I am sure this has been covered, but I did a search and could not find it.

Has anyone identified the closest thing to Brown Bess you can get in a rattle can? I just picked up another PR and I'd like to do one in the BB colour scheme.

I don't have an airbrush, so I am looking for the closest thing I can get to BB in a spray can.

Any help would be appreciated!

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Sci-Firepower Prop Collection:
https://www.facebook.com/scifirepower/

Here you go, try this.

Harry

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http://www.facebook.com/TheHHACA - @TheHHACA

I use a combination of Aervoe "999 earth brown" foundation then spray from a distance with a can of rustoleum "1919 Deep forest green" to just darken it up a bit.
It takes a bit of finesse to get even coverage, but it can be rattled out in a couple minutes. If you go too heavy of one color you just dust it with the other again.

I don't have a swatch with a direct comparison to true brown bess, but this is my 'go-to' technique. Everything below has been rattle-canned with those 2 colors.
The dropship helmet maybe best illustrates the true effect because a shot with flash looks so drastically different than natural light.

Revell 046 Nato Olive Matt is pretty damn close apparently.

Haven't tried it myself to comment. But I know others say its near enough bang on!

This thread is exactly what I wanted to see! I am also looking for suggestions, though I do have an air brush I could use, I would rather use rattle cans for simplicity.

RAL 7013

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FRCM
https://www.facebook.com/FRenchColonialMarines

I had a batch made at Sherman Williams decently matched to my shoulder lamp which has Brown Bess on it. I'll see if I can find a color formula on it.

These custom mixes are nice, but I'm still looking for a good rattle can option. I don't have an airbrush.

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Sci-Firepower Prop Collection:
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I don't have a picture of the can at the moment but I'll get one up later. The one that I use is Mocca from the firm Belton, and it's in a rattle can.

This is the Color I used on my Flamethrower and I'm happy with it, if that's any help.

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Cpl N.Storey A12/TQ2.0.02132E1
MARINE RAIDER

Daaang schotti. That was spray can? I have to try that. I just ordered a can of the Belton Mocca.
I also snagged a can of Revel Matt Nato Olive a few weeks back.
A few months back I scored an original (pre-'super enamel') Brown bess tin.

I am going to make swatches of all of them (plus my own rattle can recipe) and post them here as soon as the Belton shows up.

Ordered a couple of the Belton colors, thanks for the tip!

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Sci-Firepower Prop Collection:
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That's a great find, schotti. Did the 187 Espresso and 186 Cappuccino look too light to be a good match?
In any case, Belton paints are readily available in my country, so I'm gonna give it a shot along with a can of RAL 7013.

You're all very welcome but the gratitude really goes to my mate Thomas aka Hawkins. He found the Spray cans and told me about them, so I'm just passing it on.

It's a great Colour though.

I just painted the whole unit in matt black and then did a clouding effect with the Mocca.

I thought at the time that it might not be enough, but as it dried up it turned out looking pretty good so I left it as it was.

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Cpl N.Storey A12/TQ2.0.02132E1
MARINE RAIDER

...consider me impressed !

I put a coat of the "Mocha" paint down on one of my PRs with great success. I'll get some pics up.

I was really impressed with the quality of the Belton paint, I'll definitely be using it again.

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Sci-Firepower Prop Collection:
https://www.facebook.com/scifirepower/

Erik, since the focus of your question was about available spray paint (not custom mixes or airbrush), I took the liberty of clarifying that in your title.
I think that will help separate your thread from the other BB topics. I hope that was ok.


As for the sample "swatches' I had promised.... here there are! The real question is , "Who here is ready to beat their head against a wall???"
Boy o boy. I tell you colors and photography are a pain in the butt!

In short, I took pics of the swatches in 8 different rooms/settings and basically got 8 different colors for each. I further complicated that by spraying the bottom half of each swatch with a protective "matt finish" so that people could predict how the color(s) might change if they 'protected' them. Bacially, the colors change a lot.

