Paint barrel??

[223 handi]

I have a 870 barrel that was rusted and pitted and I have gotten most of it cleaned up. Has anyone ever spray painted a barrel? I don't want to spend the $ to get it reblued, want to use it as a extra slug gun barrel. What would I need to do to it to paint it? Thanks for the help!!

[bubba.50]

while i certainly wouldn't paint any kind of valuable or collecible, i have painted barrels. in this part of the country there is a lot of "shooting matches" involving making bull barrels for shotguns and drill & tap for large scopes. some plate or blue but, i paint. i use rustoleum red primer and rustoleum flat black paint. sand fairly smooth, if you can't do it inside wait for a good warm day & hang barrel till warm to almost hot, dope the wind (unless you enjoy paint fumes and spray-i never did), and put on a good even coat of primer. wait until dry to touch-just a few mins. then use the black. after drying if you don't like results, give'er another shot. have guns done this way that have been painted 5 or more years with maybe a few chips in paint. if that bothers you just shoot on a little more paint. didn't mean to be so windy, have a good'un, bubba.

[iiranger]

I believe the British later in WW II painted practically all the current production SMLE's they were making. Quicker and cheaper than "blue."

With all the "paint" systems available today... I would not hesitate except for the research picking a system. For a beater, the Rustoleum suggestion (with a bit of "bondo" for the pits) sounds plenty good to me. Just don't expect to win any beauty contests. luck.

[Graybeard]

Here is an old thread I posted on just this subject. It's had many replies and suggestions over the years added. It might be worth taking a look at.

http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,4431.0.html

[Old Fart]

Thanks GB!

I'm still toying with the idea of painting my new Savage..........

[Graybeard]

That now very old Model Seven which we still have was quite new at the time it was painted really. Other than some spots where the gun rack in my Bronco wore the paint thin and where the most hand use shows wear it otherwise still looks as it did when first painted.

[bluecow]

painted and old single shotgun with high temp engine paint that i had laying around  about 3 yrs later that and some other guns got stored ina celler.  that was the only gun that didnt have some light rust to wipe off with and oil rag.  some 4or 5 yrs later the pint is sill go strong.  degrees the gun frist and have at it.

[Lon371]

 I have an old single shot 12. Gave $25 for it cleaned the rust off, painted red primer painted back in 89 or 89. Still looks good. Also have one painted with rustoleum and 2 others with wally world fusion(camo patterns) none have rusted since. Also bought a gun locker added a electric stick type dryer thing that hangs in the locker to keep dry.
 I normally clean the bluing off, warm the barrel and get the rattle cans out. Not very professional but works well.

good luck