British rifle paint.......

[3006guns]

I've known for years that the British used a tough, chemical resistant black paint on their Enfields.......but where can you find something similar these days? I have a couple of barreled actions that look like 70's vintage GMC vehicles, with large patches of dull or missing paint. I'd like to recoat them.....but not Parkerizing or bluing. Is there anything like the original paint out there?

[Outpost75]

The following is very similar to the British Army baking enamel used for "stoving" firearms during WW2

Sherwin-Williams - KEM AQUA® 1400 - Water Reducible Baking Enamel - Low Gloss Black ................... F83B420

DESCRIPTION - KEM AQUA® 1400 Water Reducible

Baking Enamel is a waterborne alkydamino enamel designed for general metal finishing. It provides a hard, tough
coating at less than 2.3 lb/gal VOC* without the hazards of flammable solvents.

Advantages:

• VOC as packaged <2.3 lb/gal; 275 g/L
• Excellent flow and leveling
• Excellent flexibility and toughness
• Reduces with water**, means considerable cost savings in solvent
• No flash point - reduced fire hazards - possible lower insurance rates
• Water can be used for cleanup of equipment
• Improved working conditions
• Full color and lower gloss range available with intermix system and Kem
Aqua® Flatting Base D64F505
(consult Product Data Page CC-S13)
• Ideal for use on a wide range of metal products for both interior and exterior application
• Versatile - may be applied by conventional, HVLP, air-assisted airless, and electrostatic spray methods

*VOC compliance limits vary from state to state; please consult local Air Quality rules and regulations.
**To ensure optimal coating performance and stability, it is recommended to use

SPECIFICATIONS
General: Substrate should be free of grease, oil, dirt, fingerprints, drawing compounds, any contamination, and surface passivation treatments to ensure optimum adhesion and coating performance properties. Consult Metal Preparation Brochure CC-T1 for additional details.

Aluminum or Galvanized Steel: For best results, treat the surface with a proprietary chrome phosphate metal treatment, or prime with Kem Aqua® Wash Primer, E61G522.

Steel or Iron: Remove rust, mill scale, and oxidation products. For best results, treat the surface with a proprietary surface chemical treatment of zinc or iron phosphate to improve corrosion protection.

[1Hawkeye]

In the past Iv'e used the spray paint they make for repainting gas grills,its hard to tell the old from the new paint with some brands. Also engine paint can be used.

[M-Tecs]

Benelli is using this on some barrel repairs. It holds up very well.

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools-supplies/metal-prep-coloring/paint-finishes/air-cure-aerosol-paints/aluma-hyde-ii-prod1117.aspx

https://www.toolnerds.com/paint-sprayer/gun-paint/brownells-aluma-hyde-ii-review/

[eric123]

Can't say what is a close match, but I have used engine paint with ceramic and caliper paint...Both tough, and chemical resistant...

[LAGS]

A few years back, my brother gave me some gun stuff he got at a late friends Estate sale
In there was a Spray Can of that was labeled " British Black "
The Label had pictures of British firearms on the can like the Enfield and Bren.
I am going to have to look for that.
It should still be in the garage of the house I am moving out of.
( I never throw anything away )
But I have had several LE #4's that the metal was Painted, not parkerized or blued.
Years ago I just thought it was done by the importer to dress up their imports.

[3006guns]

Wow..........thanks everyone! Now I just have to decide WHICH product to use.......may call for several beers while I ponder it. Thanks again.

[samari46]

The black paint you refer to is called suncorite or similar spelling. My Ishapore 2A1 made in India has it. Frank

[Shawlerbrook]

How about Brownell’s Aluma Hyde ? Not sure if they make it in gloss black. The stuff is very tough when applied correctly.

[justashooter]

duplicolor #1634 rattle can semi-gloss engine enamel from your local auto parts store. first coat looks flat. successive coats look glossier. two coats is good for a dull semi. shoot from 12", allow to tack, then bake in oven at 2--* till it stops stinking and allow to cool before handling. will be hard as glass and chemically resistant once baked and dry. durable to 500* service temperature.

[EVR]

A key to a good topcoat is a good bottom coat. The classic finish used by the British and others {lots of mils incorporated paint finishes in arms manufacture} involved paint over Parkerizing {AKA park'n'paint}. Parkerizing is an awesome "primer" and can be used under paint or varnish. In fact, Parkerizing by itself due to the open texture holds oil very well but paint better.

