I'm getting my first rifle soon and I believe I have the option of getting certain parts cerakoted. I always thought the flat dark earth looked cool, but someone gave me their opinion and said that it was just a fad and that black is always classic. Makes sense, but I like to hear people's opinions, and I know some of you are going to tell me to just get what I like (which is what I'll do), but do you guys think that FDE really is just a fad and will die eventually? I don't want to eventually get sick of it and wish I left everything black. Obviously it's my gun and I'm getting something that I like, not something other people like. I'm thinking about just getting the handguard, pistol grip, and stock cerakoted, so it's not like I'm going crazy with the FDE. I like it because I like it, not because I saw it get popular and wanted to jump on the bandwagon. I actually had no idea it was a fad.

It's just that I'm putting a lot of money out for this gun and I don't plan on spending a whole lot more in the near future, so I want to make sure I get something I'll like for the next several years to the rest of my life.

Why would you Cerakote those parts, just buy them in FDE if that's what you want. Since I don't live in the desert, OD and black work for me.

I have the same issue. I am looking at a new LWRC in Patriot Brown (metallic copper). If you are going to spend the money, coatings are pretty cool. I don't think they are going out of style. Quite the opposite. I think that eventually everything will go coated.

FDE (Tan) blends well and is unique, though the new hotness is titanium or copper.

Get what you like. Unless you want what is tacti-cool now, which will change every year depending on what the pros and ex SOF trainers are using.

You can always spray paint... lol

OD green was my choice for color when putting my rifle together. I like the green and black look the most

Meh - do what you want. It's your weapon.

/thread

FDE will never go outta style if you live in the desert, if you live in heavily wooded area, it was never in style. Otherwise its all about what you think looks cool.

Omg I love the LWRC.... if only I could afford one. They're such nice guns haha. I think the cerakoting comes as an option with what I'm getting, I don't think it's an additional charge. I have to see what the titanium looks like! Apparently with the company I'm looking at, they can get the gun in any color I want, so I'm not just looking at FDE.

I'm using it for mostly target shooting so it's all about what looks cool to me, not so much what's practical, although I do agree that FDE would not really make sense in NJ. OD would make a lot more sense. The only sand in Jersey is on the beach. However the places I go to shoot outdoors that are not in Jersey are a little more sand colored.

Get your entire gun done in OD. That's what I would do.

Buy black.






 

I always wondered about spray painting guns, like in Shooter with Mark Wahlberg. Is it easy to wash off? I'll have to look up how to do that. I just watched a youtube video of someone spray painting an AR camo and it looks awesome! I think that's what I'm going to do :). That way, like you said, I can just change the color or take it off when I get tired of it.

I did a little FDE because I like it.



I did one in sponge camo and another all black. Just do what YOU want and don't worry about fads.

Is it covered in Magpul furniture?   Not hard to sell the color you no longer want and buy the color you do.

FDE is a good universal color.  Is it best for a wooded area?  No.  Is it better than black?  Hell yeah.

I like some FDE parts on an AR. If I were using it in an environment that I needed it tp blend with, then I would see the need to go all FDE. Like many, I live in a suburban/rural area and have no need to a full FDE AR. I do have a FDE TAVOR, but that is because it was either that or black and I have plenty of black guns. A little bit of FDE can go along ways.

jrs93accord: I love the Tavor!! It looks awesome. I'm a huge fan of the bullpup stocks. You have a nice collection! I'm really in love with how the spray-painted AR in the youtube video came out, and I'm an artistic person so I think I would have a blast painting my own gun.

The gun I'm getting has a lot of MFT parts, not Magpul. How cleanly does the paint come off if I decide to sell it? I think a black gun might be easier to sell than a cerakoted/spray painted gun...?

If your intention is to sell it, don't paint it. As for FDE iv'e never been a huge fan. More of an OD green/Foliage green fan myself

You should have one in FDE, one in black, one in OD, and so on and so forth.

Your gun your choice, get the color you like.

I live in Western WA, lots of green here, but surprisingly lots of tan and brown also.

My jailed SBR is FDE.

Also you can ether Krylon some other colors or removable paint other colors to your, FDE, OD, Black, Pink what ever.

Depends on why you are refinishing it.

For looks, then, as 10thmountainvet (me, too!) said, there are more interesting looking colors/patterns.

If you are doing it for concealment, tan is pretty universal and works well in a lot of places (hence, for example, USMC coyote brown).

Does it matter to you if it goes "out of style" for someone else?  If it does, paint it black (or the latest cool color).

Will the paint come off clean if I decide to paint it? I'm not really using it for concealment, just wanted something unique really. And I like how ARs look with a few cerakoted pieces. How does one go about washing off paint?

I live in AZ and I really like the look of the FDE and always have. I have 3 AR and an AIAW in FDE and many of my other AR's have FDE stocks, rail ladders, AFG's, VFG's and pistol grips in FDE. Wether in style or not doesn't bother me at all.I like what I like.

There are paint removers but it will take a lot of work to get it out of everywhere...but you can remove what you can and paint over it.

As mentioned, get the parts you want in FDE (or whatever) and then you can replace them if you grow tired of the motif.

I think my gun is being ordered soon in all black. Can't go wrong with all black :). But if I do decide that I want some FDE on it, I think I can buy replacement parts. It won't come with a quad rail so maybe when I replenish my bank account I'll think about getting a cerakoted quad rail haha. And I guess I won't be spray painting it. It would probably look cool, but I don't think I want to not be able to get it off.

Just a thought, has anyone tried plasti-dip?? People plasti-dip their cars sometimes, and it just comes out to a matte finish. I believe it peels right off when you want to remove it.