If you’re buying for the first time and don’t know which paint will give your firearm the best look, you are on the right page. In this guide, you’ll learn practical tips for painting your firearm and the best tool to choose for the job.
Instead of research yourself, you can take you several hours or days depending on your budget and preferences, you can follow this guide to help you choose the best paint sight.
We’ve done all the work for you and after hours of research have found the following paints to be the best for your equipment.
All you need to do is to look through the features of each one and select the one that fits your needs.
Here are the detailed reviews of the top rated paint for guns:
Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we may make a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Comparison Reviews of the Best Paint For Guns #
- Glow-On Original Gun Sight Paint
- Duracoat Aerosol Kit
- Brownells Aluma-Hyde II Epoxy Based Firearms Finish
3. Glow-On Original Gun Sight Paint #
The Glow-On Original Gun Sight Paint is a great alternative to fall back on when your laser or red dot battery dies out.
It offers one of the brightest glows available for your equipment without having to pay hundreds of dollars to get going.
You can charge it with any light source so when it gets dimmed, you expose it to light and it lights up immediately.
The sight paint has a lifespan of 15 years and you can repeat the glow cycle for as long as you want.
The material used is environmentally safe, non-taxi, non-radioactive but water based.
This ensures your safety/health is not compromised when using this and the environment doesn’t suffer from using it.
While it’s easy to use right of the bottle, it comes with instructions that will help you with application or removal.
Overall, if you have a budget and looking for a reliable night sight, you should look at this.
Pros of the Glow-On Original Gun Sight Paint: #
- One of the advantages of the Glow-On Original Gun Sight Paint is that it is very visible even in broad daylight. While it gives the absolute brighter glows in low light situations, you may find that it doesn’t in daylight but you can count on it being usable.
- The Glow-On Original Gun Sight Paint is not grainy compared to common toothpaste. It has the texture of a dried baking soda or rough like a heavy paper, which you can solve with clear fingernail polish. The rough texture also makes it easier to handle and allows it not to slip out of your firm hold unlike when it’s smooth.
- Another favorable point for this paint glow is that you can remove it if you don’t like the way it comes out. Since it isn’t like real paint and water soluble, application and removal is a piece of cake. With a little scraping, the Glow-On will come off easily and won’t cause any damage to the stock sights. You can also trim it after a few days of drying, depending on your taste.
- This sight paint is actually water-based, so the remaining paint in the bottle doesn’t dry out after a while if you don’t use it. And if it eventually does dry, you can add a touch of hot water to it and stir with a little stick.
- The sight paint has a 24-hour dry time as recommended by the manufacturer. So after you’ve applied it to your firearm, the liquid dries out leaving the glowing substance on your equipment. And because the substance comes from liquid previously, you can apply a few thin of coats of fingernail polish after the drying time. What this does is help seal and protect the luminous material from moisture.
Cons of the Glow-On Original Gun Sight Paint: #
- While the Glow-On Original Gun Sight Paint glows alright, you need to have access to bright light every time you need to charge it. This might affect the utility as you need to expose the sights to light prior to using them in the dark. However, the glow lasts longer than traditional glow in the dark paints, which makes it a worthy investment. So to make it perform at its best, always have a LED light with you.
2. Duracoat Aerosol Kit #
If you have done any significant research on firearms paint, you know there isn’t much out there.
This means you should grab the best you can get and the Duracoat Aerosol Kit is one of the best paint you can use to protect your firearm from rust and corrosion as well as UV protection.
Not only can you apply it to metal but also on plastic and wood.
Thus, you can use it for a variety of applications including bare metal, anodizing, bluing, and parkerizing.
It comes with a scrubbing pad you can use with the TruStrip degreaser to prepare your firearm before painting.
As you can see, if you have plastic stocks, you can use this on it and it’ll hold up well — all that’s required is to observe the drying time recommended by the manufacturer.
You can also use it for a knife which will require the same prep as when you are painting a gun.
Compared to the Glow-On Original Gun Sight Paint, the Duracoat Aerosol Kit has a superior finish.
While it costs more to acquire, you can be sure your rifle will now enjoy a stunning look after you dress it with this.
Pros of the Duracoat Aerosol Kit: #
- The Duracoat Aerosol Kit is easy to apply and will hold up very well and you can even create a more solid adhesion with sun blasting.
- Unlike the Glow-On paint, you can apply a can for up to 4 firearms but be aware that it costs significantly more so it’s a bit of a tradeoff. Also, you don’t need preheating or baking which also takes some time of when using this compared to the other sight paint.
- The paint also has a good durability so you don’t have to keep coming back to repaint after a few months have gone by. The coating is durable and if you leave it to cure for a longer period, it will harden even better without losing elasticity.
- The can is 12 oz in weight and depending on the thickness of each coat you apply, the Duracoat Aerosol Kit can cover up to 4 firearms.
- There are over 300 different colors and a whole lot of kit you can choose from. With this paint, you don’t have to worry about what color your gun is, just choose a matching color and order for one.
Cons of the Duracoat Aerosol Kit: #
- The Duracoat Aerosol Kit requires a lot of layering in order to get full coverage. If you are applying on bare metal, you should expect to go over 2 coats since anything less will not be thick enough. However, if your existing finish is rough, you don’t need a lot of passes to get it thick.
- You should expect the finish to be semi-gloss. So, if you are looking for something glossy or flat, you may have to do a lot of planning and prepping to get the desired result.
1. Brownells Aluma-Hyde II Epoxy Based Firearms Finish #
This is the choice paint for aluminum quad rail and one that will easily help you change the color of your gun.
With the help of the Brownells Aluma-Hyde II Epoxy Based Firearms Finish, you can paint your stock as well as your mag.
In fact, it’s a joy being able to paint existing equipment without having to purchase a brand new one.
If you are looking for a way of setting your gun apart, you should try this out.
And since it’s easier to work with, you shouldn’t have much problem if you are a beginner.
This paint takes around 2 weeks to cure but it goes on thicker than regular spray paint.
And while it may take some time to cure completely, it’s durable and the result can be compared to cerakote or duracoat.
And with one can, you can cover one full-sized rifle (long gun).
Pros of the Brownells Aluma-Hyde Firearm Finish #
- If you are painting your stripped AR lower, it might mess with tolerance such as the pivot pins and takedowns which is because of the thickness of the paint. So, if you have any opening where tolerance is tight like the trigger, hammer pins, pivot pins, selector switch, etc, you should address them prior to painting.
- Make sure you bake your finish as per the instruction manual and make sure you do your prep work right. If your stock is not metal, don’t bother sticking it in the oven to speed up the process.
- If you are using Magpul FDE, you should go for the Aluma-Hyde II Epoxy Magpul FDE, which is the standard color for your equipment.
Cons of the Brownells Aluma-Hyde Firearm Finish #
- The spray nozzle sometimes gets clogged but a good way of preventing this from happening is to keep it (i.e. the nozzle) in a cup of acetone when it’s not in use. Only take it out when you want to use it.
- It’s not as good as cerakote firearm coating but it’s a lot easier to apply. And if the finish got scratched, you can repaint it plus it can serve as a great alternative to cerakote or durakote.
Final Words on the Best Paint for Guns #
If you’re a DIY enthusiast, you’ll be painting your firearm more often and you need to invest in a good paint sight.
As long as you have the budget and have a good place to store the paint, you should be able to find one that suits your preferences here.
If you are buying this paint for the first time, you may find it difficult to prune down the number of options available on the market. However, with a good guide, it shouldn’t be difficult finding the right one for your purpose.
Fortunately, this guide has helped you narrow down to the best paint for guns that you can choose right now!