Help with painting.

[emilianoksa]

I have an AW hicapa with a blue slide and red barrel.

I bought it before I took up skirmishing and have never used it in a game. In fact I have only put about 150 bbs through it.

It is powerful and accurate though I don't know how durable or reliable it will prove over time.

Now I can' decide whether to keep it as is and use it as a race gun, paint the slide black or grey, or sell it on.

If it didn't have a blue slide (nice finish by the way) I would just spray Krylon over it. But when it started to wear the blue underneath would make it look a mess. So I would first have to sand it down and that seems like a big job to me. 

What would you do?

There is something about it that I still like, and I could mess it up by painting it, but a blue gun doesn't really look the part in a load out.

 

[Guest]

I’ve painted a few guns, I’d go for it.

I always use Halfords car paint, works like a dream, you saw my painted 1911?

The great things about doing it yourself are it’s cheap, and you can always do it again

I strip my guns, clean anything thoroughly then under coats and top coats, just dusting layers on. Being matt, the Halfords paint goes on easily, drys quickly and looks good.

From this

To this

And this is my springer TM G17

 

[emilianoksa]

Very nice. Yes, I've seen your 1911 before, and that Glock also looks good.

How well does that stuff wear?

 

[Guest]

Sorry, I don’t skirmish, but with an undercoat it lasts very well. Without, it’s deliberately going to wear

 

[emilianoksa]

So where do you use your airsoft guns? Do you go to a range or just use them at home?

 

[Guest]

At the local range to me (MPA, Hockley) I target shoot, and Practical Pistol shoot at the same place ??

 

[emilianoksa]

I also go to a range.

Good for zeroing in and setting hop ups but only out to 10m.

Only air rifles are allowed on the 40 yard range and I've sold all mine to switch to airsoft.

But I also skirmish. Well I did, and hope I'll be able to again.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Duff]

Strip the blue paint first, use Dettol for polymers or white spirit for metals. Soak for about 4 to 6 hours. Old paint should flake and peel away. Then brush lightly with some light grade sandpaper before taking paint to it. Use quick and fluid hand movement adding light 'dusting' layers of paint. Light layers dry quickly in less than ten minutes so you can have it stripped, sprayed and reassembled all in one evening.

 

[emilianoksa]

Thanks a lot for the tip Duff.