Camo or not to camo??

[Rodderbeck]

What do you guys think about the spray paint camo or getting your rifle dipped? I have a few all black muzzleloaders with the composite stocks and I would like to do some kinda camo job on one. What's the best thing to do that looks good and will last?

 

[retrieverman]

I’m not really a fan of camo guns, but if I were to have one done, it would be dipped. i see guys all the time trying to sell nice guns that have rattle can paint jobs, and they generally look like crap and never sell well.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Dip it or wrap it. Some guys can do a good camo paint job, if you aren't sure if you're one then practice on a random piece of wood or your wife's car before doing it to your ML.
Im not a good painter so Ive vinyl wrapped a few of my guns.

 

[Swamp]

Its very easy to camo paint a synthetic stock using the "Sponge Method" and if done correctly, is REALLY NICE! This is a Knight Disc I just recently painted using the Sponge method. Now I was going for a complete "speckled" finish on this rifle, but one can do a camo like pattern and it looks awesome! Having a stock professionally hydro dipped can cost close to $200. I paint all my Black synthetic stocks as I do not like them at all.

 

[JeffB1961]

very very purdy swamp !
LMAO @ wifes car !

 

[Rodderbeck]

Swamp, that is a beautiful gun. I think maybe a tri color camo painted like that would be nice. Tan, olive, and grey or something like that....

 

[Swamp]

Swamp, that is a beautiful gun. I think maybe a tri color camo painted like that would be nice. Tan, olive, and grey or something like that....

Yes its your choice of colors, and you can do any combination you want. That's the beauty of it. BUT, like Retrieverman said, they can look bad if not done properly. This is what I will tell ANYONE doing this method, TAKE YOUR TIME when painting it. It take me roughly a week to paint and clearcoat a stock using the sponge method. Do not rush it! If your unsure of how to do it, or how it will look, use a test piece of wood, plastic, or whatever, and do a few practice trials. A can of spry paint will do a few hundred stocks, so don't worry, you will not run out of paint. You will be surprised at how little paint you actually use. YouTube is full of people camo painting rifle stocks using the sponge method. Watch some and get some ideas.

 

[Rodderbeck]

What brand of paint did you use?

 

[snapbang]

I paint all my CFs with a textured paint. A shiny gun will eventually cost you a deer or elk. Yeah, they look like crap. But I kill my share. I consider my CFs as tools. More with a purpose than how they look.

 

[idahoron]

If they are close enough to see my gun, they are either dead, or I don't want them dead.

 

[CatamountRob]

I have camo guns, wood and blued guns, black guns and it doesn’t make a dimes worth of difference hunting except that those hydro dip finishes are tough and do a great job protecting the outside of a gun.

 

[Swamp]

What brand of paint did you use?

All Rust-Oleum Primer in colors Black, Gray, and a very light Gray. Two cans of clear, one Gloss and one Matte. Once you have sponge painted your stock and it has thoroughly dried a day, clear coat it with 2 or 3 coats of clear gloss. Then after that has dried a day or two, clear coat it again using the matte. put two coats of matte and let dry. Again, don't rush this. Take your time and you will be happy with your results.

 

[white eagle]

If you want to camo it go for it
I know black stocks are almost begging to be painted, an open canvas as it were
Have fun and the outcome you can be proud of because you did it and there is only 1 like it

 

[Ninering62]

What do you guys think about the spray paint camo or getting your rifle dipped? I have a few all black muzzleloaders with the composite stocks and I would like to do some kinda camo job on one. What's the best thing to do that looks good and will last?

To me, a black plastic stock & everything else being black as well looks every bit as blah blah blah as taking a nice Harley & having virtually everything on it blacked out. Nice bike, but - blah blah blah. Your guns, like your truck or Harley or your mancave, to each his own, do what you will, be as creative or as blah as your taste & interest allow. NO ONE else has to like it - but you!

