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We recently received an email inquiry from a reader about how to repaint a rifle when it gets chipped.  We spoke to John from Premier Rifles for his advice.  This is what he recommends!

To play it safe you should use enamel paint on rifles.  Some rifles are painted with enamel and some with lacquer depending on the manufacturer.  Enamel will not lift lacquer but lacquer will lift enamel.  If the rifle is a "Premier" or "Ultimate" it is painted with lacquer and you can use both lacquer or enamel paint for repairs.  For all other rifles use enamel to be safe or check with the manufacturer.

Preparation is also important if you have chips on the rifle.  Sand the rifle with 220 grit sand paper and prime the bare wood.  Primer is a dull coat that sticks to bare surfaces like wood and fills light imperfections.  It's also easy to sand.  After priming, sand with 400 grit sandpaper and spray your color.  If you don't sand the chips to blend in to the wood, not only will it look bad, the new paint may get under the old and lift the old paint around the chips.

Spray paint always looks nicer than brush.  You will get a smoother finish with spray.  Also remember to spray several light coats (rather than one thick one) and slightly overlap the dry area you just sprayed.  When you spray a pass over the rifle you will see the wet shiny paint and the edges will be dry and dull.  Make your next pass at the top or bottom of the shiny wet area.  I would recommend using Rust-Oleum brand white primers and Rust-Oleum brand gloss white paint.  It does not "run" as easily as the cheaper brands.

 A huge thanks to John at Premier Rifles for sharing what he knows!

related articles: "Protecting Your Rifle"

Read or add comments about this item.

No. 1 : Painting Rifles

I've painted, and re-painted several sets of rifles using this type of process over the years. Besides making the old look new again, you can also add fun colors to your rifles. If you do use canned paint, just make sure you have the paint matched to the tape. I once tried to match tape to a spray paint color and it was a flop.

Submitted by Guest User • 2008-01-11 09:59:31

No. 2 : Guard Captain

I found the information very useful and easy to follow my old rifle look new again.Thanks to Color Guard Educator and Premier Rifles you are the best.

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Submitted by Guest User • 2008-01-28 19:43:27

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