This week I would like to introduce you to a fairly new method of putting different finishes on your firearms. I am sure many of you who like to camouflage your guns are already aware of this technique. The camouflage painting idea has been around for many years.

Why camouflage a gun in the first place? With the blending–in affect derived from such practices, hunters have largely been the driving factor behind camouflage being put on their hunting guns, so as not to stand out in the hunting woods.

The military has also played a large role in bringing camouflage to the buying public. In Iraq, most of the weapons and vehicles have been painted a sandy color to blend in with the desert. The clothing worn in various combat areas have their own distinctive colors and designs so as to blend in with their surroundings.

As we jump forward in today’s world there is a new process known as hydrographics, also known as immersion printing, water transfer printing, water transfer imaging or cubic printing, which is a method of applying printed designs to three-dimensional objects.

I wanted to have a gun of my own camouflaged in this new manner. I checked around the north Georgia and Tennessee areas and could not find anyone that did this type of work. There are those who will spray paint the camouflage on firearms, but this is not what I wanted. The new dip method has brought camouflage to a new level of artwork.

I met Greg Brock at a gun show in Ft. Myers, Fla., through contacts I had made with Paul Chapman of North Georgia Reloaders in Ft. Oglethorpe. Greg is a family man living in Alva, Fla., with his wife of 16 years and three children. He has been a professional firefighter in SWFL for the past 21 years and still loves his job, but he is getting close to retirement, which led him to Hydrographics.

Greg brought his catalogs, showing the different patterns and designs he currently puts on guns, to the gun show. After he and I pondered over which design I wanted, my next step was to ship my firearm to him for the work to be done. After a few weeks Greg called me and said my rifle was on its way. I was really excited to see the finished product.

When the gun arrived, as I removed it out of the box, I could not believe my eyes. Man it was beautiful work. I had Greg put the camouflage on an M4 rifle. The gun is featured in this week’s picture. Greg also put camouflage on the magazines of the rifle.

An avid hunter for several years, Greg saw his first hydrographic work on a hunting bow and related that he was hooked from that moment on. He told me about all the different ways hydrographics can be used, such as on plastics, wood and glass. He said basically anything that could be painted could be hydrographed.

Greg can be contacted at: hydrographics-swfl.com, or 239 872-2551. I encourage you to view the website and see all he has to offer, or call him and he can tell you about all the possibilities. I was completely satisfied with his work and recommend him highly for any hydrographics work you may want done.

Roger Sherrill lives in Ringgold. He can be reached at tandemjumper@catt.com.