4 Best Spray Paint for Guns of 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks
- Pete Ortiz
- Last updated:
If you’re building your own gun or want to put a new finish on one you already own, you may miss out on a low-cost method to produce high-quality coatings.
While we often associate spray paint with cheapness and low-durability situations, many companies have released formulations in recent years that have good heat and moisture resistance, as well as stick great to most materials you’ll find on a firearm. So, spray paint is a valid alternative to other coating methods and can provide a quick, cheap, and easy way to make your firearms look great.
However, when shopping online, it’s not always clear which brands and formulations are the best for this kind of job. We’ve done the hard work for you and assembled a list of reviews of the best spray paints for guns so that you can find the brand that works great for your needs and fits nicely into your budget, too.
Our Favorite Products for 2024 Compared
Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall
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Rust-Oleum Camouflage |
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CHECK PRICE | |
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Dupli-Color Engine Enamel |
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CHECK PRICE | |
Best Value
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Krylon Colormaster |
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CHECK PRICE | |
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Brownells Aluma-Hyde II |
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CHECK PRICE |
Top 4 Best Spray Paints for Guns – Reviews
1. Rust-Oleum Camouflage Gun Spray Paint Pack – Best Overall
The Rust-Oleum 269038-6 PK Camouflage Pack is an excellent choice for the discerning hunter who thinks their equipment should blend as well into the natural environment as they do. This six-pack comes in four colors, so you can create the ultimate patterning for a gun that deer and ducks won’t see coming. The paints work on multiple surfaces, such as wood, metal, and plastic, though it doesn’t stick as well to plastic surfaces, so keep that in mind when you’re painting.
The finish is non-reflective and ultra-flat, which means it doesn’t draw the eye like glossy spray paints often do. It also dries in about half an hour which means you don’t have to be out of commission for extended periods of time. Overall, this is a great product available at a reasonable price, and if you’re looking to camouflage your hunting equipment, you’re getting great bang for the buck with this 6-pack. All in all, this makes it our top choice as the best overall spray paint for guns.
- Multiple colors for camouflage
- Works on multiple materials
- Non-reflective, ultra-flat finish
- Dries fast
- Doesn’t stick well to plastic
2. Dupli-Color Engine Enamel Firearm Spray Paint
The Dupli-Color EDE161307 was initially designed for coating engine blocks so you can have the confidence that it will stand up to almost any kind of abuse that you throw at it. It comes with temperature resistance up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit due to its inclusion of ceramic resins in the paint, which also adds to its durability. It’s designed not to blister, flake, crack, or peel, so it’s suitable for surfaces on your weapons that will see a lot of rubbing.
It also comes with an EZ touch nozzle which makes the application much easier. However, there are some things that you should consider before you buy. This is a high-gloss paint, which might tip off prey on your next hunting expedition. It’s also not entirely water resistant, which means that if you’re caught in a rainstorm, you might see all your work run off your guns. However, if you’re looking for durable, heat-resistant paint that will resist most kinds of wear, this is a good paint that can be had at a good price, too.
- Heat resistance
- EZ touch nozzle
- Doesn’t peel or crack
- High-gloss
- Not water resistant
3. Krylon Colormaster Spray Paint for Guns – Best Value
The Kryron 51601 is great because it adheres well to most materials, so you should get an even coating across your entire gun, no matter what materials it is made from. It creates a moisture-resistant finish that should last a long time, even in humid conditions. It’s also fast-drying, allowing you to put down multiple coats in a half hour.
None of these features would matter if the paint didn’t look good, and it does, which leads many to suspect that they’ll be out an arm and a leg for this brand. However, it is one of the most economical purchases you can make, which is why we’ve rated it “best value” on our list. Our one complaint isn’t with the paint, but with the cans, which sometimes come missing a spray nozzle or with expired, chunky contents. If Krylon fixed this problem, this spray paint would be much higher on our list. Despite this, we think this is the best spray paint for guns for the money you can buy this year.
- Moisture-resistant finish
- Fast drying
- Sticks to plastic
- Quality-control
4. Brownells Aluma-Hyde II Gun Spray Paints
The Brownells Aluma-Hyde II is a good paint with a flawed delivery system and application process. While it bills itself as a matte paint, it’s more of a semi-gloss, as it has a slight sheen to it, but that’s still less shiny than what you’ll get with other spray paints. The finish is one of the most durable that you can get out of a spray paint, given that you’re willing to follow the instructions to the letter. In that case, that involves doing multiple coats and then waiting ten days for the paint to cure or baking the relevant parts in the oven, which is a hassle.
