Modifications Vinyl Wrapping Airguns, Have You?

[Pumacarl]

I am getting ready to work on my latest project gun and having been giving some thought to my options. In the past, I have just done light rattle can paint jobs with no clear coats, so that I could undue them fairly easily, or touch them up. However, this time the gun already looks pretty good and I don't need to make pretty what isn't ugly, but just make it look a little more custom.
So I was looking at hydro dipping, and I was watching the right way to do it and I wasn't too happy with what was involved, or how it looked after removal so I 86'd that idea. Having seen a really nice vinyl wrapping job on a high end sportscar, that is really durable and looks good, I started checking out gun wraps. These things are pretty neat, easily reversible, and they don't seem like too much trouble to do.
With everyone always modding their airguns around here, and putting on stretch camo tape all the time, I was wondering why nobody is wrapping their airguns. Are you? Considering all of the wild patterns they sell, somebody has got to be using a lot of this stuff somewhwere.
I will be doing the barrel of my gun to try to match the color of the chassis. I couldn't really find a good match in the gun wraps website, and I wasn't really impressed by how much they were charging for just a piece anyway, so I looked at the automobile wraps instead. I ordered a little piece that I should be able to do two attempts with for $11, which sure beats paying $59 when I don't even know if I'll like it.
Any knowledge or experience that you can pass on would be appreciated, as I have no idea what I'm doing at this point. I have done the standard, watching of some videos, and that's it. Thanks!

 

[Billm]

I am getting ready to work on my latest project gun and having been giving some thought to my options. In the past, I have just done light rattle can paint jobs with no clear coats, so that I could undue them fairly easily, or touch them up. However, this time the gun already looks pretty good and I don't need to make pretty what isn't ugly, but just make it look a little more custom.
So I was looking at hydro dipping, and I was watching the right way to do it and I wasn't too happy with what was involved, or how it looked after removal so I 86'd that idea. Having seen a really nice vinyl wrapping job on a high end sportscar, that is really durable and looks good, I started checking out gun wraps. These things are pretty neat, easily reversible, and they don't seem like too much trouble to do.
With everyone always modding their airguns around here, and putting on stretch camo tape all the time, I was wondering why nobody is wrapping their airguns. Are you? Considering all of the wild patterns they sell, somebody has got to be using a lot of this stuff somewhwere.
I will be doing the barrel of my gun to try to match the color of the chassis. I couldn't really find a good match in the gun wraps website, and I wasn't really impressed by how much they were charging for just a piece anyway, so I looked at the automobile wraps instead. I ordered a little piece that I should be able to do two attempts with for $11, which sure beats paying $59 when I don't even know if I'll like it.
Any knowledge or experience that you can pass on would be appreciated, as I have no idea what I'm doing at this point. I have done the standard, watching of some videos, and that's it. Thanks!

I’ve done both, but not for guns. I tried hydro dipping RC racing car bodies. Very difficult to do correctly, as in: not as easy as it looks. I had a 30” Roland vinyl printer plotter that we bought to wfap RC radios, chargers etc.. Relatively easy to do, but require Adp’s patience getting the air bubbles out. If you use windex or the correct application fluid, you can move it around before it sticks. I used Rapid Tac. Get a vinyl application squeegee and a #11 X-Acto blade to pop the bubbles. Yes, I know, I drive my wife nuts, I have to have a shot at everything lol.

RapidTac Vinyl Application Fluid - 32 oz with Sprayer

RapidTac is the original vinyl application fluid specifically formulated for vinyl signs and graphics. Vanilla scented; no irritating aromas or vapors. Using Rapid Tac Application fluid can often allow a large graphic to be installed with one person where two people were required to perform the...

signwarehouse.com

 

[Pumacarl]

I’ve done both, but not for guns. I tried hydro dipping RC racing car bodies. Very difficult to do correctly, as in: not as easy as it looks. I had a 30” Roland vinyl printer plotter that we bought to wfap RC radios, chargers etc.. Relatively easy to do, but require Adp’s patience getting the air bubbles out. If you use windex or the correct application fluid, you can move it around before it sticks. I used Rapid Tac. Get a vinyl application squeegee and a #11 X-Acto blade to pop the bubbles. Yes, I know, I drive my wife nuts, I have to have a shot at everything lol.

RapidTac Vinyl Application Fluid - 32 oz with Sprayer

RapidTac is the original vinyl application fluid specifically formulated for vinyl signs and graphics. Vanilla scented; no irritating aromas or vapors. Using Rapid Tac Application fluid can often allow a large graphic to be installed with one person where two people were required to perform the...

signwarehouse.com

@Billm have you seen the new gunwraps or gunskins application videos? These films are put on to completely dry and oil free surfaces. All placement after applying is done using heat alone. This is appealing to me, pun intended, because I watched some reviews, to waste carried pistols, and the stuff peels off after a year with no residue or any rust incursion. I like this type of film the best, and it has a peel off layer too. The car vinyl, I think might be a wet application, which isn't ideal, but it's thicker and I am only doing a flat cylinder, so I should be able to handle it. Gunwraps has a great looking rust wrap that makes your gun look all rusted up, that really cracks me up. I will get that after a year or so, and tell people I let my gun rust up because if I touch anything on the gun it will lose accuracy. Too funny!

