Ihave a 98 action and 30-06 barrel i want to build into an all weather, knockabout rifle i dont have to worry about too much .i dont want to reblue it .But use some kind of paint to protect it from rust and the elements .I was thinking of POR 15 paint ! anybody have any recommendations ?
How much "knock-about" are you talking? Put whatever kind of cheap finish on it you want, then thickly coat it with Johnson floor wax ( or even some kind of car paste wax) when going afield and it will probably last a week or more under bad field conditions.
Posts: 3300 | Location: Western Slope Colorado, USA | Registered: 17 August 2001
Rustoleum Paint!!! I painted my 458 Mauser twenty years ago and this year decided to remove a little to check underneith. Guess what ? the blue appears like new!! I have carried this rifle every year for over twenty years for hundreds of miles in the nastiest weather Alaska offers. I first clean the metal with alcohol then hit it with a coat of flat primer, then whatever color suits your fancy. I have done some rifles in flat black that looked so good folks asked who did the work.
Anyone who claims the 30-06 is ineffective has either not tried one, or is unwittingly commenting on their own marksmanship Phil Shoemaker Alaska Master guide FAA Master pilot NRA Benefactor www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.com
Posts: 4224 | Location: Bristol Bay | Registered: 24 April 2004
Originally posted by DeBee: Rick's suggestion is great but expensive...
I recommend parkerizing then a satin spar varnish rubbed in. Or perhaps a slow rust blue with satin spar rubbed in...
It might not look perfectly beautiful but when the varnish begins to wear either strip it or rub in more. Low cost/Low tech suggestion.
I beg your pardon, but where can you get a barreled action parkerized or rust blued for $185.00...and with protective, self lubricating finish applied to all internal parts including the trigger asembly?
Plus, Robar has a special going on offering 10% off metal finishing.
Correction! Sorry, I just checked Robars web site and you can add $90 bucks to what I quoted if you want the bolt and internals coated in NP3. So the total cost for inside and outside weather proof and self lubricating finish is $275...still cheaper than Rust bluing and not much more than Parkerizing (which you can’t put on the internals.)
Posts: 4574 | Location: Valencia, California | Registered: 16 March 2005
I agree with 458 Win. I have used painted rifles for many years. In high wear areas you can always touch it up. Tip: if you want to camo your rifle pain the whole rifle in the lightest color first. Then add the darker colors to the pattern you desire. Use tape to protect the areas you do not want painted. I also do not let paint get on the seals of the rifle scope, including the power adjustment of variables.
DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY
Posts: 16134 | Location: Texas | Registered: 06 April 2002
How hard is it to get rustoleum paint off when you're done with it? Is it worth doing each hunting season so the uninitiated don't faint in fright at the range during the off-season?
Jaywalker ---
Posts: 1006 | Location: Texas | Registered: 30 December 2003
Just get one of the commercial paint removers and it pretty much wipes off. I've used one that is citrus based on several rifles which I've painted and it works real well.
My latest trick was to get the textured Rustoleum in black, then apply a coat of flat black. Looks like parkerizing but works better at resisting rust.
Posts: 1912 | Location: Charleston, WV, USA | Registered: 10 January 2003
Nickel - Boron finishes are tough and provide good weather resistance.
I believe the costs are similar to Dupont double guard or Roguard products.
I am having a rifle built by W.F. Hein. It will have a matte black Nickel - Boron finish. The finish is being done by a defence / aerospace contractor based, I think, in Florida.
Posts: 1289 | Location: England | Registered: 07 October 2004
Along with the Nickel Boron finish we are doing for Robthom, we are just now starting to research a tungston/carbide plating process. We know very little at this point, but are considering having one of our rifles done this way.
I have painted stocks before using rustoleum paint and liked the results. One question, I am assumming you just paint the outside of the action and barrel and skip the trigger and bolt assemblies?
My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost.
I have succesfully used two component acryllic carpaint on more than one rifle. I spray it on, let it dry to the touch and then 'bake'it for 12 hours at 90 degrees C. This way the paint dries very hard. For an example have a look at the following link: http://www.mausercentral.com/gungallery30.htm
Posts: 223 | Location: Netherlands | Registered: 16 June 2005
I also use Rustoleum High Temp. BBQ paint (used for repainting your BBQ grill - find it at any hardware store). I can't tell any difference between the BBQ painted gun and one with a teflon finish ($4.50 vs $200). I just take the barreled action out of the stock and hang it up with a coat hanger - remove the bolt and spray it on (need to degrease before hand). I don't spray it inside the action - just stuff a rag in there. I also spray the back of the bolt. I've done this to two M-70 stainless steel rifles (I don't like the look of stainless guns). Gives the metal a nice matt black finish.
Rustoleum semi gloss black has worked for me. When it gets a little beat up looking strip and repaint. I even paint the scope to match. I tried Teflon Gun Coat and it didn’t work any better as far as scratching and you have to blast it off. When you strip it off the blue is as good as new. I did degrease before painting.
Posts: 39 | Location: Oregon USA | Registered: 20 May 2005
Phil, Your rifle is so ugly, but has worked so beautifully for you all these years. I use Rustoleum on my goose hunting shotguns. No complaints in the last fifteen years.
Posts: 7158 | Location: Snake River | Registered: 02 February 2004
