Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Hydro Dip Removal From a Rifle Scope

I recently bought a rifle and scope combination second had. I am thinking of keeping the scope and selling the rifle. The prior owner had the entire outfit hydro dipped. Does anybody here have experience removing hydro dipping from a scope. I've looked on line and have seen many suggestions of things like acetone and Kleen Strip which "should" or "ought to" remove it. However, I have been unable to find "this is what I used" & "it was effective" & "it did not ruin the finish".

Does anybody here have any actual experience of what actually has worked and/or what actually has not worked? Thanks in advance. I will not risk damaging a $1,000 scope for experimentation. Worse case scenario, I have a camo scope I guess.

Just a thought and I may be way off base but I can't help but believe that the finish underneath the hydro dip is probably not in very good shape. Stripping it may reveal a surprise you might not be happy with.

Leftybolt

+1

Saw a Weatherby Mark v film dipped entire rifle and swaro 30mm scope , I could not plugging believe someone did that

I would not alter or paint any scope of any value.
And I would not purchase any that have been touched.
For one the warranty is done, and I don't care for the modified look.

According to Leupold, which is the manufacturer of this scope, it does not void their warranty. They warrant their scopes to be waterproof. If the scope is dunked, and it leaks, Leupold will repair or replace per their warranty. At least that is what the people at Leupold told me. I can't speak for other companies like Swarovski, etc.

Even knowing that, I too would not hydro dip my scope.

I removed the finish from a AR that I believe was factory dipped and it was a miserable messy job. I would not attempt it on a scope. I would recommend coating over it. I think it could be blasted lightly and then I'd Duracoat it or use air dry Cerakote. I soaked it in lacquer thinner and wouldn't do that with a scope.

Same process as removing paint with a clearcoat covering. All hydro-dipping does is etch a pattern into paint so the process is to prime, paint, dip, then clear coat.

I wouldn't attempt it if the scope looks okay.

I can tell you any skeeter spray with DEET will take off camo dip in about 2 seconds. Past that, you're on your own. 😄

On a serious note, contact a dipping outfit. I bet most have had a do over or two.

I know two seconds is an exaggeration; but, how did your finish look when you were done? How long did it take you? As for "Past that, you're on your own". I don't need to do anything beyond removal and having a normal matte finish. If the DEET worked effectively for you and left a normal finish in place, that will be all I need.

From my understanding, there's a basecoat of some sort, under the dip. What I've seen under our dipped shotguns and such, are a grey, primer-like coating. I'm not sure if all dips use the same process for prep, or not. You need a test spot. You could also contact the mfg (Leupold?) and see what they can do to finish/refinish on finish issues. I'm betting they've had a re-do or two, themselves. If it was just a gun barrel/receiver, I'd say a heat gun. Mild heat won't damage parkerizing OR anodizing, but it will fry your seals/coatings.

EDIT: I just called a local guy I know that runs a cerakote/hydrodipping shop. He says your best bet is to light sand, prime, and paint....over the dip. Otherwise, you'd have to strip one of his jobs to bare metal and re-finish, by sand blasting. Geeze.

EDIT: I just called a local guy I know that runs a cerakote/hydrodipping shop. He says your best bet is to light sand, prime, and paint....over the dip. Otherwise, you'd have to strip one of his jobs to bare metal and re-finish, by sand blasting. Geeze.

I removed the finish from a AR that I believe was factory dipped and it was a miserable messy job. I would not attempt it on a scope. I would recommend coating over it. I think it could be blasted lightly and then I'd Duracoat it or use air dry Cerakote. I soaked it in lacquer thinner and wouldn't do that with a scope.
THESE

Thanks guys. Sounds like I will own/sell a hydro dipped scope. It's not that it's not worth the effort, it just sounds like the risk is too high of resulting in something that looks worse than a camo scope. Oh well, function is what's important.

Navel jelly works great. It also depends on who coated it. Most professional dippers use automotove primer, then a automotive color base, dip then automotive clear.

If it was a tub or DIY dip kit, it should come off fairly easily. most carb cleaners will get that stuff off.

Wow. Whatever this guy used to coat this hydro dip I need to put in my military IBA. I'm trying to work my way from least harsh to harsher. Hell, all I want anymore is this crap removed from the gold ring so the specs are visible and from the ocular number scale to appropriately set range settings. So far acetone and 98% DEET won't even smudge it.

Just trying to keep everybody who may be interested posted on my attempts and progress; or, more correctly, my lack of progress. I got more brave and bought a can of Klean Strip Peeler basecoat and clearcoat remover. Didn't remove a bit. Holy crap! Whoever did this did it to last that's for sure. Even if I can't remove it I want to find this guy so I can spray down my unit's Bradley Fighting Vehicles.

Have you tried sanding the surface, so stuff can penetrate?

No sanding as I didn't want to affect the surface if I didn't have to. I re-tried the Klean Strip and it appears to take more than I tried. It finally worked; however, what little of the camo I was able to remove came off grudgingly. At least now I can confirm the scope model.