 

[Billm]

@Billm have you seen the new gunwraps or gunskins application videos? These films are put on to completely dry and oil free surfaces. All placement after applying is done using heat alone. This is appealing to me, pun intended, because I watched some reviews, to waste carried pistols, and the stuff peels off after a year with no residue or any rust incursion. I like this type of film the best, and it has a peel off layer too. The car vinyl, I think might be a wet application, which isn't ideal, but it's thicker and I am only doing a flat cylinder, so I should be able to handle it. Gunwraps has a great looking rust wrap that makes your gun look all rusted up, that really cracks me up. I will get that after a year or so, and tell people I let my gun rust up because if I touch anything on the gun it will lose accuracy. Too funny!

No, I didn’t even know they existed. Even for cars it’s dry wrap and heat is used to help it conform around the curves. Outdoor be a lot of fun and easy to remove if you want to change it.

 

[Pumacarl]

@Billm I got some automotive wrap from Amazon, a 3M product made for VVivid and today I put it on a chromed steel vaccum cleaner pipe. Wow! This stuff sticks. It would provide good protection too. I actually banged on it with a hammer and pressed a hard edge of a screw driver against it, and then took the heat gun back to it and smoothed most of the marks out. I tested it out, very impressive, as Project Farm would say. The color is a little darker than I wanted though, so today I ordered some of the white rust from gunwraps. It's just too funny not to use it. Here's a link: https://gunwraps.com/cdn/shop/files/2025_Universal_Rust_White.jpg?v=1765294768&width=5000

Hopefully this stuff will be as tough as the VVivid. Only one way to find out.

 

[Billm]

@Billm I got some automotive wrap from Amazon, a 3M product made for VVivid and today I put it on a chromed steel vaccum cleaner pipe. Wow! This stuff sticks. It would provide good protection too. I actually banged on it with a hammer and pressed a hard edge of a screw driver against it, and then took the heat gun back to it and smoothed most of the marks out. I tested it out, very impressive, as Project Farm would say. The color is a little darker than I wanted though, so today I ordered some of the white rust from gunwraps. It's just too funny not to use it. Here's a link: https://gunwraps.com/cdn/shop/files/2025_Universal_Rust_White.jpg?v=1765294768&width=5000

Hopefully this stuff will be as tough as the VVivid. Only one way to find out.

That is cool looking.

 

[PapaT]

Well, now you fellas have me thinking. My wife works with vinyl and customized "swag". I may have to see about vinyl wraps from her stuff... Thank you for a potential new rabbit hole.

 

[Pumacarl]

Well, now you fellas have me thinking. My wife works with vinyl and customized "swag". I may have to see about vinyl wraps from her stuff... Thank you for a potential new rabbit hole.

I'm excited to see what people will do with this stuff. The possibilites are endless. You just have to get the dry apply ones that leave no residue and you can change your mind in a snap, no worries.

 

[Dark Wolf]

I have very little experience applying vinyl, but I used to make it when I worked at 3M.

The hydro dipping that I have had (again, very little) wore off pretty easy.

I did use adhesive backed Cordura sheets recently. Gives nice protection, choice of patterns, and with a little prep that stuff STICKS. Mild PITA to remove, but not too bad. I think it's called Cordurawrap.

DW

 

[Pumacarl]

I have very little experience applying vinyl, but I used to make it when I worked at 3M.

The hydro dipping that I have had (again, very little) wore off pretty easy.

I did use adhesive backed Cordura sheets recently. Gives nice protection, choice of patterns, and with a little prep that stuff STICKS. Mild PITA to remove, but not too bad. I think it's called Cordurawrap.

DW

Yeah, 3M's range of products is huge. I saw some for off-roading vehicles that was 10mils thick too, the stuff I tried was only 3.9mils and I thought it was good enough without being a total pain to work with. The glow in the dark film might have some usefulness too, it sure looks neat. There is just so much stuff out there, it never ends.

 

[Dark Wolf]

Yeah, 3M's range of products is huge. I saw some for off-roading vehicles that was 10mils thick too, the stuff I tried was only 3.9mils and I thought it was good enough without being a total pain to work with. The glow in the dark film might have some usefulness too, it sure looks neat. There is just so much stuff out there, it never ends.

Absolutely agree. I left 3M in '07 so not up to snuff on the newer stuff.

