What color should my FAL become?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What color should my FAL become?

Posted: 2/18/2006 2:49:25 PM EDT

I just bought a used FAL from a friend and one of the first things that it needs is refinishing.

So: Classic matte black (satin also an option), desert tan (or coyote brown), or some grey cammo type deal (urban marpat, perhaps)?

OD green and standard woodland cammo are less prefered but options I guess.

Posted: 2/18/2006 3:10:26 PM EDT

[#1]

Hard to beat your basic black. Camo designs come and go, personal taste may vary or change... but basic black is always "in" and looks good with any outfit!

Posted: 2/18/2006 6:20:09 PM EDT

[#2]

I'd go with a nice black... maybe even a semi-gloss.

I'd also veto the tan idea... unless you plan on going to the desert any time soon.

- BG

Posted: 2/18/2006 6:23:18 PM EDT

[#3]

Make and model?

Posted: 2/18/2006 6:35:44 PM EDT

[#4]

Put some duracoat on that rifle, they have a bunch of patterns and colors.

lauerweaponry.com/index.cfm

Posted: 2/18/2006 7:17:06 PM EDT

[#5]

Century R1A1 (inch pattern)

and I've been browsing the Lauer site after someone else mentioned it to me.

I'm definitely not going with their new Diamond Plate.

I didn't see a carbon fiber setup, but they have a p22 available in it.... hmm...

Posted: 2/19/2006 7:05:36 AM EDT

[#6]

matte black with nice dark wood furniture. maybe something from ironwood designs.

Posted: 2/19/2006 8:40:14 AM EDT

[#7]

All I could say is...

Joe Larson
L.T.M Refinishing.
(913) 238-3429
Visit us on the web at www.larsontactical.com

I have not had my stuff done yet since I have another one to finish first. He will be getting 3 of my FAL's. I just want to send them at once due to the FFL cost and shipping involved. He has been given great reviews by anyone I know who has had work done. Expect your stuff to sit and cure for awhile since he does work the right way and does not rush...
Also
onesht1kl is right Laurel also does fine work and it would be hard to decide where to send a rifle too.

Posted: 2/21/2006 12:06:24 AM EDT

[#8]

A nice satin black with wooden furniture makes for a great looking rifle. Satin balck also looks good with synthetic furniture as well.

Posted: 2/21/2006 12:34:59 AM EDT

[#9]

Black looks good.... but it's so..... common.

Just like a Harley looks good black, but if you see one with a really good unique paint job, it looks so much better. That's what I want.

Posted: 2/21/2006 9:24:56 AM EDT

[#10]

Retro-Rhodesian Baby Poop Camo Scheme!

Posted: 2/21/2006 9:32:27 AM EDT

[#11]

Black is in again this year.

Posted: 2/21/2006 10:14:38 AM EDT

[#12]

Mine looks sharp with green Penguins on it.

Posted: 2/21/2006 3:11:38 PM EDT

[#13]

Anthing BUT black.

Tan, Coyote Brown, OD...all good.

Contrary to popular belief, tan/khaki and coyote brown work very well in most any place. Any good earth tone does. Earth tones are the hardest for the human eye to pick up on and decifer. While your neighbor across the street may see you carrying your big black rifle to your car, and know instantly that you are carrying a big black rifle, he may have a very hard time telling what that tan thing you have in your hand is. He may see it, but will have a harder time telling what it is. As always though, its your call.

Posted: 2/21/2006 7:01:18 PM EDT

[#14]

Coyote brown with black controls, bolt carrier, charging handle, flash hider, sights and gas block would look outstanding.

Or Sniper Gray (medium dark gray) with the same black items or even a grayish OD green w/ black would look good

For camo patterns FAL's with their large flat sides look outstanding with the AmStripe pattern or in digital woodland pattern.

Like this:

Joe

Posted: 2/21/2006 11:45:56 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Coyote brown with black controls, bolt carrier, charging handle, flash hider, sights and gas block would look outstanding.

Or Sniper Gray (medium dark gray) with the same black items or even a grayish OD green w/ black would look good

Joe

The All-tan-with-black-parts is EXACTLY what I was thinking.

Quoted:
Mine looks sharp with green Penguins on it.

Green Penguins, you say? Interesting.....

Posted: 2/21/2006 11:54:27 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Anthing BUT black.

Tan, Coyote Brown, OD...all good.

Contrary to popular belief, tan/khaki and coyote brown work very well in most any place. Any good earth tone does. Earth tones are the hardest for the human eye to pick up on and decifer. While your neighbor across the street may see you carrying your big black rifle to your car, and know instantly that you are carrying a big black rifle, he may have a very hard time telling what that tan thing you have in your hand is. He may see it, but will have a harder time telling what it is. As always though, its your call.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Hawkeye1/Guns/FAL19.jpg

Interesting premise about color/object recognition.... People certanly wouldn't expect a EBR to be tan, theoretically at least. I live in an apartment complex and am always a little self concious carrying the rifles out to the parking lot....

