So, I feel like Rembrandt

TheCanuck

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And I really want to paint my AR. Couple questions.

1) What's a good, durable/resistant paint to use? Cerakote, Gunkote, whatever?

2)Where would I get said paint?

I'm guessing I'm gonna have to degrease the rifle, so what can I use? Brake cleaner? Or is that too harsh for the finish on my Stag?
 
Do I need a compressor/airbrush for duracoat? I might have one somewhere in my garage I think.
 
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Also what tools am I going to need to remove the mag catch, mag release button, selector, trigger, dust cover and everything to do with the buffer tube/buffer/buffer retainer pin? Oh ya and the bolt catch!
 
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I've done a few.
I used Armacoat.
I got the airbrush's from Princess Auto (under $10 each so I just toss em when done using).

You'll also need an air compressor with a regulator (the airbrushes don't need much PSI).
***and a good mask*** (you don't want to be inhaling that toxic mist)

It's fun.

:)
 
I recently removed the powdered nickel coating from a Remington 870 and then gave it a coat of flat black BBQ paint. I used brake cleaner on it to degrease it and when it was bone dry I added the enamel. I then let it dry for two days before oiling the gun again. Looks good and the finish has not been effected by the gun oil.
 
Ok, so what about the tools to disassemble all the parts from the lower?

Man, Brownell's wont even ship PAINT outside CONUS. Maybe it's because it's an aerosol(GunKote) and represents a danger of deflagration during shipping?
 
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No major tools needed, just a hammer and a set of punches. You might need a carbine stock wrench for the buffer tube, depending on what type of stock you have. Go slow and keep an eye on those detents/springs, you also might want to replace the roll pins that you removed if you are the paranoid type :)
 
Brass punches? Got any sizes? Smallest I can get? Roll pins hold the trigger group? Can you remove the take down pins that hold the upper and lower together? I'd like to paint them a different color than the lower too.

Anyone has experience with Norrell's Moly Resin paints?
 
Probably not a bad idea to put electrical or duct tape along the side of the lower so you don't scratch the anodizing when you tap out the bolt stop roll pin, and maybe some safety glasses so you don't catch a takedown pin detent in the eye :D

http://www.ar15.com/content/guides/parts/lower.html

Oh, and CeraKote is a great product if you have access to it, just a b#tch to remove it after baking if you get it somewhere you didn't intend :p

Brass punches? Got any sizes? Smallest I can get? Roll pins hold the trigger group? Can you remove the take down pins that hold the upper and lower together? I'd like to paint them a different color than the lower too.

Anyone has experience with Norrell's Moly Resin paints?
 
You'll probably need a stock wrench to loosen the castle nut on the buffer tube. Watch the buffer retainer when you begin to unscrew the tube, it has a spring under it. Watch for the take-down spring and detent as you remove the buffer aswell.

The mag release is simple, just push it in real far and you can unscrew it from the other side. Hold the button in hard and watch you don't scrape the surface on the other side while you unscrew it. Watch for the spring under the button.

Bolt catch and trigger guard require a punch to remove as already stated. I wasn't able to get these out on a DPMS lower I had and sold the stripped lower with these parts still in. I hope you have better luck. The bolt catch has a small spring, watch for it.

For the pivot pin I have found using a dental pic tool helps to push the detent in with the pin pushed only slightly in, then when you have the detent pushed in you can rotate the pivot pin so the detent will no longer engage. This is where you need to be careful as it will want to shoot out when you completely remove the pivot pin.

To get at the safety use a long screwdriver to remove the grip. There is a spring held in place by the grip that will come out, along with a detent that pops the safety in each position. You may need to remove the trigger to pull out the safety, I forget.

Trigger & hammer should be obvious, push the pins out, carefully, starting with the hammer.
 
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FYI the only think we pull from the M110 SASS prior to coating is the trigger, we mask off portions (FH, Suppressor lock point on the gas block) pistol grip and stock, that we dont want coated - and place tape inside the lower where the trigger parts are - then we spray and bake.

If you gut it - then coat it all - you will very likley end up with tolerance issues
 
Especially depending on the coating you use, how much you put on, on the general tolerances you're at in the first place...

I've pinned some lowers and seen a bit of variance... if your pins are in super tight making the holes smaller isn't going to help.

I've debated replacing all my existing pins with roll pins anyways just so they don't vibrate loose/rotate... but it seems like a bit of overkill.
 
FYI the only think we pull from the M110 SASS prior to coating is the trigger, we mask off portions (FH, Suppressor lock point on the gas block) pistol grip and stock, that we dont want coated - and place tape inside the lower where the trigger parts are - then we spray and bake.

If you gut it - then coat it all - you will very likley end up with tolerance issues

You bring up a good point I hadn't tought of, Kevin. I'll ponder on this a bit I think. I wanted to gut it because I wanted to spray the lower/upper/quad rail OD Green and all the little bits black. I wanted something that kinda looks like what LWRC does with their rifles when they anodize/paint them. Something like this, except I would have painted the barrel black(I find it to be too greyish) and the rail green. Just so we're clear, this is not my rifle.

OD1.jpg


OD4.jpg
 
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dont use roll pins use some pins from kns anti rolll pins
I'm not talking just trigger pins (which are not roll pins, they are solid)- they seem to go in easily enough. I'm talking about the roll pins for the trigger guard, the mag release, the front and rear take down pins, bolt catch roll pin (or set screw on an SR-25) etc.
 
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