DIY Tactical Paint Job for Marlin

I have a Marlin 7mm08 Syn Blued ( sorry Clint :thumbsup:)
I am going to chop the barrel to 18 and suppress it
I want to give the rifle a tactical look and feel like Ryan Cleckners rifle, same colour combos ( see pic )
This rifle is a going to get a hard life, ute, bush, over dog
lots of wet and may use it to paddle the canadian from time time to time.

I'd be really interested to hear from anyone who has done this, keen to see pics
and hear how to go about it and what products are the go too, what a re the good colours etc. \

There may even be some links you have come across on to how to?

I thought I'd check in with you guys first and see if I could get a steer
on how best to go about it and get off on the right foot. Thanks in advance.

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I hear a single colour is easier to touch up when that inevitably happens
camo pattern looks super shit when parts get worn off.

Yeah... Mask off lenses. Everything else gets paint. (I see they even painted the bolt in that pic - you'd do that separately.)
Super etch primer. Flat or ultra-flat paint colours. "krylon" brand is recommended on US forums but It's stupid expensive here from model shops. I think I ended up up using "white knight" a-la bunnings.
Start with the lightest colour and work up in layers, ie one coat of drab, then whatever. I like the stencil effect (ponga/ fern fronds especially) but to do as the pic you'd use shields (weetbix box will do) and spray off the edge of them to give blurry effect.
I also like the look of digital camo, which can be done with masking tape but would be damned tedious. Buy the super-wide masking tape from paint shops and cut out your patterns then layer, spray, layer, spray etc.

ALternatively look into hydro-dipping. set up a tank big enough to take it, then spray your colours on the surface, carefully roll the rifle through it then hang to dry.

Or just get 8t done professionally by someone like ceracote nz

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Originally Posted by Bill999

I hear a single colour is easier to touch up when that inevitably happens
camo pattern looks super shit when parts get worn off.

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Active service sniper rifles aren't exactly safe queens, and some look downright terrible - optics included. Worn patches of paint, crudely applied id marks, but the bores and working bits are pristine (in accordance with their age and round count of course, which is accurately recorded.)

I was thinking of painting a digital snow camo. Have nt really gotten anything bad enough to do it to.

If a cheap howa stock pops up I'll probably give it a go

tape the whole shebang up with silage/insulation tape BEFORE you do the paint job....that way if you deside its a crappy idea you can peel it off again.... taping whole thing up doesnt look to bad on its own...plenty of good material camo tapes out there..they are like horse bandages,they stick to themselves and last for ages,zero shine. if you do go down the paint it route....matt primer works good ,just short puffs at a distance..lots of little layers better than one thick one.

https://www.wikihow.com/Camouflage-Paint

I'm puzzled by the last bit about using a leafy branch as a stencil: better to cut out a stencil around the leafy branch, I reckon. But I've never done it so what do I know?

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Originally Posted by Bill999

I hear a single colour is easier to touch up when that inevitably happens
camo pattern looks super shit when parts get worn off.

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Ghillie suits are really ugly too, do no favour to the finest figure. I agree, once you go camo you go 100% utility and it's not for looks, rather not to be noticed.

I'm sure I have a can of camo paint somewhere but I can't find it.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7c6b145a47.jpg

My 308 got the rattle can treatment earlier this year halved my group sizes


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Originally Posted by Bigash

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7c6b145a47.jpg

My 308 got the rattle can treatment earlier this year halved my group sizes


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Give it another coat, although as I understand it, there are diminishing returns.

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Do people camo their scopes? I have never been game on anything other than a ranger scope

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Originally Posted by Russian 22.

Do people camo their scopes? I have never been game on anything other than a ranger scope

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I really thought about it, but I change my mind every other day with guns and you are pretty committed when you paint it


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Originally Posted by GSP HUNTER

I have a Marlin 7mm08 Syn Blued ( sorry Clint :thumbsup:)
I am going to chop the barrel to 18 and suppress it
I want to give the rifle a tactical look and feel like Ryan Cleckners rifle, same colour combos ( see pic )
This rifle is a going to get a hard life, ute, bush, over dog
lots of wet and may use it to paddle the canadian from time time to time.

