Anyone know how to properly age a gun?

[Eastern Bloc]

I basically want to know how to make a gun look 'used' without damaging it or making it look like scrap metal. I hope to make it look more like an authentic gun by doing so, one that has been used in a number of conflicts and made it's way around. Specifically I am looking to buy an AK-47 and age it so it looks more or less like this one:

http://www.zombie-guide.com/wp-conte...ds/An-AK47.jpg

It doesn't have that straight from the factory look most airsoft AK's have, but it still leaves on the black paint in all the right places. Also, the pictures I have found of real AK's usually have more glossy wood grips and stocks... would it be a good idea to spray the wood with some kind of gloss or would that ruin the appearance of the rifle? If anyone has any suggestion's for which brand I should go with when buying an AK from a retailer like Toronto Airsoft please give me your opinion... I'm thinking of CYMA; I have an electric 74u from them and it's a pretty nice gun.

If anyone has any aged rifles of your own please post pictures, or if you know someone that is selling one for a reasonable price send me the link and I'll look at it.

:salute:

[Hectic]

As for the wood the Real Sword and LCT AK's have just about the best looking wood there is (i find cyma wood to look really blonde/yellow compared to real or a good AS one)
As for wear and aging again going with and LCT or Real Sword is your beter bet cause no matter how well you age it the cyma and other cheaper brands are pot metal not steel and will always look like aged pot metal steel is well steel and when worn out will look more authentic.
How to age it? Use it. Wanna fake it, hold it see where your hands,fingers and cheek rest when you hold it. See where is rubs against your gear when you cary it and when you sling it and where the bolt cycles and such as a geberal rule any "high spots" will wear befor the rest. Think the ribbing on the gas tube. The part on the selector that sticks out for you to push/pull on. The cover on the selector (the lil round bit where it attaches to the gun)
Around the mag well and the rear of the mag release.
Id say run 10-15 mags through it. When each mag is empty do the "tactical reload" snd cycle the bolt after each change. Then when yer done cycle the bolt a few hundred times. You will see the wear points then if you like you can go over em with some steel wool or fine sand paper or scotch brite.
Do a lil at a time and see how it looks.

Here are some aged guns.
http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthread.php?t=154529

[Adamlxlx]

Or just strip the gun to bare metal and cold blue it. Just finished a cyma ak with this method and it looks just tits. I will post some pics later when i get home.

[ARC-74]

Originally Posted by Adamlxlx

Or just strip the gun to bare metal and cold blue it. Just finished a cyma ak with this method and it looks just tits. I will post some pics later when i get home.

+1 for this, looks ten times better then black paint
(My refinished CYMA with LCT wood.)

[L473ncy]

Not sure how true it is but I've heard of people dragging them on the back of their cars in a gravel parking lot at fields then trying to clean it off slightly abrasively with a wire brush.

This method I describe below will only work for steel (ie. LCT and Inokatsu off the top of my head)

Make a rusting mixture; first degrease it, next spray down with vinegar and let dry, finally slather some rust accelerator (8 parts peroxide to 1 part vinegar) leave for a bit (maybe like an hour for it to rust) then wipe it off as best as you can before putting some naval jelly on it to stop the rust, end result should be some areas with accelerated rust (ideally the raised points of the rifle and high wear points where hands and whatnot are on all the time) and other areas that look not as weathered.

[Derpystronk]

As lame advice as this is... Just use it. Get a good quality gun (Real Sword) you can beat around and abuse, and just use it without fear of it being delicate and falling apart. After about two years my gun has the right amount of "This has seen some shit" wear on it. Once I clean up the rust it should look good, but used. My wood is still glossy though, but scratched and dinged up from use so it still looks like it's been well used.

My experience in this matter had shown me that people who try and make their guns look like it's been to hell and back ends up just making the thing look fake. It's hard to get that right level of "It's well worn" and not fall over to "The dude just beat this thing up on purpose."

[Magnaroth]

^ +1

I have my LCT, and it's getting a little rust in the allen screws on the rail. More and more there are a few scratches, and I love the gun for every scratch in it.

However, you could always go over it with some wire mesh if you're impatient.

[SuperHog]

It depends on how you play. I know players that play a lot and guns still look new, whereas the opposite player can make the same gun look like trash from a single game.

I like my guns looking new no matter how old it is.