery grip, etc? I'm just curious if the brake cleaner had any negative effect on poly surfaces... I know it can be pretty tough stuff. Edited February 3, 2015 by musicman

[rugerla1]

Ok, I still haven't done this yet... spring maybe? Anyways, I read back through your OP and I have a question... did you spray brake cleaner over EVERYTHING? Plastic stock, rubbery grip, etc? I'm just curious if the brake cleaner had any negative effect on poly surfaces... I know it can be pretty tough stuff.

Yes. I mainly concentrated on the metal obviously but quick spray over the handguard and grip just to blast any oil off. I have noticed no negative effects, I use brake cleaner on a regular basis and while I don't spray any plastic on purpose while doing so, I don't go out of my way to avoid it. Use non-chlorinated brake cleaner only if you try it.

Edited February 3, 2015 by rugerla1

[musicman]

Cool beans. That's exactly what I needed to hear. :-)

I really like those kinda rubbery Ergo grips and have one on the gun I'm thinking about spraying... guess I'll need to swap that for a Magpul or something, as I'm sure a softer rubber would lead to paint splits/cracks/peeling with use. :/

[rugerla1]

Cool beans. That's exactly what I needed to hear. :-)

I really like those kinda rubbery Ergo grips and have one on the gun I'm thinking about spraying... guess I'll need to swap that for a Magpul or something, as I'm sure a softer rubber would lead to paint splits/cracks/peeling with use. :/

Anytime. That is one of the soft  Magpul grips on there, it still looks good. I'm actually looking forward to wear marks as they are made. 

 

I just ran out and snapped these pictures to show how it looks now. The few wear marks on it, make it look better to me.

 

 

Edited February 3, 2015 by rugerla1

[musicman]

Cool!

[peejman]

Plastic gun parts are typically "solvent resistant" since guns get cleaned with various solvents.  Brake cleaner is easy since it's in an aerosol can, but a wipe down with an alcohol soaked rag (or dunk in a bucket) accomplishes the same thing.  You're just making sure to get that last little but of grease or oil off the surfaces.  Wear rubber/vinyl gloves when you do this and don't touch it with bare hands until the paint is dry. 

[Woody]

Looks good.  I did one of mine with the natural sponge method.  I'm not usually a fan of spray painting anything, but this was a beat up "tool" to start with, not a safe queen.

 

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[rugerla1]

Looks good.  I did one of mine with the natural sponge method.  I'm not usually a fan of spray painting anything, but this was a beat up "tool" to start with, not a safe queen.
 
photo2

Thanks, yours looks good too. Mine was neither beat up nor safe queen, it got used, but still looked really good. Just decided I wanted to try it. I probably won't paint all the ones I have now, but most will be. Still haven't tried the sponge method but I may on the next paint job.

[maroonandwhite]

Any updates on how yours is holding up? I am getting ready to do mine and am just wondering if anything else should be taped up on it? I'm going to do the trigger but not the serial number or anything like that. Surely a small bit of paint won't effect how my MBUS's pop up.

[rugerla1]

Any updates on how yours is holding up? I am getting ready to do mine and am just wondering if anything else should be taped up on it? I'm going to do the trigger but not the serial number or anything like that. Surely a small bit of paint won't effect how my MBUS's pop up.

 

I had it out last night looking at it, funny you should ask today. It's holding up really well, with the few small places that show paint wearing, making it look better. I'll take some pictures of it and post them up of the entire gun and the wear spots just so you can see how it looks.

[maroonandwhite]

I had it out last night looking at it, funny you should ask today. It's holding up really well, with the few small places that show paint wearing, making it look better. I'll take some pictures of it and post them up of the entire gun and the wear spots just so you can see how it looks.

Cool. I've done one before but it was a cheap .22lr. I don't mind some wear. Makes it looks like you actually use it. I just don't want paint coming off in big flakes. As with anything paint it's all about the prep.

[rugerla1]

Maroonandwhite, here's a couple pictures. ignore the porn pillow lmao Tried to get some contrast so the wore spots would show up.

 

I'm truly surprised it's held up as well as it has. Two main reasons, one being that I didn't put 10 full coats on it (not sure how many I did, but they were light coats here and there), so more coats may have saved some wear. But I like the wear regardless. Point two, is that I carry this almost every day in a soft AR bag. It gets thrown in the truck at least twice a day. The only time it's not in there, is when I decide to carry a different one that day. So figuring the use at the range, and daily throwing around, I think it held up way beyond my expectations. 

 

It's getting nice outside, so about time to paint a few more rifles. Hope this helped you see what you wanted. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2015 by rugerla1

[maroonandwhite]

Maroonandwhite, here's a couple pictures. ignore the porn pillow lmao Tried to get some contrast so the wore spots would show up.

 

I'm truly surprised it's held up as well as it has. Two main reasons, one being that I didn't put 10 full coats on it (not sure how many I did, but they were light coats here and there), so more coats may have saved some wear. But I like the wear regardless. Point two, is that I carry this almost every day in a soft AR bag. It gets thrown in the truck at least twice a day. The only time it's not in there, is when I decide to carry a different one that day. So figuring the use at the range, and daily throwing around, I think it held up way beyond my expectations. 

 

It's getting nice outside, so about time to paint a few more rifles. Hope this helped you see what you wanted. 

 

Man that looks good. And it had the "real" worn look and not the fake look some try to emulate. I still find myself babying this gun even though it's a cheaper build but this should take care of it. I actually went ahead and bit the bullet and di mine last night before I saw these pictures. I just used a couple of pieces of pine straw on mine so my outlines aren't as defined but that's what I was going for. All I have around my house are cedars and hackberrys and those wouldn't work too well. The wife said "It looks good but I can't believe you painted a $1000 gun". Not sure where she got that number from but more like $600 haha.

[maroonandwhite]

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[maroonandwhite]

Also meant to ask you what you use to clean the gun. I have read CLP won't strip the paint. I'm sure Hoppe's will take it off though.

[rugerla1]

Also meant to ask you what you use to clean the gun. I have read CLP won't strip the paint. I'm sure Hoppe's will take it off though.

 

I wear it in the shower like any freedom loving American, how else? :rock:

 

I use CLP and RemOil. I'm a bigger fan of CLP unless I run out, then I use the RemOil.  I also spray out the chamber and barrel with non-chlorinated brake cleaner. I read somewhere that people hadn't had issues with the brake cleaner messing up the paint as long as they didn't rub it while it was wet. I took a chance and tried it, figuring that if it messed it up, I'd touch it up again. So far no problems with that, but I'm careful when I do it.

 

Oh and great job on the paint job, looks really good! Were you nervous up till the first spray came out? HA HA

[maroonandwhite]

I wear it in the shower like any freedom loving American, how else? :rock:

 

I use CLP and RemOil. I'm a bigger fan of CLP unless I run out, then I use the RemOil.  I also spray out the chamber and barrel with non-chlorinated brake cleaner. I read somewhere that people hadn't had issues with the brake cleaner messing up the paint as long as they didn't rub it while it was wet. I took a chance and tried it, figuring that if it messed it up, I'd touch it up again. So far no problems with that, but I'm careful when I do it.

 

Oh and great job on the paint job, looks really good! Were you nervous up till the first spray came out? HA HA

Sure was. I mean I had done it before but not on a more expensive gun. AR's aren't anything special though and I hope I have a long life ahead of me to buy plenty more.

 

I used brakleen (chlorinated I guess) on mine and a little of it had pooled up in the grip. When I took it down from the hanger this morning it dripped out onto the guard and the paint came right off. Of course it hasn't cured yet.