I'd be really interested to hear from anyone who has done this, keen to see pics
and hear how to go about it and what products are the go too, what a re the good colours etc. \

There may even be some links you have come across on to how to?

I thought I'd check in with you guys first and see if I could get a steer
on how best to go about it and get off on the right foot. Thanks in advance.

Attachment 118649

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You mention Ryan Cleckner , if you search his Podcast “ Going Ballistic “ he has a couple where he talks extensively about painting rifles .
He makes it very clear that his painted rifles look like shit up close , but thats not the point of the exercise .
The more worn and rough they look the better the camouflaging effect is at a distance especially when paired with other coverings of natural foliage or wrappings . He still paints some of his rifles , but its more for nostalgia of his previous life than anything.

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Originally Posted by Ground Control

You mention Ryan Cleckner , if you search his Podcast “ Going Ballistic “ he has a couple where he talks extensively about painting rifles .
He makes it very clear that his painted rifles look like shit up close , but thats not the point of the exercise .
The more worn and rough they look the better the camouflaging effect is at a distance especially when paired with other coverings of natural foliage or wrappings . He still paints some of his rifles , but its more for nostalgia of his previous life than anything.

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Thanks Ground Control and everyone else who added to the convo on this thread. I'm usually wood and blued kind of guy, I have a real love hate thing for synthetic rifles despite their glaringly obvious advantages. I like the deconstructed element of Cleckners rifle. In my mind, this approach takes a synthetic rifle to where I naturally see them as almost agricultural tools. Who knows, my goups might tighten :thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by GSP HUNTER

. Who knows, my goups might tighten :thumbsup:

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Its guaranteed!!

Also a way of making a stencil is spray some crc onto some plastic ( I used one of the plastic folders for paper) then use pva glue for the design you want , let it dry for a day or so and the glue hardens into a cool rubber stencil that has flex to fold around stocks barrels etc



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Here are two guns I painted both using this stuff which is an awesome product.

Both guns were degreased thoroughly before painting. The beauty of Krylon is you can just spray it straight on without a primer. I found the AR looked 'better' once it started to develop wear from use. Paint never "flaked" off which shows how well it adheres to the metal, i never thought it looked shit even when it started to wear.

The Tikka came up mint and yes, I even painted the scope. Was a little fiddly as I left the rings on and had to 'cut' in on the edges. Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6, think Marty Henry bought it off me?

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Originally Posted by Bigash

Its guaranteed!!

Also a way of making a stencil is spray some crc onto some plastic ( I used one of the plastic folders for paper) then use pva glue for the design you want , let it dry for a day or so and the glue hardens into a cool rubber stencil that has flex to fold around stocks barrels etc



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You can use silicone or pva glue on baking paper. Residual crc on the glue can leave traces on the stock and a clear coat won't adhere in those spots.

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Originally Posted by Sasquatch

Here are two guns I painted both using this stuff which is an awesome product.

Both guns were degreased thoroughly before painting. The beauty of Krylon is you can just spray it straight on without a primer. I found the AR looked 'better' once it started to develop wear from use. Paint never "flaked" off which shows how well it adheres to the metal, i never thought it looked shit even when it started to wear.

The Tikka came up mint and yes, I even painted the scope. Was a little fiddly as I left the rings on and had to 'cut' in on the edges. Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6, think Marty Henry bought it off me?

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Nice one Sasquatch, that's where I'm heading on the stock, I may get our resident Cerakote man to do the barrel so it's weather tight.
Nice execution on the finish. The dark green matt finish looks sharp.

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Originally Posted by GSP HUNTER

Nice one Sasquatch, that's where I'm heading on the stock, I may get our resident Cerakote man to do the barrel so it's weather tight.
Nice execution on the finish. The dark green matt finish looks sharp.

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Thanks man. For the barrel I 'duracoated' it, only because I think cerokoting in NZ is quite pricey. SS barrel and action was degreased, rinced, then hung and dried in my garage. Heat-gunned for a few minutes to open up the pours in the metal, 3-4 coats of Wattyl etch primer applied with 1 hour dry time in between coats. Then finally about 2-3 coats of Kylon matt black to finish with 10-20mins dry time. Did it mid Feb last summer.

I'm not easy on the little scout and the paint job has held up exceptionally well considering. I have been asked a couple of times at the range where I got my gun cerokoted... :D