This is a GunSkins pistol accent skin for a 1911...
www.avantlink.com
This kit comes with a single sheet of pre-cut vinyl. It's 3M so I'd tend to believe it's quality.
Instructions on the package take you to their YouTube channel.
The tools you need will be sharp razor blades/xacto knife, surface prep cleaners, a heat source (heat gun, hair dryer or torch), sponge, squeegee of sorts and patience.
Surface prep is important. I gave the Springfield Range Officer and the grips a good cleaning as they suggested. I used brake clean on a rag and wiped it down. This gun sits in the safe most of the time as it's my wife's. It doesn't get that dirty.
I started with the grips. The ability to stick the piece on and then remove it to reposition it is great. I made the rough cuts and used a hair dryer to heat them up. After they cooled, I cut the grip screw holes out and trimmed what I felt needed trimmed. The angle on the top left a few creases but nothing too bad. I think maybe the pre-cut could have been about another 1/8" all around. That way I could have folded everything down and just trimmed at the back side of the grip. Other than that, they look great. (The grips are an aftermarket, smooth and standard thickness. I think the original grips with the checkering wouldn't have turned out quite as good. After finishing the whole gun, I think I was wrong. More on that later)
Next I removed the slide as I figured it would be easier. The video recommends starting on an edge and wrapping around. Because of the target sight, I started in the middle and worked down. I notched where the front sight blade was and did my best to make sure it was straight. This meant repeatedly sticking it on and removing it. Patience is the key here. I'm not the most patient type of guy but it wasn't all that bad.
I decided not to cover the dust cover. The piece wasn't big enough to wrap all of the way around. So I gently cut the vinyl then peeled it up to finish the cut as not to scratch the surface of the gun. I continued to work it down, using a plastic squeegee and a part of a foam paint brush.
When it came to the slide serrations, I was able to push the vinyl deep into the narrow cuts. It would pop back out after a few minutes. After I had everything trimmed out, I used a small blow torch like they showed in the video and the vinyl stayed in the serrations!
I then used the torch on the rest of the gun. The heat sets the adhesive and makes the vinyl "harden up". Although it's not hard. I spent some time finishing up with the trimming and then reassembled the gun.
This is what I ended up with. There are a few spots with creases but they are minor. Overall, I'm really pleased. For the $22 they are asking, I think it's a good deal. It also can with 6 mag base pieces.
Here is the how-to video from GunSkins.
You can search for your particular firearm on YouTube and most likely find a video of someone putting one of these on.
So how will it hold up? I don't know. I carried it, (with my wife's permission
) on a recent trip. It went in a leather 1791 OWB holster. The drive was 5 hrs round trip. And I carried it the rest of the day after I got home. Still looks great. I know that's not saying a lot but it seems pretty according to their website, they have a lifetime warranty against fading and a 60 return policy if you don't like it.
My take is for the price, it's an easy way to update your gun. The selection of pistols, rifles, mags etc they offer kits for is impressive too.
Vinyl Wraps for Rifles, Pistols, AR-15s, and More | GunSkins
Give your firearm a new finish with our DIY vinyl wraps featuring 75+ officially licensed camo patterns for rifles, pistols, AR-15s, and more. Made in the USA.
www.avantlink.com
This kit comes with a single sheet of pre-cut vinyl. It's 3M so I'd tend to believe it's quality.
Instructions on the package take you to their YouTube channel.
The tools you need will be sharp razor blades/xacto knife, surface prep cleaners, a heat source (heat gun, hair dryer or torch), sponge, squeegee of sorts and patience.
Surface prep is important. I gave the Springfield Range Officer and the grips a good cleaning as they suggested. I used brake clean on a rag and wiped it down. This gun sits in the safe most of the time as it's my wife's. It doesn't get that dirty.
I started with the grips. The ability to stick the piece on and then remove it to reposition it is great. I made the rough cuts and used a hair dryer to heat them up. After they cooled, I cut the grip screw holes out and trimmed what I felt needed trimmed. The angle on the top left a few creases but nothing too bad. I think maybe the pre-cut could have been about another 1/8" all around. That way I could have folded everything down and just trimmed at the back side of the grip. Other than that, they look great. (The grips are an aftermarket, smooth and standard thickness. I think the original grips with the checkering wouldn't have turned out quite as good. After finishing the whole gun, I think I was wrong. More on that later)
Next I removed the slide as I figured it would be easier. The video recommends starting on an edge and wrapping around. Because of the target sight, I started in the middle and worked down. I notched where the front sight blade was and did my best to make sure it was straight. This meant repeatedly sticking it on and removing it. Patience is the key here. I'm not the most patient type of guy but it wasn't all that bad.
I decided not to cover the dust cover. The piece wasn't big enough to wrap all of the way around. So I gently cut the vinyl then peeled it up to finish the cut as not to scratch the surface of the gun. I continued to work it down, using a plastic squeegee and a part of a foam paint brush.
When it came to the slide serrations, I was able to push the vinyl deep into the narrow cuts. It would pop back out after a few minutes. After I had everything trimmed out, I used a small blow torch like they showed in the video and the vinyl stayed in the serrations!
I then used the torch on the rest of the gun. The heat sets the adhesive and makes the vinyl "harden up". Although it's not hard. I spent some time finishing up with the trimming and then reassembled the gun.
This is what I ended up with. There are a few spots with creases but they are minor. Overall, I'm really pleased. For the $22 they are asking, I think it's a good deal. It also can with 6 mag base pieces.
Here is the how-to video from GunSkins.
You can search for your particular firearm on YouTube and most likely find a video of someone putting one of these on.
So how will it hold up? I don't know. I carried it, (with my wife's permission
) on a recent trip. It went in a leather 1791 OWB holster. The drive was 5 hrs round trip. And I carried it the rest of the day after I got home. Still looks great. I know that's not saying a lot but it seems pretty according to their website, they have a lifetime warranty against fading and a 60 return policy if you don't like it.My take is for the price, it's an easy way to update your gun. The selection of pistols, rifles, mags etc they offer kits for is impressive too.