Given those downsides, it’s hard to justify the price as high as it is. It’s a good finish, sure, but it’s lower value in some ways than other entries on our list, and the price is up to three times as high as other brands. The delivery system is also problematic, as you’ll need to buy extra nozzles to ensure you can use the can without frequent clogging. Overall, you get a good finish, but this spray paint has a laborious application process and is expensive.
- Semi-gloss paint
- Durable finish
- Expensive
- Long cure time
- Nozzles clog
Buying Guide – How to Choose the Best Spray Paint for Guns
We hope our reviews of these gun paints have helped you see some of the features and qualities you should be looking for when you buy spray paint for your gun. Of course, there’s always more you can learn about this process. If you’re new to spray painting guns, you should check out this buyer’s guide, which is packed full of useful information that will help you make a good decision when you go to buy. Likewise, it’s an excellent refresher course for gun-painting experts, and reading this is a good way to ensure you’ve done your due diligence before you spend your hard-earned cash.
Paint Quality
One of your first considerations should be the quality of the paint. If it doesn’t hold up to extended use, you’re not getting a good deal, no matter how cheap it is. There are far more expensive treatments than spray painting that last for a long, long time, so that’s what spray paint has to succeed regarding quality, and thankfully, there are some brands that rise to the occasion.
You’ll want to ensure you get a spray paint that bonds well to metal, as not all do. If you’re a hunter, you’ll probably also want to look for matte formulations instead of glossy ones since they will make your weapons harder to spot in many situations. Glossy coats on firearms aren’t as aesthetically pleasing to most people, though that is a personal choice.
You’ll also want brands with good heat resistance if you put them on a firearm. Not all spray paints hold up well to heat, which would quickly lower the quality of your purchase once you used the firearms. You’d hate to constantly reapply the spray paint to keep your firearms looking good.
Moisture Resistance
Moisture resistance is one of the most essential qualities for a firearm that will be used outside, especially on hunting trips. You’re not always going to be hunting in optimal conditions, and while you may not get rained on, some spray paints do poorly in humid conditions. While the paint might not directly run off the gun, moisture can make it more vulnerable to smudging, chipping, or rubbing off in places, which no one should have to deal with.
Note that if the product description doesn’t specifically say that the spray paint in question is moisture-resistant, then it’s probably not. It’s a valuable enough feature that it’s unlikely that the company would fail to point it out when its product has it.
Mixture quality
Some spray paints are made cheaply and thus clog the nozzle when you try to use them. This can be a pain in the butt, though it is solvable in many circumstances. Cleaning the nozzle with mineral water or replacing the nozzle, if possible, can help mitigate this problem. This is also part of why you should shake the can before use, as that motion reduces the likelihood of clogs.
On the other hand, spray paint has an expiration date, and if you get an expired can, you should immediately return it for a replacement. There’s no way to get a good experience out of an expired can. Unfortunately, there’s no good way to tell if a formulation is runny or prone to clogging from a product description alone, so you will have to do some research to find this information.
Cure time
Spray paints require different amounts of time to cure. Some are advertised that they’re dry to the touch in 10 minutes or less, which can be a nice feature, especially if you do multiple coats. Other varieties can require days or weeks to cure completely, which is a long time to wait before doing a new coat or any touch-up work. And, of course, you can’t use your firearm during that time.
In some instances, you can shorten the cure time by baking your painted firearm in your oven, but that only works for specific brands, and even then, that’s something you should only do if there are instructions for doing so.
Can quality
One of the final aspects to consider when shopping for spray paint for your guns is that the quality of the can make a big difference in your experience. Some companies go all-out and make efforts to create cans that work nearly all the time and are clog-resistant. Others take a cheaper approach which means that you must take extra steps to prevent clogging.
In most circumstances, it’s a good idea to research the kinds of nozzles the brand you’re buying uses and buy a couple of spare nozzles, just in case something goes wrong. That way, you won’t have to buy a new can of spray paint.
Conclusion
The Rust-Oleum 269038-6 PK Camouflage Pack is our top choice, as it comes with multiple colors great for camo and has a matte, non-reflective finish. The Dupli-Color EDE161307 comes in second and features excellent heat resistance and good anti-peel properties, but it isn’t water-resistant, which keeps it out of first. The Kryron 51601 is our choice for best value due to its low price and the fact that it sticks to almost everything well. The Brownells Aluma-Hyde II creates a high-quality finish, but it’s expensive and difficult to apply.
Hopefully, our reviews of the best spray paints for guns have helped you understand what you should be looking for when you do your next project. Armed with this information, you should be able to get a high-quality finish in an easy, low-cost manner that you’ll love for a long time.
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