How to Paint an Airsoft Sniper Rifle Camouflage

The key to camouflaging your airsoft sniper rifle is using patterns and colors that mimic the surrounding area. In a natural environment, this usually means using green, brown, and tan colors that blend into trees, bushes, and dirt. In other words, camouflage is all about making the object blend in with its surroundings. In this guide, we show you how to paint an airsoft sniper rifle (camo, or otherwise).

Different camouflage patterns are available for airsoft players. Before starting, you’ll need to pick a pattern that best suits your surroundings. It’s essential to start with the basics and not go overboard trying to fancy it. That does not mean you should try to limit your creativity. These are the basic steps to paint an airsoft sniper rifle camo:

• Choose a suitable pattern
• Choose an appropriate color scheme
• Paint the base layer
• Tape the rifle
• Design the camo stencils
• Place your stencil on the rifle
• Clearcoat your paint job

At first look, this may sound quite demanding, but it’s not. You should be done with camouflaging your rifle within a few hours, as long as you have the necessary materials available. Read on for a detailed explanation of the steps involved in camouflaging your airsoft rifle.

Step by Step Guide for How to Camo Your Airsoft Sniper Rifle

Camouflaging your airsoft rifle gives it a custom look that takes your game to a different level. However, it would be best if you learned to do it the right way. Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to help you camouflage your airsoft gun correctly.

Step 1: Choose a Suitable Pattern 

Start by asking yourself what you intend to achieve with your painting. Do some research to figure out the different kinds of camos available. From there, you can pick one that best suits your needs. For starters, stay away from digital unless you have the right patience and experience for it.

On the other hand, if you want a natural or commercial design, we recommend drawing inspirations from the physical environment you’ll play in. 

Step 2: Choose An Appropriate Color Scheme

Once you are sure about what you intend to achieve, the next step is to choose the suitable color scheme for your design. Find appropriate spray paints that match your desired color scheme. This shouldn’t take you too much time, as long as you have a rough idea of what you intend to achieve. 

Step 3: Paint The Base Layer

At this point, you are preparing your gun for painting. As much as possible, lightly sand smooth areas like body, stock, etc. There’s no point going extra with this. Just enough sanding to scar the surface. Sanding typically helps for a longer-lasting finished result.

This is the point where you’ll need to take the gun down. Taking it down doesn’t mean complete stripping. Instead, it involves taking off a few optics and accessories here and there.

Step 4: Tape The Rifle

Before going on with your painting, make sure you tape every part of the gun you don’t want your paint to reach. Also, ensure to tape up any moving parts. It’s preferable to use adhesive tapes as this can help to stop the penetration of paint. 

Step 5: Design The Camo Stencils 

Some people use natural vegetation like grasses and leaves for this. While this is an easier step, not everybody uses it. Most airsoft players prefer to work out the shapes on a whiteboard to make erasing and changing easier. Once you have the perfect shape for your work, get some clear plastic A4-type files and use them to trace over the shapes on a whiteboard. Make the pieces about 2 inches broader around the edges. This will help to ensure that the paints go over the stencils when you spray.

With your stencils and paint fully prepared, you can try a quick design on a piece of paper. This step will help give you a clear idea of the stencil placements and the estimated drying time. 

Step 6: Place Your Stencil on The Rifle

This stage requires care and precision. Most painters will use more blutac to hold down uneven edges.

With your stencil in place, spray the gun from about 10-12 inches away. Move the spray can moving while spraying as if you were waving goodbye to the rifle.

Step 7: Clear Coat Your Paint Job

Now that you’ve finished painting your camo, you’ll want to run your paint over your gun again. We recommend using a clear sealant for this step to avoid ruining your paint design.

Another way to camouflage an airsoft sniper rifle is to use a two-tone pattern. Painting a camo pattern on your airsoft sniper rifle will make it easier to hide, since the gun won’t stand out. Look for a step-by-step tutorial on this method, coming soon.