I had an un anodized receiver I needed to paint before putting together. I ended up getting this dark metal fusion  paint because it matched the furniture. I can't believe how well it came out. Anyone have experience with it longevity ?  Also this is a super cheap build and I dont care it it shows wear. Thanks.

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Don't know about longevity, but it looks great.  Curious to see how the finish holds up.

Thank you. This is what I used.

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That does look good! I have a couple of raw parts I'm going to paint that way.

From what I've read after doing it, they say fusion sticks well but an etching primer is preferred.  I prepped the hell outta this one with all the sanding and degreasing and using gloves. I probably should of done smaller coats but it was laying down so well I got carried away.  I'm going to let It cure for a week to give it the best chance.

Tagscribed for eventual outcome.

Hope it works out for you.

Following along for final pics

It looks great but it doesnt look like the paint on the lower is going to stick well.  The anodized upper and handgaurd paint doesnt flake but still seems a bit soft. We'll let it sit for a while and see what happens with it.

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@bendigo78

Update?

Not much to update. It's been sitting in the safe curing.  Did pull it out to show my father.  It still has a slight paint smell.
Paint on the anodized upper seems to be holding well. While installing the forward assist roll pin I scratched the suface of the paint but after rubbing it with a finger you couldnt see it any more. I seems to be harder already.
I knocked some paint off the high edges of the fence around the bolt release. Was using a piece of kydex to protect it and it banged around chipping some paint.

I'll let it sit a bit more until the weather cooperates for shooting before throwing some sights on it.

I have another combat armory $179 upper that may need a poverty pony lower and a coat of the aged copper.
Pics in better light.
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It wouldn't hurt to bake your parts to speed the cure and harden the paint.

I finally got the pistol out yesterday.  Ran 120 rounds of steel case and 80 rounds of xm193.  Paint on the upper has held up very well while the lower is showing flaking from impact points. Really should of used an etching primer on the bare aluminum.  

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For the record,  This upper is one of the Combat Armory $109 uppers with an AIM $69 bcg.  Lower kit was a PSA that came with the SBA3 brace.  I added 4.5oz tungsten weights to the buffer prior to firing.  Flashhider was changed out for a Kaw linear compensator.  Trigger was a left over EPT psa with a Kaw reduced spring kit.

Out of the 200 rounds, I had one fail to feed in the first magazine. It ran perfect the rest of the day. I ran CBC XM193 for the first couple mags because the AIM BCG was very stiff and I figured that it would break it in quicker.  Ejection was 3-4oclock.

All firing was done with magpul buis so I didn't do any accuracy testing. This was also my first time firing more than 5 or 10 rounds through ghost ring sights.  We got the sights adjusted for 100 yards and good enough to stay on the 12" gong. By the end of the day I was 60-70% hits on the gong offhand.

Muzzle flash was present, I wouldn't say that it was significant.  Concussion wasn't bad at all for the shooter. No where near as bad as my first 7.5" built in 2003.  That pistol has had a .22 conversion kit in it since.  The Tula ammo had rare white out muzzle flash while the XM193 was like a flash bulb everytime.  

I did catch a couple of stills from slow mo phone video.  This is with TULA, I wish I'd done some with the 193.


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Your finishing technique is really good.  I normally don't like shiny stuff, but that looks good!

A relatively cheap and hassle-free way to primer bare aluminum is with an Alodine rinse.  Used extensively in aerospace to prime aluminum before painting.  You can get a gallon jug of it at "Aircraft Spruce".  Get a cheap baking pan that will fit your parts.  Pour in alodine.  Add in parts. Use rubber gloves, this stuff stings.  Well ventilated area, etc.  Use 1" paint brush to baste the parts.  Doesn't take but a few minutes.  Gives you a golden hue.  Rinse thoroughly with water.  Allow to dry and you're ready to paint.

If this seems a bit much or you're worried about chemical disposal, check in with your local airport, and see if any shop there has a mechanic willing to alodine aluminum parts for you.  Obviously this is gonna vary.  

I think this is a very viable alternative to anodizing aluminum.  It will coat all the little nooks and crannies that you can't paint with corrosion protection, and give you an excellent base for whatever coating you choose next.  

The next step up would be to try a Duracoat finish, which I have found to be about the best, all-around, non-baking finish to use on firearms.  They have spray kits for those without spray guns.  If allowed to cure properly, like leave it alone for 30 days, it hardens up pretty good.  Yeah that might be a down-side, but it is what it is.

This. Put the oven on low, say 225, and let them bake for an hour. Allow to cool in the oven.

I also preheat some parts in the cooler months. I've done a rifle below freezing by using a plumber's torch to get the parts (separate HG, barreled upper, stripped lower) to where they're completely warm to the touch. Go slow and move the heat around. They'll stay warm for a while, long enough to spray paint. Then I kept the torch a good distance and warmed the applied paint to help cure it.

Thank you.  I've got zero skill with paint so this stuff is pretty idiot proof.  A buddy likes it so much that he's currently testing it with a duracoat clear on top.  Test it to see how it wears and to see if they stick to each other.  

They have some cool colors in this stuff. The next may get a camo pattern for giggles.

I will definately look into the Alodine.   These lowers are so tight in tolerances that a layer of paint is too much in some places.