 

[Ninering62]

Dip it or wrap it. Some guys can do a good camo paint job, if you aren't sure if you're one then practice on a random piece of wood or your wife's car before doing it to your ML.
Im not a good painter so Ive vinyl wrapped a few of my guns.

I prefer to " wrap it - before I dip it " myself.

 

[Swamp]

I don't think Rodderbeck is worried about whether or not he needs to camo his gun for hunting purposes, I think he just wants to make it look better than the butt-ugly black synthetic stocks that come with a lot of rifles these days. They make a good gun look very cheap if you ask me, and custom painting a cheap plastic stock can give the rifle a really nice look. Nothing beats the looks of a beautiful wood stock on a rifle, but this gives the individual a choice of something that looks better. Just my two cents.

 

[RobRed]

Take my opinion with a grain of salt, I grew up painting high end cars professionally and I’m a paint snob…

I love a good custom paint job but NOT with low quality paint. If the paint isn’t what’s called a 2k (paint + hardener) it will come right off with the right solvent and will only be somewhat durable. If it’s a high quality investment grade gun a good two component urethane automotive grade paint is the only way to go for max durability and solvent resistance.

Problem is, to use paint like this you need a proper spray gun setup and the right safety equipment is a must. Otherwise you’re stuck with sponge painting the stuff (not always a bad thing)

Also proper prep is mandatory! I’m talking full disassembly (hard line masked edges will chip/peel in time), then wash/degrees, and surface prep per the paint companies guidelines. This will take lots of tedious work and time. Plastic stocks come out a mold and most likely have mold release built into the plastic, paint won’t stick without the right methods.

Anything out of a spray can with a rushed prep job just devalues the gun.

 

[Swamp]

Wait a minute, your looking way to deep into this RobRed. These are NOT investment grade guns we're talking about here. If they were, there would be no reason to paint the cheap plastic stocks as the rifles would have come with HIGH GRADE walnut or fiberglass stocks. Yes I prep the stocks with acetone, and paint them. No issues with paint not sticking, they've lasted for years of use. NO NEED for HIGHlY expensive automotive paints and equipment. As well, I do not use solvents as these are blackpowder guns that I clean up with Windex or rubbing alcohol. Never had any issues with any of my painted stocks using the paints I have listed above. The prep time is nothing. All stock components come right off the base stock, making it very simple. Disassemble the gun, then the stock, prep and paint. Let cure a week, reassemble and enjoy for years to come.

 

[RobRed]

Wait a minute, your looking way to deep into this RobRed. These are NOT investment grade guns we're talking about here. If they were, there would be no reason to paint the cheap plastic stocks as the rifles would have come with HIGH GRADE walnut or fiberglass stocks. Yes I prep the stocks with acetone, and paint them. No issues with paint not sticking, they've lasted for years of use. NO NEED for HIGHlY expensive automotive paints and equipment. As well, I do not use solvents as these are blackpowder guns that I clean up with Windex or rubbing alcohol. Never had any issues with any of my painted stocks using the paints I have listed above. The prep time is nothing. All stock components come right off the base stock, making it very simple. Disassemble the gun, then the stock, prep and paint. Let cure a week, reassemble and enjoy for years to come.

Fair enough, I actually agree with you.. like I said I was a professional painter and I have trouble doing any less than I would do for your big money car restoration. The work I did carried a life time warranty and old habits die hard

 

[Swamp]

Fair enough, I actually agree with you.. like I said I was a professional painter and I have trouble doing any less than I would do for your big money car restoration. The work I did carried a life time warranty and old habits die hard

I totally agree with what you said, and being a professional painter, you have way more knowledge on the topic when it comes to serious paint work. We all look at things that we're really good at and like to provide good info for individuals to use, or to learn by. That's what makes this forum such a great place, because of the people here willing to share their knowledge. I hope I didn't come across negatively. Much appreciated for what you did share with us my friend!