A challenge.

[Hissing_Sid]

Nice and simple.

 

Somebody, one of you guys who haunts militaryphotos.net maybe, show me pics of real steel guns with fancy, artistic cammo patterns sprayed on them.

 

A lot of people seem to be fanatical about accurate detailing of their kit and then go and paint some fancy desert camo pattern on their gun which, in my experience is totally unrealistic.

 

See the attached pics for examples.

The first two pics show typical "arty-farty" airsoft guns yesterday.

The two other pictures show hard-as-nails real-steel guns. The latter gun was probably done with what was left in a can of tan emulsion which had been used to paint a tank in desert colours.

 

 

Not a big deal I guess. Paint your gun pink for all I care but I just wonder where the idea of cammo-painted guns comes from. I've never seen one.

Edited October 20, 2005 by Hissing Sid

[Hissing_Sid]

Hold on Sid...the real-steel guys do it...check the link to my friends below, just remember, the secret to this is El-Cheepo spray paint, like Krylon, and when it gets banged/dragged/smacked around good, the paint chips and flakes off, and does an even better job of breaking up shape and shadow, although some can shine through...keep the spray can handy for touchups

 

http://www.ironbrigadearmory.com/index.asp...CATS&Category=8

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Painting a showcase rifle in cammo isn't really what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about pic's os soldiers doing soldier-stuff using lovingly painted guns.

[Whitedingo]

I'm not entirely sure you picked the best rifle to demonstrate the Artsy fartsy side of airsoft gun painting. the owner of that rifle just took some od and striped the gun, what's so weird about that.

 

This

That's a bit better example, I'd say.

[Hissing_Sid]

I'm not entirely sure you picked the best rifle to demonstrate the Artsy fartsy side of airsoft gun painting. the owner of that rifle just took some od and striped the gun, what's so weird about that.

 

This

That's a bit better example, I'd say.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Haha! LMAO. I concur.

 

In fact, if it'll allow me, I'm gonna add that into my first post.

[Lightning10]

wow whitedingo! those things would stick out like a sore thumb. oh yeh, it also looks absolutely ridiculous, IMO

 

my UTG could hav been worse tho, my mom almost made me paint it BRIGHT ORANGE so a cop wouldnt shoot at me! and i never shoot anywhere near public property!

[Multisync]

I personally think all those above are ugly.

[badkarma1354]

Many snipers take pride in how well they paint their guns. My local swat sniper team has amazingly painted rifles. They don't look fancy, but they work great.

[Hissing_Sid]

Many snipers take pride in how well they paint their guns.  My local swat sniper team has amazingly painted rifles.  They don't look fancy, but they work great.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know "many snipers"?

[boomboomairsoft]

Sid i hope this will be to your liking

http://www.tacticalintervention.com/sniper...cs/patience.jpg

marine combat sniper out of iraq

[Hissing_Sid]

Sid i hope this will be to your liking

http://www.tacticalintervention.com/sniper...cs/patience.jpg

marine combat sniper out of iraq

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's the closest thing I've seen yet.

Is that actually 2 colours or is it just faded?

It also looks suspiciously like the "pattern" was caused by wrapping a bit of scrim rag around it while the paint was still wet and then removing it.

 

If that is two distinct colours then it's the first gun I've ever seen which is painted that way.

Nice one.

[boomboomairsoft]

i believe its about 2 different colors, but there are different >shades< of the 2 colors mixed in with and i believe it a one of the 'print's where they set the gunin a tank of water of a computer made print that dries to the gun. its a very common use for 'painting' hunting rifles here in the US. its done right at the factory.

[Hissing_Sid]

its a very common use for 'painting' hunting rifles here in the US. its done right at the factory.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep. I can see that. It's the same here with hunting rifles. Some of them get painted with detailed, realistic foliage.

 

Basically, I just want to know if any squaddie has ever gone to the trouble of painting his rifle in a detailed cammo pattern.

It just doesn't seem like the sort of thing a squaddie would bother to do.

[SgtBojangles]

Havoc's M4 just has OD painted on it... Or atleast that's how it looks... And the last picture in the first post shows a gun with more than one color painted on it.

 

All you really need is a few stripes to break up the pattern of the gun...

[Krazy L]

I actually hate most painted guns. yet i love the spray painted pattern. My M4 for instance is only getting the sliding stock and rail covers done. while my camo sniper just got a nice solid black spray.

[Tripod]

That's the closest thing I've seen yet.

Is that actually 2 colours or is it just faded?

It also looks suspiciously like the "pattern" was caused by wrapping a bit of scrim rag around it while the paint was still wet and then removing it.

 

If that is two distinct colours then it's the first gun I've ever seen which is painted that way.

Nice one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It appears to be a "snake skin" pattern. You paint it in a base, and use either a wire mesh (like the impossible to fog airsoft masks) or scrim netting to paint on other colors. It's the cheapest, fatest, most effective way to get the "digital" effect onto their rifles.