Without further ado, the 6 'swatches tested were:
A- Revell 046 Nato Matt Olive
B- Aervoe 999 'Earth Brown' (pure. no alteration)
C- Aervoe 999 'Earth Brown' (oversprayed/dusted with Krylon Camo deep forest green)
D- Humbrol 170 'Brown Bess' (Original formula [pre 'super enamel' reformulation]) from vintage tin **not spray paint. This was for reference as the target***
E- Belton "Mocca" (oversprayed/dusted on to base layer of krylon matt black)
F- Belton "Mocca" (pure, no alteration)

It has been said over and over how unique Brown Bess is in how it changes in various lights, and that is certainly illustrated here. (of course so are many of the other colors though)

Very nice, cheers Terran.

I've picked up a can of the Belton Mocca and didn't think it looked very much like BB (when compared to my tiny can of Humbrol BB, my MR M/Tracker or my HCG BB shrouds). Your chart however excellently illustrates what a difference the black base coat makes.

Can someone give some detail on "oversprayed/dusted" or the "clouding effect" schotti mentions [which I suspect is probably the same thing] please?
Googling this just gives videos on how to avoid overspray ...

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Cpl Aron "septic" Williams
A10/TQ0.0.82146E1

Well, the way I do it:

Step 1- Lay down a solid base coat of first color.
Step 2- From about 2 ft away, spray at the object with the second color and let the 'mist' settle on the object, but cut off spray before color fully fills in. You want the base color to still be visible. This creates sort of a "mix" effect without having to mix any paints or use another method of distribution (like an air brush).

I will warn anyone attempting to use the Aervoe; Aervoe nozzles kind of suck. More often than not, I get a 'sputtering' effect that throws full drops of paint instead of a mist. In that regard, you will want to use the Aervoe as the base coat and 'mist' with the green.

The Benton 'mocca' however hypes its "low pressure" delivery as a prime feature that avoid 'drips'. The nozzle seems better too. I think you will get much more even mist distribution from the mocca. I am curious what happens if I try the 'mocca', flat black, AND Krylon forest camo green. May be the best yet.

Terran, you should add those references to the Archives! haha nicely done!

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Lt. Melissa L. Klassen, ALG
AL Colonial Admin. - Executive Officer (XO) -- 2021-2022
RCCM | Royal Canadian Colonial Marines - Commanding Officer (CO) -- 2021-2022

Read the AL Charter Rules & Regulations: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i3gd9QUyIqI_6rfk8kpxspbKU-JT4MBAjLPxfCkvGJ8

I really liked the Benton nozzles. It does not coat as quickly, but I feel like it had less overspray and a more uniform covering. I plan on using these paints as my go-to rattle cans from now on.

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After years of collecting bits and pieces of already painted items, I am going to repaint everything the same using the same paint shade. Now if I paint the fantable box I have, I am going to need quite a bit of Brown Bess. I guess I will be going to a paint store to get a batch mixed as I do not trust my dusting abilities to give me a universal color across everything. Cross your fingers.

Thanks!

Greg

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CPL A08/TQ0.0.12146E1
Newell, Greg A aka Gman
Illinois - USA
UKCM
Shoot first, think never.
Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun.
SMMFD
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn't exist.

let us know what brand and mix you end up going with please.

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The impossible takes a while longer and goes over budget too...

I have someone helping me figure out a formula for Brown Bess in KG Gun Kote. I wanted my hero pulse rifle painted with something a little more durable than rattle can paint. I'll share the formula, if we get it figured out.

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"I know I'm human. And if you were all these things, then you'd just attack me right now, so some of you are still human."

I will be adding a new color comparison here very soon (or as soon as international mail travels anyways)

It won't be an 'off the shelf rattle can' as the subject of this thread was intended, but it will be a ready-to-go airbrush color (no mixing nor thinning required).
Seven called my attention to an 'Alclad' brand "British Brown Bess ALCE062" paint the other day.

I was familiar with Alclad as a popular producer of airbrush-ready metallic enamels. I didn't know they did other colors, but once I saw the brown bess I ordered a bottle right away to give it a try. I will post results next to true original brown bess as soon as it arrives.