Need Advice

[drew]

Bought a slightly used rifle, a previous owner spray painted the entire gun. Gun has a synthetic stock, what can I use to remove the spray paint without hurting the original finish on the gun? Any Ideas would be greatful...

~Drew

 

[EddieCoyle]

Seee if Hoppes will remove it (seriously). If not, try some lacquer thinner in a place that won't show. It'll remove most spray paint.

 

[P2A]

Graffiti remover is the best. Denatured alcohol and nail polish remover work good too.

 

[Pilgrim]

caution: lacquer thinner will most likely eat the plastic though not all .

Do as Eddie says and try an out of the way spot first.

 

[DGV1860]

acetone

acetone

 

[FiremanBob]

Acetone will eat the plastic. Don't use it. It is also the main ingredient in nail polish remover, so don't use that either.

 

[K-DUB]

Bought a slightly used rifle, a previous owner spray painted the entire gun. Gun has a synthetic stock, what can I use to remove the spray paint without hurting the original finish on the gun? Any Ideas would be greatful...

~Drew

You bought a gun from Dench?

 

[drew]

I'll have to try some these Ideas on small part of the stock and barrel. Any others is still helpful, thank you for whats posted so far....
~Drew

 

[gjones77]

Try a heat gun, usually that can help remove paint since it causes it to break down, just be careful that you don't melt the synthetic stock with applying too much heat to one area for too long.

 

[Underwhere]

Bought a slightly used rifle, a previous owner spray painted the entire gun. Gun has a synthetic stock, what can I use to remove the spray paint without hurting the original finish on the gun? Any Ideas would be greatful...

~Drew

Most paint thinners or strippers will change the finish of the original plastic.
If you use them, don't let them sit on the plastic too long. Wipe. Let it evaporate. Wipe, evaporate. Repeat.

When you're done you may need to respray the rifle in some more spray paint to get it to look ok.

OR, just buy another stock.

 

[Ma$$hole]

Avoid using nail polish remover. I got pen on a wall once and thought it would be a good idea to take it off with nail polish remover. I wiped that wall down to the sheet rock. Nail Polish Remover AKA Acetone will strip stuff down a little more than you may want it stripped.

 

[EddieCoyle]

Most paint thinners or strippers will change the finish of the original plastic.

I've found that not to be true for any composite stock I own.

 

[Keystone]

I've had luck with simple green as a plastic-safe paint remover, just takes some soaking and scrubbing. Might not work on spray paint, but works with model paints.

 

[ochmude]

In bootcamp we'd use OFF bug spray to clean armory numbers, adhesive residue, and other sorts of crap off of the buttstocks of our M16's. It's actually really strong stuff and will strip paint off a concrete floor with ease, but it didn't do any damage to the synthetic stocks or the handguards.

 

[S&WM&P9]

some paints used to camo rifle stocks is designed to be removed with a special compound.
Try cabela's, Midway, etc.

 

[gerrycaruso]

I've had good luck removing old adhesive with straight Lestoil. It doesn't dry as quickly as nail polish remover so you have plenty of time to work. Use an old toothbrush and try it on a spot that doesn't show. I've used it for a long time to get grease and oil off my hands and it's pretty mild.

 

[drew]

Some lacquer thinner, some grafeti remover a Stainless steel brush and 6 hrs of intense scrubbing and the stock is done. I think for the barrel and the scope I'll try the hoppes and acetone, if I have to refinish the gun then thats what I'll have to do, maybe I'll try the off bug spray, I might still have some laying around.... Any other Ideas I'm all eyes and ears... Do not want to spend another six hours at this shit....
Thank you again for all the advise.
~Drew

 

[drew]

There was no harm done to the stock at all, going to have to refinish the trigger guard assembly but thats not a big deal...
~Drew

 

[swampy]

Bought a slightly used rifle, a previous owner spray painted the entire gun. Gun has a synthetic stock, what can I use to remove the spray paint without hurting the original finish on the gun? Any Ideas would be greatful...

~Drew

A friend's truck got spray painted a few halloweens ago and the body shop told him to use DIRTEX and the spray paint just wiped off.

 

[drew]

14 hrs later, could have been cut to 1/3 of that by using klean strip premium sprayable stripper. Put it on within minutes paint was practically falling off on its own. Some spots had to be repeated, gun, stock, scope, bolt and bipod are back to original finish. Might need to refinish barrel, but was going too anyway.
Thanks for all the advice.
~Drew

 

[Martlet]

14 hrs later, could have been cut to 1/3 of that by using klean strip premium sprayable stripper. Put it on within minutes paint was practically falling off on its own. Some spots had to be repeated, gun, stock, scope, bolt and bipod are back to original finish. Might need to refinish barrel, but was going too anyway.
Thanks for all the advice.
~Drew

Wasn't a WASR spray-painted black by any chance, was it?

 

[drew]

No, it was a remi 700 in .308....

 

[MassMark]

 

[icepik125]

In bootcamp we'd use OFF bug spray to clean armory numbers, adhesive residue, and other sorts of crap off of the buttstocks of our M16's. It's actually really strong stuff and will strip paint off a concrete floor with ease, but it didn't do any damage to the synthetic stocks or the handguards.

I second this. The deep woods stuff in the green can.