I used some red nail polish to paint the front sight on my model 22A semi-auto. I taped-off the area and applied 5 coats of polish, allowing each coat to dry first. When fully dry, I took off the tape, and the polish came off with it - completely. There is no red left on the sight. It's like the gun has a teflon coating.
I cleaned the area with alcohol before applying.
Does anyone have any tips as to how to paint front sight?
Must I use something like Testor's paint for this job?

I paint mine. I found this liquid in small squeeze bottles at the hardware store. Sorry, don't have it in front of me for the name. But they use it at junkyards to mark car parts. They guy had a bunch of colors.

The generic name was: For "display markings".

I like the lime green, shows up in desert and winter shooting.

I use Testors model paint for metal models. If you paint the first coat white the color layers show up better.

I use *paint pens* - Work great.
I get them at the craft store.

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In dog years I'm dead.

Testor's Blaze Orange works best for me. The KEY here is to use Alcohol to remove all the oil from the front sight before painting. Once it is clean, painting should be a piece of cake. Don't use a paint brush, use a toothpick. Two coats is all that is necessary IMHO.

Chief38

Is the front sight some kind of slick plastic? Or a slick coating?

What I use is Testors but acrylic, not enamel which is too hard to work with. Take a good hobby brush (sable art type) and put a coat or two of white on the sight, then after that dries your red. I always had good luck with guards red or insignia red. Then after that is dry, a coat of acrylic flat. I have never needed to mask it off to get a good sight. If you ever need to remove it, a light coat of gun oil and 0000 steel wool removes it ok.

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Vaya con Dios

I have painted some front sights with borrowed nail polish. One coat and done, works well enough for me, and for years, too. Just give me some color that will stand out against your typical background, be it ground cover or snow.

Never liked nail polish. Prefered Testors, using the aforementioned white base then after that dried, following up with flourescent yellow on the front sight and, for contrast, two "dots" of flourescent red either side of the rear sight notch. Works great on my hunting revolvers.

I use acetone to clean the sight. Unless you're using denatured alcohol there is going to be some residue left over.

Krylon flouro orange applied with a toothpick. Tape not necessary.

One of my hobbies is painting (cars, motorcycles, custom details on airplanes, etc.), and the problem you are having is a combination of not adequately prepping the surface before painting (or, in this case, nail polishing) and, even more so, letting the paint/nail polish dry completely before removing the masking tape. From your description, you're not getting a good bond of material to metal, indicating inadequate surface prep (cleaning), and, when you let all those coats dry, they form a good bond to the masking tape, and the paint lifts when you pull the tape up. Next time, make sure you get the surface completely clean (and dry, no solvent left on it), and pull the tape after each coat sets up, let it dry, then re-tape before the second coat. Repeat the taping and tape removal process for each coat, and don't let the paint set up too hard before removing the tape.

As others have said, the surface to be painted must be clean. At least that's what I've heard. I have never had nail polish fail to stick. No need to tape. Just use the brush that comes with the nail polish. Two coats have always been sufficient for me. Usually, even one is enough.

I use ORANGE applied with a toothpick, No taping off of the sight.

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

Thanks for the suggestions.
Is it possible that the front sight of my 22A is not metal? I tested it with a magnet and it would not stick.
Can anyone confirm this?
Is there another type of prep or paint necessary for a composite application?

To completely degrease prior to paint application, I find nothing beats the spray "brake cleaner" sold in automotive supply stores. The original (very flammable) formula works best.

As mentioned above, if you are careful, you do not need masking tape.

I can not confirm if it is plastic but if you buy a can of Krylon Fusion (for plastic whatever it's called now) it will stick to anything. Expensive for a spay can and what you want to paint. Just spray some on a piece of cardboard, use a tooth pick or model brush.

As 310Pilot said, pull the tape before the paint is dry but you really do not need tape.

There should be no reason to need so many coats for a sight.

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Still Running Against the Wind

I can't add much more.









One post up in the count.

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

I put some Testor's red model paint on my model 58 back in 1966. It's still there.

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Eccentric old coot

I have used (for decades!) Testors flat red enamel. Don't use the glossy, because it will glare in sunlight. With the polish, it's probably bonding to the tape, and all coming off as a single piece. I've always used a very fine brush, and never needed to tape off the area. (Of course, this is pretty easy on a serrated ramp or the flat of a Patridge front sight.)

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LEO since 1981.

I paint my left pinky finger nail red and hold it over the sight.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

I once read something that suggested using appliance touch up paint as a primer, but it sounds like model paint is the ticket.

My 22A-1 came back from S&W (second time in for the same problem, long story), and I took a look at the front sight. The factory finish on the gun (including the sight) appears to be some sort of applied coating, definitely not a blued process. I don't think it would be a good idea to use strong solvents to clean the surface (such as acetone, MEK, etc.), as they may damage the finish. I did notice that the finish on the front sight blade (especially the rear of the blade, where you would want to paint it) is extremely smooth, probably too smooth to allow paint to bond well to it. If you can't get the paint (or nail polish, Kickapoo Joy Juice or whatever) to bond to it, a bit of judicious sanding with 320 or 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper may be in order to give the surface enough bite to allow the paint to bond.

Here is a product specificaly for this task
BRIGHTSIGHTS GUN SIGHT COATING - Brownells

I use nail polish. I also use it to seal primers and identify loads. Green for green dot, Red for red dot and white for max.

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Front sight and squeeze

While this may be neither here nor there, I have painted about a dozen sights on
S&W Revolvers and all took the paint exceptionally well, with one exception. The
aluminum sight on the M317 would not take the paint, so, after two attempts, I left it bare.

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Ogy

sand with 300 grit to give it a(tooth),clean,then use a white first,then the color you are going to use(white is first for a bachground to reflex the color)

White out?

Is that a weather forcast?

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Stang1911