May I ask what your procedure was for painting that? I'm guessing you took it all apart, painted the basecoat light grey, then reassembled and painted it with the dark stripes?

ETA: for all those that suggest sending it to someone, I am looking to do this myself. Not only would I not be able too afford it, I really am a DIY type person.

Posted: 2/22/2006 12:47:06 AM EDT

[#17]

Messing around with photoshop..... it's not the right tan but it's the closest I could get that worked in photoshop.

Posted: 2/22/2006 1:13:48 AM EDT

[#18]

I shouldn't be allowed near photoshop this close to bedtime.

I can't get phpix working, so here's the directory of images I just came up with.

widgetron.net/digipix/albums/fal/

Posted: 2/22/2006 5:17:01 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Hawkeye1/Guns/FAL19.jpg

very nice!

Posted: 2/22/2006 4:28:14 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Anthing BUT black.

Tan, Coyote Brown, OD...all good.

Contrary to popular belief, tan/khaki and coyote brown work very well in most any place. Any good earth tone does. Earth tones are the hardest for the human eye to pick up on and decifer. While your neighbor across the street may see you carrying your big black rifle to your car, and know instantly that you are carrying a big black rifle, he may have a very hard time telling what that tan thing you have in your hand is. He may see it, but will have a harder time telling what it is. As always though, its your call.

img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/Hawkeye1/Guns/FAL19.jpg

Interesting premise about color/object recognition.... People certanly wouldn't expect a EBR to be tan, theoretically at least. I live in an apartment complex and am always a little self concious carrying the rifles out to the parking lot....

May I ask what your procedure was for painting that? I'm guessing you took it all apart, painted the basecoat light grey, then reassembled and painted it with the dark stripes?

ETA: for all those that suggest sending it to someone, I am looking to do this myself. Not only would I not be able too afford it, I really am a DIY type person.

The nieghbor not expecting a tan rifle is only part of the equation. The bigger part is that he will have a much harder time even noting that you have something in you hand. The human eye has a harder time focusing on earth tones. Think of a white tail deer standing in the woods. Color? dirty tan/coyote brownish. How easily can your eyes pass right over him standing in the woods without you seeing him.....

As for my FAL....Closed the Aimpoint caps, insert magazine, spray entire rifle with khaki Krylon from their Camo line. Add dark brown stripes. Mist entire rifle with OD to give it a slightly dirty look. The Krylon camo line paints are sold at most Walmarts. I use Khaki, Dark Brown, and OD.

Posted: 2/22/2006 11:15:51 PM EDT

[#21]

Thanks Hawkeye. I've used Rust-Oleum stuff on computer parts before, and I know Krylon is similar, I'll have to experiment.

One thing I should do is completely strip it down and clean it up, take off the crappy old finish (in parts, particularly the lower where the previous owner touched it up with a 'gun black pen' or something) and rough it up for paint to stick to.

I'm assuming you had a decent base to start with so the 'spray and pray' worked.

Any suggestions for cleaning the old finish? Fine (300 or 600 grit) sandpaper or 00 or 000 steel wool?

Posted: 2/23/2006 2:53:49 AM EDT

[#22]

My prep on all my rifles, including this one, is to wipe it down with a clean dry cloth, and then spray it. I must remind you though, that my rifles get used as weapons, and therefore scratched, etc. Thats one nice thing about the Krylon, $1.98 and it can look like new again. The more it gets worn and scratched though, the better I like it really.
Just pointing that out, incase your looking for something more of a show piece/range gun/pretty finish type thing.

Posted: 2/23/2006 3:01:54 AM EDT

[#23]

Not lookin for a safe queen, I just know that paint sticks better when it's got something good to stick to.

Posted: 2/23/2006 11:10:27 AM EDT

[#24]

Camo...

Posted: 2/23/2006 2:53:36 PM EDT

[#25]

I vote for leaving it as is.

Posted: 2/24/2006 12:41:23 AM EDT

[#26]

Thanks to some nice folks on falfiles, I found out that large portions (if not all) of my rifle are Aussie made, and originally sold to Bermuda.

So I came up with some Bermuda Cammo:

Posted: 3/1/2006 12:14:02 AM EDT

[#27]

Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad.

I've decided to go with a tan color, probably Krylon's 'Khaki' cammo color, along with black hardware. I spent most of last Friday night/Saturday morning after work stripping it down and cleaning all the old crud off it. I've got all the parts sorted and in ziplocks (smaller stuff labeled with tape) so I don't lose anything. I was hoping to paint it last weekend but the friend with a garage wasn't available, so we're hoping for this weekend.

anyone used the Krylon Khaki color and can tell/show me what it looks like on a rifle? From the color swatches on their site it looked about right, not light sandy tan but not too dark a brown, but I know websites and monitors and all that crap can be decieving compared to the real thing. I haven't bought it yet so if it's not what I want I may go with their darker grey for sort of an urban look (but not going full urban MARPAT yet).