Removing paint from a gun

[richhodg66]

Went to see my FFL guy to pick something up, great guy and he always seems to have something interesting that's turned up since the last time. This time it was a Handi Rifle barrel in .22 Hornet he thought I'd be interested in (I was) and sold it to me for what he had in it.

Good news is the bore looks good, bad news is some former owner cam painted it, no idea what kind of paint. ANy thoughts on how to go about removing the paint?Preferably without destroying any bluing that may be left?

Not sure how much I'm gonna like this, I have a Savage 219 in Hornet which is a joy to carry and point, this is a heavy barrel and I doubt the handling qualities will be very good compared to the 219.

 

[RBHarter]

Captain Lee's for an aggressive chemical solution . Stripped a lot of airplanes with it . It won't work epoxy though , lacquer , enamel, and poly come pretty easy though .

It might be ceracoated in which case I think the answer is just cut it off .

It's unfortunately likely that bubba sanded it down to fix some rust damage so there's no finish to remove .

Try the Citristrip first .

Dot 3 brake fluid if it's laquered .

 

[Snakeoil]

I'm with Mr. Harter. Start with a standard paint stripper. If that does not work, try a propane torch. Just don't go crazy with the heat. And do it outdoors because you don't know what bad stuff might be created by burning the paint. If neither of those touches it, then I guess I'd toss it in the blasting cabinet. I agree with RB that the original finish was probably scuffed up before the paint was applied if it is a quality coating job. If the stuff comes off with paint remover, lacquer thinner or similar, then it might be an amateur rattle can camo job and the original finish is good.

Photos and follow up report are requested.

 

[JustJim]

Aircraft paint remover from your local auto parts store. Easier to control than something like Zipstrip, and quicker. If that won't do it, bead-blast it.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I used spray can stripper on the "6mm project gun". I bought it as a 16" Howa 30/06 covered in rattle can camo!!

Lucky for me, metal was perfect underneath!! Stripper worked perfectly!!

 

[fiver]

if i wanted an easier to carry rifle i'd just send it off to be turned down and re-blued.

 

[Jeff H]

if i wanted an easier to carry rifle i'd just send it off to be turned down and re-blued.

Honestly, there's a lot about the H&Rs like enough to put a few bucks into one. I've messed with them quite a bit - even paid more to have one rebored than the gun cost me new. I've put hours into them to fit barrels, shorten stocks, add sights, convert to ejector,...

A few of my Handis ended up costing as much as a more expensive gun, but I didn't see everything I really like in the more expensive guns anyway.

I'd be as inclined to paint over the camo with black paint, though that is admittedly tacky.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I have "painted" a couple now. Was super hard to do the first time. I started with just the stocks. Then finally a complete gun but it was in rough shape so an improvement.

I have a very old and special H&R 1900 12g that was my Great Grand Fathers before it was my Grand mother's. It has zero finish. Functions perfectly. But needs a finish. I could re blue but Im considering cero kote.

I have a new friend who does this and he offered to donit for me for the pratice. (I buy/pay materials). So probably go that route.

CW

 

[richhodg66]

This isn't a real high priority project for me, I'll get around to it eventually.

That cerokote is interesting and it seems you can get spray coatings that one can do a pretty good job with a rattle can and baking in an oven. Not guns so much as I kind of thought for refinishing old reloading presses and such.

 

[Snakeoil]

Honestly, there's a lot about the H&Rs like enough to put a few bucks into one. I've messed with them quite a bit - even paid more to have one rebored than the gun cost me new. I've put hours into them to fit barrels, shorten stocks, add sights, convert to ejector,...

A few of my Handis ended up costing as much as a more expensive gun, but I didn't see everything I really like in the more expensive guns anyway.

I'd be as inclined to paint over the camo with black paint, though that is admittedly tacky.

We have a couple of shooters at the club that do very well with those H&R breaktops.

 

[Tomme boy]

I have "painted" a couple now. Was super hard to do the first time. I started with just the stocks. Then finally a complete gun but it was in rough shape so an improvement.

I have a very old and special H&R 1900 12g that was my Great Grand Fathers before it was my Grand mother's. It has zero finish. Functions perfectly. But needs a finish. I could re blue but Im considering cero kote.

I have a new friend who does this and he offered to donit for me for the pratice. (I buy/pay materials). So probably go that route.

CW

Why not powder coat it?

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Why not powder coat it?

Not as durable. But I haven't tried it.

CW

 

[Snakeoil]

Not as durable. But I haven't tried it.

CW

You know, that lack of finish tells a story and that story can never be told again.

But if you must, I've had good luck with Brownell's cold blues, both Dicropan and Oxpho-blue. The metal has to be perfectly clean. And it helps to warm it up with a hair dryer. I use those products to blue the various parts I make, like sight bases and such.

 

[Ian]

Hot water blue (Mark Lee Express Blue). If you can clean a muzzle-loader you can hot-water blue a rifle in the kitchen.

Punch and chisel rust-converted by boiling and carding, then hit water blued. Quadrajet socket and tee-wrench just boiled and carded to convert the surface rust:


Jackie's rifle (see special project section "Savage 1899 restification" for lots of pics):


Old rusty Crescent wrench restored:



Just the mag tube, plug, screw, and front band on this one:

 

[Mowgli Terry]

I have used Goo Gone graffiti remover on scopes where spray had been used with no harm. Nothing major on any firearm.