Best and easiest way to remove paint from a complete upper.?

rkwjunior

NES Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2012
Messages
2,726
Likes
503
Feedback: 41 / 0 / 0
Hello.

I just picked up a used Colt complete upper that had been rattle canned. Id love to have the upper stripped and cleaned back to new.
This is the Colt 6945 10.3 inch complete upper with the monolithic rail, so removing the barrel isn't straight forward, i don't have the special wrench i assume is needed for this task.
I'm hoping it can just be dipped into some sort of a bath and watch all the paint and grime magically disappear.
Do ultrasonic cleaners remove paint easily?

Any ideas would be spectacular.
 
NO! I can't tell you how many young military idiots thought they'd clean easily with easy off. Just to strip it to base metal.
 
Hello.

I just picked up a used Colt complete upper that had been rattle canned. Id love to have the upper stripped and cleaned back to new.
This is the Colt 6945 10.3 inch complete upper with the monolithic rail, so removing the barrel isn't straight forward, i don't have the special wrench i assume is needed for this task.
I'm hoping it can just be dipped into some sort of a bath and watch all the paint and grime magically disappear.
Do ultrasonic cleaners remove paint easily?

Any ideas would be spectacular.

I'd give a heat gun a try, but I have a feeling no matter which option you go with, the original finish will look like
shit.
 
I use nail polish remover (not sure if its the acetone, or non-acetone stuff) to remove spray paint. Whether it'll damage the base coat is entirely up to what the stock finish is. Do you know if the stock paint is worth saving? Usually people aren't rattle canning over a pristine gun.
 
I use nail polish remover (not sure if its the acetone, or non-acetone stuff) to remove spray paint. Whether it'll damage the base coat is entirely up to what the stock finish is. Do you know if the stock paint is worth saving? Usually people aren't rattle canning over a pristine gun.

I have no clue whats underneath, but ive seen plenty of people paint brand new rifles, not something id ever do.

Im hearing soda blast with baking soda, or Motsenbockers lift off from home depot, lots of good luck with that im seeing.
[h=1][/h]
 
Depending on the paint chlorinated brake cleaner or Brakefree Power Blast . MEK would melt most paints if you can find it with out wrecking anodized finish.
 
Many base degreasers will remove the anodizing as well so don't use any. Maybe soak in acetone (first choice), lacquer thinner, or in mineral spirits and start brushing with bristle brushes. Not wire brushes though. The acetone should completely remove the paint, but you will need to oil everything quickly afterwards.
 
Last edited:
Soda blasting would work and might be controlled enough to get to the original finish. Might be. Also soda blasting really should be done wet and takes special equipment.

Another one that can use standard sandblasting equipment is a starch based blasting grain from ADM. Approved for a few mil spec applications.

Good luck!
 
Evaporust.

It is water based. You can get it on your hands and throw it down the drain.

Ultrasonic cleaner might also work.

Esif: both of those would most likely destroy the original finish.
 
Last edited:
The paint stripper from Home Depot. It comes in an orange can and I think the name is Klean Strip. For your application I'd get the aerosol can rather than the brush on. Don't get it on your skin.
 
Suspend in boiling water or oil in an old pot you'll never use again. It will cause the metal to expand and lift the paint off. Old trick used for vintage door hardware. Boiling temp should not be hot enough to bugger heat treatment.
 
I'm thinking of trying the graffiti off stuff from depot, seems to be a good first option, if that doesn't work maybe I'll go for the hardcore chemies...

20170927_181643.jpg
 
The paint stripper from Home Depot. It comes in an orange can and I think the name is Klean Strip. For your application I'd get the aerosol can rather than the brush on. Don't get it on your skin.

I've used this in a gel form, worked well with a nylon toothbrush and papertowels. I think I had to do 2 or 3 applications in areas. +1 for aerosol for your issue.
 
if you work where there's a full machine shop, those guys can be your friends when it comes to amateur gunsmithing. thay can bead blast it for you, and if your lucky and get a guy that really knows his stuff, he can probably just remove the paint layer and retain the original finish. just a thought.
 
if you work where there's a full machine shop, those guys can be your friends when it comes to amateur gunsmithing. thay can bead blast it for you, and if your lucky and get a guy that really knows his stuff, he can probably just remove the paint layer and retain the original finish. just a thought.

I live near the shop that does NFA engraving ant machining i think, he's in Hanson but I forget the name of the shop.
 
In a perfect world i wish I could soak the whole thing in a bath, pull it out, pressure wash the shit off clean. Scrubbing the nooks and crannies with a fixed rail seems like a nightmare.
 
I have one of those polymer Bushmaster thingies. Bot it used and it was all "camo'd out." Called BM. "Brake cleaner will work fine." I was worried spraying it on a polymer gun. Nope. Worked fine.
 
Soda blasting would work and might be controlled enough to get to the original finish. Might be. Also soda blasting really should be done wet and takes special equipment.

Another one that can use standard sandblasting equipment is a starch based blasting grain from ADM. Approved for a few mil spec applications.

Good luck!

I was thinking along these lines. I'd use walnut media though.

ETA I say walnut because I've seen it used to strip paint off of fiberglass with great results.
 
Last edited:
Bad stuff, but man will it do the trick. Trichloroethylene

This message was approved by Axe. [laugh]

dbb4f283776186b969e491c230204b4e.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom