Painting a pistol slide - Best paint recommendations ?
 

Hey all,

I'm about to paint the metal slide of my WE Desert Warrior to black to make a half & half black and tan concept. I know a lot of types of paint, but I wonder what could be the best type of paint for a metal slide that's durable and won't wear off too quick ? Also, would I need to sand the slide for a better grip for the paint ? Forgot to mention that I don't want any glossy paint; I would like to keep it either satin black or flat-like black to best match the OEM paint.

either that or finding someone who has a black metal slide that fits my WE DW.

Thanks all !

Lots of people say krylon flat black is pretty good. I cant comment on sanding but just be sure to tape up the slide rails. Otherwise the slide could become sticky oif paint were too get in there.

Yeah taping the ejection port and uderneath the slide was projected. I had my idea about Krylon Ultra Flat Black, used it alot and overall satisfied with it, but i'm maybe forgetting a type of paint that I didn't think of.

I've had great success with Krylon's ultra flat black, just remember surface prep is the most important step. If you want a more durable finish with it strip the slide and apply a base layer of automotive primer. The Krylon works great when done this way and seems resist chipping quite a bit better.

Another option that is even more durable and some have used as a firearm coating is Duplicolor engine enamel, specifically DE1634. It has a pretty long curing time but this stuff is really durable. Most stores like Canadian tire have it.

Assuming you can find some around here, you could consider plastidip

Haven't tried it yet but it's in the plans

It's a liquid that dries to a rubber and can be peeled off very cleanly if needed be; Check YouTube about it

Yeah I know what PlastiDip is; i've plastidipped my wheels last spring :) But I doubt Plastidip is the right choice for this kind of usage.

Haha cool
Yeah Like I said I haven't tried the stuff yet, good to know
If you don't mind, could you PM me your impressions about it and where you got yours? I don't want to throw your trade off-tracks

Cheers

Oh I just remembered. I bought a 1911 from a guy on here, and he had it coated in some sort of polymer paint job. I dont know what the actual name is, but I can give you his user name if you want. The coating on the gun is slick but not slippery and is a nice matte black.

Sure, PM me his username and i'll hit him up :)

PM sent. Would you considering using birchwood casey aluminum black? I think thats why Strelok uses on his projects and his guns always come out looking amazing.

Im still waiting for him to do a write up for us :(

Airsoft has been off the plate in the past few months (New house on the way and other stuff.) but I still intend to do that guide. Haha.

Birchwood casey makes an awesome finish provided you want an aged look. Its actually quite difficult to maintain a clean blued finish unless you plan on letting it sit on display for the most part.

Arma-coat firearm finish is another option if you're looking for that nice matte firearm appearance. They're also a canadian company! The product is very much like Lauer Duracoat firearm finishes. It won't rub off like Krylon will over time. (I hate krylon).

I've taken a look at Arma-coat a number of times and it seems like a great alternative to Duracoat or Cerakoat.

Do you by chance have any experience with it? It something I have always wanted to try but I never wanted to spend the money just to try it.

I would sand, or bead blast the slide, the reason is to remove the paint to reduce the thickness of the slide after you apply the black, slide may get stuck or fit very tight depending on how thick you apply the paint.

best paint to go with for durability would be a Duracoat.