Water Transfer Advice for a Build

Good evening all. I am starting a 16" AR build and plan to have the entire weapon coated in Multicam. I’m lucky enough to live within driving distance of one of the Crye authorized vendors for this process. Rather than have them disassemble the weapon, I am planning to take the parts down for the water transfer process before I put everything together.

My questions are for any who have had this done before (any pattern). My plan is to have the gas block already mounted on the bbl, as well as the hider. I’m assuming I’ll need to put a dowel or something in the gas block return to prevent the mixture getting inside.

Also, is it generally verboten to have the buffer tube coated? The stock is a Vltor E-mod. Not coating the tube would leave a lot of black on an all camo rifle, but I can foresee the coating being quickly worn off anyway by the movement of the stock. I won’t save money to skip coating the tube, but I don’t want to inhibit the stock either.

Finally, is there a preferred technique for masking optics and BUIS? Should I mask the threads on the upper receiver where the barrel nut will attach? I was already planning to mask the bbl where it will be inside the receiver.
Basically, I’m looking for input from anyone who has been down this path previously. Any lessons learned would be helpful as I’m sure I’m not the first person to do this.

Thanks in advance,
Kevin

Just a thought… have you looked into simply cerakoting the tube? even your BUIS so match the multicam base color? May be less of a hassle to do it that way… as for your optics, I recommend getting in touch with them to ask what they use to mask surfaces and maybe get them to do that on your lenses and even knobs.

Let us know how it looks in the end and also what it cost…

Once you get it back please post pics and a report of how you dealt with the issues your brought up.

I too have been thinking of doing this. very interested in how it turns out. Please post pics ASAP when its done.

my local GS had a LMT MRP with WT MC…I wasn’t 2 impressed. I have a Rem 870 Recon w/ WT DDC and it’s flaking / scratching off easily.