🔫 Gun Metal Paints Comparison 🎯🔫 (AK, Vallejo, Mission Models, Tamiya & Alclad)

My latest paint comparison on Gun Metal paints. Watch me paint and compare the latest offerings from AK Interative, Alclad, Vallejo, Tamiya, and Mission Models. See which one I like best and which you should buy without having to buy them all.
Paints compared :
AK Interactive Real Color- Gun Metal (RC015)
AK Xtreme Metal- Gun Metal (AK483)
Alclad II- Gunmetal (ALC-120)
Mission Models- Gunmetal (MMM010)
Tamiya Lacquer- Gun Metal (LP-19)
Vallejo Model Air Metallic- Gunmetal (71.072)
Vallejo Mecha Color- Gunmetal (89.058)
Vallejo Metal Color- Gunmetal (77.720)
All bought from Scale Hobbyist.
www.scalehobbyist.com

[@drunknmunky90]

Thank you for taking the time to put this informative video together. Your efforts are very much appreciated. Well done.

[@weekendhobbyist]

Thank you very much for the comment and subscribing. Happy New Year!

[@_Ariel7]

I've been away from modelling for some years, and hope to return soon as I begin my semi-retirement phase of life. One thing I have observed viewing current models paint applications is the use of non-light adjusted tones, or no factoring in scale lighting. I see most modellers' build videos I watch where the paint is poured directly into the airbrush cup, irregardless of model scale, at full pigment strength, no adding a light gray or lighter color. This produces a dark base color, and subsequent following sub-assembly colors. I think the appeal is the richness of the darker color, giving a more dramatic effect, but not really accurate as far as a scale representation. In the samples here, again, notice the huge difference of variation using white, gray and then black base coats - note how much the 'gun metal' color tint and/or the tone changes, the original color being distorted, becoming unrecognisabel. And when starting with an overly dark base, you leave yourself no room for adding highlights of slightly darker colors to add detail highlights - it's all lost in black darkness. I recommend that you try a gloss medium or dark gray as your undercoat/primer; I believe you will have good results, and avoid devoiding the part of the root color, and better representing scale color. I realize that black basing is de rigueur in current modelling, but if you think outside the box, I believe you will have good outcomes. Nice video, thanks,

[@viper341]

Wow this is an incredible video I learned a lot thanks

[@weekendhobbyist]

Thank you so much for the kind words. Very cool handle BTW!

[@WhiteteaGamingGG]

Nice video thank you very mucch

[@2shoestoo]

If you used your airbrush properly you would not have a clogged up or dry tip situation. You never let you finger off the trigger and always keep air moving through the brush and modulate the paint open/closed but keep the air moving through. You will never have spitting problems or dry tip problems. Just a Pro tip.

[@JohnnyGunpla]

Hey Weekend Hobbyist, thanks for this video! Good stuff! I'm mostly chiming in because I had the same exact experience with the Gunmetal from Alclad II Lacquers. I followed the instructions by using the 'Black Primer & Microfiller' as a base coat (non Gloss black, as per instructions). The Gunmetal just looked like more of the black, but a smooth finish, I thought something was off with the paint in the bottle. I actually fixed it by going right over it with a Gundam Gunmetal Marker from their Metallic set. I used the 'Gundam Airbrush System' to apply it. It saved the day! I can't figure out why the metallic flakes don't shine through properly in that Alcad Gun Metal. I can honestly say I will never use that particular Alclad paint ever again for gun metal. I might experiment over a shinier metal base paint, I noticed it has this translucent pen ink purple hue to it.

[@weekendhobbyist]

Thanks for watching and your message. Now I know I didn’t mess up 😎

[@datpaul2259]

great video, you took your time to test and explain everything please keep it up you're doing great work! appreciate it!

[@weekendhobbyist]

Thank you for the kind compliments. These comments keep me going 🙂

[@christopherchan6505]

I suspect the Alclad's gunmetal is supposed to represent firearm gunmetal (like anodized black aluminum?) rather than gunmetal (dark greyish metallic) paint. That being said, I'm not impressed by it and would probably just mix some metallics into the gloss black base rather than buying a whole bottle of their gunmetal. Anyways, thanks for the test.

[@weekendhobbyist]

Hi Christopher, Thanks for watching and commenting. I guess that would be the only reason 🤷🏻‍♂️ but we could just use their black or smoke instead 😆.

[@georgekandylakis614]

Hi, nice video, very thorough! Thank you for the effort... I have a question regarding Alclad. Back in 2010 I bought their Gunmetal and it was great for cylinders of a radial engine, After all this time it got bad, so I threw it away. I naturally bought a new bottle, for the same application, but it seems to have a different shade, a blueish one. I had sprayed samples of the old paint and direct comparison verified this. Blueish and too glossy despite using a grey Tamiya primer. I thought this was maybe a paint bottle gone bad, so I ordered a new bottle from another source. Same result...I could not find anything online... So, question A), is it possible that the color has been changed over the years? B) that it goes bad? because your samples look just fine.Any suggestions? Thanks anyway...and again for the video George

[@weekendhobbyist]

Hi George, thanks for the comment and watching my video. The gun metal paints I’ve tested all had a slightly different hue. Some were more on the brownish side and others were bluish. I don’t remember if Alclad was slightly bluer. I think each manufacturer has their own formula and interpretation of “gun metal”. Depends on what you are painting. For your Alclad has you tried thoroughly mixing it with an electric paint mixer? Maybe the pigments settled and you are getting a lot more blue than normal? If you want a less-blue gun Metal you can try the AK version or another one I tested. Good luck.

[@weekendhobbyist]

I think it is possible they changed their color through the years especially if they’ve added other colors that are similar. But of course this is my speculation. Also I think you should spray over gloss black and see how it turns out.

[@georgekandylakis614]

@@weekendhobbyist Thanks for your replies. The paint was well stired, with steel balls inside, so I would say properly mixed. It is brand new so none to very little residue. I will try the Tamiya and the AK. I will pass on the gloss black base, my items are dummy cylinders for a 1925 radial engine in 1/20 scale so I need a mat finish. Have a nice day and thanks again... George

[@weekendhobbyist]

I’m perplexed now. 🤔 I’ll have to look through my test spoons again. Thanks for the heads up.

[@donkeyholmes4581]

Allclad gun metal is the closest to a blued steel gun but you have to spray it over silver not black. It is a very thin blue black colour so spraying it over anything other than silver will get you nothing. The other paints are just different shades of silver, not true gunmetal.

[@weekendhobbyist]

Thanks, I’ll have to give that a try.

[@sahrino]

Alclad version is trash and so disappointing when I paid for it to only get a super dark purple. So many swore by it and disliked my comments before but yeah there’s better versions of GM to use and love all of mine minus the Alclad.

[@chuchuchip]

Could barely hear a word said. Either turn up the gain on the mike or speak louder &/or directly into the mike!

[@weekendhobbyist]

Thanks for the feedback. I might have to re-upload this one. Thanks for watching.

[@blacknass1943]

thank you for your Work :D i lik this comparisations becous you hav no idea about te difrenzes and ter ar big difrenzes between Gun colors , but it is okey becous not all guns ar the same dark or brigth steahl color. the onley gun metal was i wandt to know was about the x-10 tmaiya gun color ^^ shisch . akas laquer the best O_o nice.

[@weekendhobbyist]

Thanks for watching and your comment. I do like X-10!

[@blacknass1943]

@@weekendhobbyist you deserv mor thumbs up :) if i need to know waths now the best color for gun and not all guns look the same , your Clip is the real deal ! :) thank you again. i know its a lot work to do this .