 

From what I understand, and have read, gathered, been told, soldiers that paint their rifles keep them painted as well as possible. They spray them effectivly, and then have small air brush kits to touch them up whenever possible. Probably when they go to clean the gun.

[banksster]

I am going to rant just a bit here.

 

Most people do not understand the point of camoflauge. The intent is to break up the shape of whatever the camo pattern is on.

 

What breaks up a shape? Crisp edges.

 

Blending the paint together does not properly take advantage of camo. Think about. Camo is seen at a distance, when you see a blended painted gun from a distance it just looks like a blob of color. When you look at a camo pattern wether it be on a gun or BDU's from a distance, the pattern tricks your eyes and breaks the shape up. This is why you want crisp lines.

 

If blending the camo was the right way, dont you think we'd be wearing BDU's like that? I wish I had some pictures to demonstrate this. Here is a pic of one of the best camo painted guns I have ever seen though (real steel): http://www.defensereview.com/1_31_2004/Cry...0MRP-QCBS_2.jpg

[Hissing_Sid]

All you really need is a few stripes to break up the pattern of the gun...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Erm, that's all well and good but my point was more that you don't see real soldiers doing it rather than any debate about the effectiveness.

 

I am going to rant just a bit here.

 

Most people do not understand the point of camoflauge. The intent is to break up the shape of whatever the camo pattern is on.

 

What breaks up a shape? Crisp edges.

 

Blending the paint together does not properly take advantage of camo. Think about. Camo is seen at a distance, when you see a blended painted gun from a distance it just looks like a blob of color. When you look at a camo pattern wether it be on a gun or BDU's from a distance, the pattern tricks your eyes and breaks the shape up. This is why you want crisp lines.

 

If blending the camo was the right way, dont you think we'd be wearing BDU's like that? I wish I had some pictures to demonstrate this. Here is a pic of one of the best camo painted guns I have ever seen though (real steel): http://www.defensereview.com/1_31_2004/Cry...0MRP-QCBS_2.jpg

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very true.

 

As you say, spraying tan and brown (or whatever) on a gun is just gonna look like a light brown gun-shaped blob from more than 50m away. I suppose it might be some use in a desert environment but no better than a quick slap of tan emulsion.

 

To digress slightly, maybe it's just me but I gotta say that I think the digital cammo works well but, and this has kinda freaked me out, I find it works well because it seems to produce a 3D effect.

If I look at, for example, desert marpat cammo it looks, to me, like a bunch of dark blobs in front of a tan backdrop which are even casting shadows on the backdrop.

[banksster]

To digress slightly, maybe it's just me but I gotta say that I think the digital cammo works well but, and this has kinda freaked me out, I find it works well because it seems to produce a 3D effect.

If I look at, for example, desert marpat cammo it looks, to me, like a bunch of dark blobs in front of a tan backdrop which are even casting shadows on the backdrop.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hmm... Never thought of it that way. I wonder if this has something to do with individual perception? Like the the optical illusions were most people see something one way, but then there is the group of people who perceive it differently and see something else... yet both are right.

 

I just looked a picture of desert MARPAT and tried to see it in a 3d-ish way but I cant seem to do it. I personally think the digital patterns work really well, and look cool also.

[TheDio]

Most soldiers cant from what I hear, as it would be defacing goverment property...

[expvideo]

Painted real rifles:

http://www.50bmgstore.com/images/camoB.JPG

 

Even GI Joes are starting to have painted weapons:

I don't think they got the idea from airsoft.

Edited October 20, 2005 by expvideo

[TheDio]

I don't think they got the idea from airsoft.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Rofl. Nice, i thought they couldnt paint there rifles...Oh well, heres a case where im glad ive been proven wrong

[boomboomairsoft]

i think these might be some very good examples of what banksster explained:

http://www.dsarms.com/images/camooptions.jpg

as well as some extremely nice rifles...

[xRAZERx]

 

And an airsoft one

Edited October 20, 2005 by xRAZERx

[boomboomairsoft]

the only one i would disagree on is the ak. is that even something that can be found on real guns? it doesnt look like it would break up the gun. but where did you get the one on the bottom done? the shades of the gun are slightly different compared to the background, but overall very nice, not something you see every game.

Another point to be made concerning camo on a gun is >where< the gun is to be used. as with the picture i first posted, the camo given to that gun suits the gun due to its environment. in an urban area you wouldnt need the usual greens/browns/black, as it wouldnt do much. straight crisp lines would probably stick out more than blend in in and urban setting.

[Hissing_Sid]

TBH, those pictures are kinda pointless IMO. They don't prove anything other than somebody decided to paint a gun.

 

What I'm looking for is evidence of soldiers painting their guns.

As has been said, the vast majority of squaddies simply wouldn't be ALLOWED to paint their gun.

 

There's a couple of pic's posted by expvideo, which do appear to be real soldiers with cammo-painted guns although at least one of the two is a training picture.