 

[Dark Wolf]

10 mils...was it Gravel Guard?

DW

 

[Pumacarl]

10 mils...was it Gravel Guard?

DW

I thought I saw it at the VVivid website, but I guess I saw it elsewhere. VVivid has a paint protection film (PPF) line that is 7.5mils, not 10, still pretty thick. The 10mils stuff that I had seen somewhere was used on 4x4 Jeeps. The whole thing, not just around the wheels. Looked good. The VVivid PPF vinyl would be about as thick as I would probably try though.

 

[HeirApparent]

Vinyl can work but the varying contours of stock and to a lesser degree, stock composition results in high degree of varying satisfactory results. Another consideration should be heat shrink. See pistol grip and barrel shown below.

 

[Jaabaa]

I did a stoeger 3000 a few years ago with the grandkids. Top. It was fun but time consuming. I might do the Prymex someday

 

[Pumacarl]

Vinyl can work but the varying contours of stock and to a lesser degree, stock composition results in high degree of varying satisfactory results. Another consideration should be heat shrink. See pistol grip and barrel shown below.

Excellent point! I had not been thinking of heat shrink at all.

 

[Jaabaa]

Just a thought to do the first one on a cheap gun first. I think the vinyl wraps go on sale for less than $40
All the little creases take time with a credit card or something similar.
Ohhhh and make sure to have a bunch of exacto blades before you start. They dulled very fast.

 

[Grunt64]

I am getting ready to work on my latest project gun and having been giving some thought to my options. In the past, I have just done light rattle can paint jobs with no clear coats, so that I could undue them fairly easily, or touch them up. However, this time the gun already looks pretty good and I don't need to make pretty what isn't ugly, but just make it look a little more custom.
So I was looking at hydro dipping, and I was watching the right way to do it and I wasn't too happy with what was involved, or how it looked after removal so I 86'd that idea. Having seen a really nice vinyl wrapping job on a high end sportscar, that is really durable and looks good, I started checking out gun wraps. These things are pretty neat, easily reversible, and they don't seem like too much trouble to do.
With everyone always modding their airguns around here, and putting on stretch camo tape all the time, I was wondering why nobody is wrapping their airguns. Are you? Considering all of the wild patterns they sell, somebody has got to be using a lot of this stuff somewhwere.
I will be doing the barrel of my gun to try to match the color of the chassis. I couldn't really find a good match in the gun wraps website, and I wasn't really impressed by how much they were charging for just a piece anyway, so I looked at the automobile wraps instead. I ordered a little piece that I should be able to do two attempts with for $11, which sure beats paying $59 when I don't even know if I'll like it.
Any knowledge or experience that you can pass on would be appreciated, as I have no idea what I'm doing at this point. I have done the standard, watching of some videos, and that's it. Thanks!

You’re definitely on the right track testing the material first. A lot of folks skip that step and only find out how vinyl behaves after it’s already on the gun.

One thing I’d keep in mind is that vinyl behaves very differently depending on the shape of the part. A straight cylinder like a barrel is the easiest possible surface—you’ll get a great result there. Stocks, grips, and anything with curves or recesses are where people usually run into bubbles, lifting edges, or wrinkles over time. That’s probably why you don’t see many full‑gun wraps around here.

The other thing is durability. Automotive vinyl is tough, but guns see a different kind of wear—sling rub, bipod legs, brush, solvents, heat cycles, etc. On a smooth tube it’ll hold up well, but on high‑contact areas it can start to show its age faster than people expect. Not a deal‑breaker, just something to be aware of so you’re not surprised later.

The upside is exactly what you mentioned: it’s reversible, cheap to experiment with, and you can change the look whenever you get bored. For a barrel or shroud, vinyl is honestly a pretty solid option.

If you end up liking it, you might try it on a beater gun or a spare part before committing to anything with complex curves. That’s usually where people decide whether vinyl is “fun” or “never again.”

Looking forward to seeing how your rust wrap turns out—that one cracks me up too.

 

[Murfdurf82]

Anyone try some of the different options discussed yet? I want to do something custom to my nicer air rifles. Keeping the spray can jobs for the plastic stocks, but would like to customize the max 1 in a higher quality material.

 

[Grunt64]

Anyone try some of the different options discussed yet? I want to do something custom to my nicer air rifles. Keeping the spray can jobs for the plastic stocks, but would like to customize the max 1 in a higher quality material.

This is just my take, but it’s really hard to beat rattle cans when they’re done right. The camo ends up custom to your own liking, it bonds well when you use the proper primer, and it actually gives real rust protection — something vinyl, tape, and wraps can’t match.And it’s not just for plastic stocks either. With the right primer and paint, metal takes it beautifully.

In the end, to each their own — every method has its place — but for durability and protection, spray paint still punches above its weight.