Common hardware store semigloss oil-based "Tractor" or "Machine" paint works well. And is quite similar to British Suncorite. also, many of the rattlecan products including several barbeque heat resistant types virtually wash off when subjected to common gun solvents. The oil-based brush-on types seem to stand up better. For a really tough coat, adding talcum baby powder dulls and toughens oil base paints.

No matter WHAT finish you use, the parts MUST be 100% and totally degreased prior to applying the finish using acetone or some similar solvent.

For you guys that live in the East and Southeast, the problem with oil-based brush-on paints is that they often take a LONG time to dry and may not fully cure in the moist environment. "Baking" is one option. Trick there is to make sure the paint solvent/carrier has plenty of time to dry {as much as it can} BEFORE baking, as if the part goes into the oven wet, bubbles form.

US Army tech manuals used to spec somewhere around 300 degrees F for painting the stainless gas tube on Garand rifles but this is way too high for most applications and can at that or slightly higher temps begin to effect temper. Here I really don't need to bake on in our climate, as summer will raise temps very high on tools, implements and guns, but when I have I use a significantly lower temperature and just leave the part longer. About 175 to 200 max for a few hours. Allow to cool and then use the part.

Caveat; I started doing this stuff long before the current crop of type-specific spray-on gun finishes was available and in truth, the new stuff is as good or better than paint, but if a guy wants to try it, the old methods are still pretty effective. Also, one must beware the application of paint on fitted parts as the increase in thickness of the part caused by the paint can cause fitting and functioning problems.

Also, remember; no gun finish lasts forever, and a quick glance at surplus British Enfields or Israeli service Browning HiPowers will reveal the fact that the old finishes wear and can chip. I've never cared but some guys get cranky when they see the slightest indication that their gun was actually taken out of the safe and used for the purpose it was made....

[EDG]

The British product was called Suncorite and has long been discontinued for having chemistry that is objectionable to the environment.
You can use any number of rattle can paints and primers but the best paint I know of is used by the US military.
It is a 2 part epoxy imide that is very hard, tough and chemical resistant. It is a far better paint than the sorry Brit Suncorite.
The lusterless black color is #37038.
It is expensive but Sherwin Williams sells it.
Another good paint is Sherwin Williams Polane T. Polane T is a very tough urethane paint used on general aviation aircraft.

[EDG]

The British product was called Suncorite and has long been discontinued for having chemistry that is objectionable to the environment.
You can use any number of rattle can paints and primers but the best paint I know of is used by the US military.
It is a 2 part epoxy polyamide that is very hard, tough and chemical resistant. It is a far better paint than the sorry Brit Suncorite.
The lusterless black color is #37038.
It is expensive but Sherwin Williams sells it.
Another good paint is Sherwin Williams Polane T. Polane T is a very tough urethane paint used on general aviation aircraft.

[M-Tecs]

Not sure if this verse can be shipped here but EDG is correct the original is a no go.

https://www.trimite.com/product/suncorite-528/

[gwpercle]

A decent substitute for the British stuff is Rust - Oleum Engine Enamel in either Black or Low Gloss Black ... test out both colors and use the one you like. Heat resistant and looks good.
The original was a baking enamel and the Rust-Oleum is a enamel also.
Gary

[izzyjoe]

I used VHT black engine paint on a friends rusty shotgun that he wanted redone, it was a mossberg 500 that he used for duck hunting, and it held up very well. The barrel was bead blasted, and primed and that may be why it held up. I left it out in the sun for several days to bake it on, cause lord knows the wife would have never that in the oven!

[MOC031]

Awesome! I will probably buy the recommended paint as I recently discovered some old rusty rifles in the attic as well as some antic furniture which would look great if they were repainted.

Depending on how much you want to spend on your fun, Brian Dick has been buying, selling, and restoring pretty much all marks of Lee Enfields for decades. I don't know if he's still doing that, but he was still active not too long ago over on the Lee Enfield milsurps forum. I don't know if he still does finish restoration services, but I've compared one (T) sniper that he restored the finish on to rifles of the same era that looked like they were never issued... I doubt many people could tell the difference.

[milsurpcollector1970]

Original finish was dipping the rifle in oil when hot (not sure what oil was used)