Krylon vs Halfords

[emilianoksa]

Is there any reason why Halfords car spray paint would be less durable than Krylon?

I know that all paint wears off over time, and especially the factory finish that airsoft pistols come with.

I am assuming that both Krylon and Halfords will give a better finish than the stock one, provided the surface is properly prepared, primed and sprayed with a bit of skill. I just wondered if the car spray was just as good, if not better, than the Krylon. 

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

I used halfords on mine with no issues. Seems as good as Krylon IMO.

Coating it in matt lacquer will help protect the paint.

 

[Nick G]

I've also used the Halfords range on several guns and so far it's wearing very well. As above , use the matt clear for extra protection . The matt clear is more of a satin in my opinion but it matches the finish of most RIFs well.

 

[emilianoksa]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[emilianoksa]

Another quick question if I may.

I've been on the Halford's site and it says that their primer can be applied to existing paintwork as well as bare metal.

The slide I want to paint is not red, blue or any of the other bright colours that people without a defence have to buy. The gun is a genuine rif, but the slide is painted olive drab. I want to change it to black. The gun has hardly been used and the paintwork is in as new condition.

I know that removing the  OD paint with solvents and wet and dry is a bigger pain in the arse than actually doing the painting. So is it really necessary? Has anybody on the forum sprayed primer directly onto a painted surface? If so I'd be grateful if you could tell me how it turned out.

 

[BigAl]

Th ebetter your prep th ebetter the end result and longer it will last.  If its cheaper gun the paint wil wear quite fast so do you want to be painting on top of that?  Kind of like building a tower block on the beach.

 

[emilianoksa]

Yes, I know you are right.

No shortcuts.

 

[Enid_Puceflange]

Question is:

is the olive drab colour a factory paint or a previous owners custom job?

I have been able to return home painted RIF’s to factory quite easily and quickly just using unleaded petrol. The paint came off with a little agitation with a toothbrush (one I was finished with ?)

a quick wash with detergent then a wipe with an oiled rag and it’s they were as good as new ?

 

[Jacob Wright]

This is one of my rifles, 4 years after being painted with Halfords paint. It’s worn but in general still looking good. 
 

Having spent large portions of my life painting surfaces, I’d say prep it every time. Yeah it might take a bit of work but the results will always be worth it. 

View attachment 82321

 

[Cannonfodder]

Tbh I tend not to bother prepping the surface more than a quick wipe down, but that's because I like the worn look. 

Also Krylon OG and Halfords green are the same shade, as I found out when painting my M4

 

[Tommikka]

If depends on what effect you want

I’m with @cannonfodder, a good rough & ready field expedient finish. From the moment it goes on it’s showing wear.

If you want the standard American look then it’s perfection, after more of the camouflage look rather than a practical camouflage effect.

If you’re repainting a different factory finish, such as making the metal look like metal and making a plastic stock look like wood then it’s 90% down to the preparation work and the rest to taking time and well painted layers.

A few years back the British Army published (internally) a painting guide for Afghanistan.  This concentrated on the preparation to protect components  so that you don’t screw up and affect the reliability of working gun, and approved paints that could be fully cleaned off with ease on return to the UK or whenever the armourer chooses to

The actual painting was ‘a quick clean then a dash here, a dash there’ (not a direct quote)

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

Here's mine, all done in Halfords OD.

Didn't bother priming lacquering, just painted straight on. Did it in the summer so the paint set well due to it being warm and dry (yes, it does occasionally get warm in Inverness).

Not fussed about wear n' tear, but if you want it perfect do prime/lacquer.

View attachment 81555

 

[emilianoksa]

Question is:

is the olive drab colour a factory paint or a previous owners custom job?

I have been able to return home painted RIF’s to factory quite easily and quickly just using unleaded petrol. The paint came off with a little agitation with a toothbrush (one I was finished with ?)

a quick wash with detergent then a wipe with an oiled rag and it’s they were as good as new ?

The olive drab is a factory paint, not a diy job.

The gun is a WE G17 finished entirely in OD, purchased from Hong Kong. KY Airsoft was the only retailer selling it.

Later I began to think it would look better with a black slide. The gun has never been used and is as new.

Thanks again for all the replies.

 

[Cannonfodder]

I've removed paint with sandpaper and elbow grease. Be warned though, this can leave scratches in the surface so I'd only recommend doing it if you're going to paint it again anyway

 

[BigStew]

has Krylon got their act together haven't used any in years the consistence was poor and very thin. i have used Halfords OD for Colonial Marine armour had good results. 

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

USCM armour? Do show and tell, Aliens fanboi here.

Always fancied a Pulse Rifle but put off by expense and Tommy mags.

 

[BigStew]

USCM armour? Do show and tell, Aliens fanboi here.

Always fancied a Pulse Rifle but put off by expense and Tommy mags.

No decent photos on my phone. I have an aluminium set of armour made by a guy in Germany couldn't bring myself to spend 4k on a Terry English set. My pulse rifle is a snow wolf kit fitted to a WE Thompson and a golden eagle m870 I still need to figure out how to plumb it at the moment. Before all no going near people used to go to cons with the UKCM http://forum.alienslegacy.com/index.php. now the cqb sites have started to reopen I need to get it out of storage and play a game in it. Either that or finally build my Mjolnir MK5 armour.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

Noice. Mjolnir is my favourite, after USCM. Do it...

Again, would love an MA5, but prohibitively expensive, not a bullpup (why???) and crappy low-capacity "hi cap" proprietary mags, so a no from me.