Refinishing some magazines

[Casimir]

Did a cursory search through the forums and found plenty about painting rifles, but not a whole lot about painting mags.

I am trying to refinish a bunch of aluminum mags that are beat up and look like ass. I initially used a matte finish black paint that is meant for metal surfaces but even after it dried and set, it scratches off WAY too easily, I'm talking fingernail without any effort easy.

Anyone know of an off the shelf alternative that is a bit more durable that isn't gonna take the finish off after one insertion into the magwell?

EDIT: Should clarify, I am not painting the feed lips, or the topmost portion of the mag as I don't want paint in the action or the lower receiver, should've clarified that.

 

[JBS]

It's because they're made of aluminum. The problem isn't the paint, it's the surface of the aluminum. Paint will not stick reliably to it. You need to lightly and briefly buff the surface of what you are working on with very fine sandpaper, wipe it down with a clean rag, and then hit it with self etching primer first. Let it completely dry. Then run over it with whatever paint you are using:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/181-4054735-3572708?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=self etching primer

Pain in the ass until you get a rhythm, but once you do, the paint will hold. The only thing better than this would be "powder coating", but you have to find someone in the area who can do it for you.

 

[Casimir]

Looked it up through google and a ton of people were recommending brownell's alumahyde II. ever heard of it?

 

[JBS]

I use Rustoleum self etching primer myself. The ones I've done, I finish with Rustoleum flat black, IIRC. If you use that other stuff, post the results; it would be good to know.

 

[Casimir]

I'm gonna give it a shot then, i have the aluminum ones in spades, it'll be interesting to experiment a bit

 

[SgtUSMC8541]

A friend of mine took 12 mags and duracoated them. Just the bottoms below the magwell. Seems to have worked well.

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

Looked it up through google and a ton of people were recommending brownell's alumahyde II. ever heard of it?

Yes I use it a lot, good stuff.


Take them down to the base automotive center; use the media blaster (sand blaster works too) clean them down to the metal (no finish on them at all). Take them home, and clean them with alcohol or mineral spirits (air dry), then paint with long strokes, start a few inches before you hit the part, and continue a few inches past the part. You want to almost "dust" the parts, and not paint it in the since of getting the color on the part, dust it several times until the color has become consistent on the part, then bake it as prescribed by the directions. I like to use old metal coat hangers to hang them as I paint them, then hook them on the oven rack, so that nothing touches them (i.e. keep your dick beaters off the parts).

Alumahyde is not as tuff a finish as Cerokoate, or Duracoate, but it works good enough. And at a third of the cost, you can fuck up a few times and get your technique down without being pissed about the money end.

 

[DA SWO]

Fuck it, just use Krylon and touch it up when it scratches off.

 

[Casimir]

Well, what I'm worried about is something as simple as krylon gunking up the interior of the weapon/magazine well when things heat up in there. Have you had any issues?

 

[DA SWO]

AR-15?
Then no, but I put a fairly light coat on, you can also put a marker line on it and just paint what is outside the magwell.

 

[Marauder06]

Stick the mag in the weapon.
Use a grease pencil (or any marker, really) to mark where the mag sticks out from the weapon.
Remove the weapon from the magazine. Use painter's tape to mask from the point where your line is, up.
If you use wide tape and don't go crazy with the paint, you only need one strip. Work it into the grooves as you tape it off.
Go to Wal-Mart and buy some of the high-quality spraypaint that contains flecks or chips. This will help the paint look less "shiny."
Spray down your mags.
When they're dry, remove the tape.
Done.