Gun Metal is a dark muted metallic silver with a neutral cast. This is a common color; 3 other brands cover it, the nearest being Two Thin Coats Sir Coates Silver at 89 percent. For modelling, drop to Rough Iron in the recesses and step up to Plate Mail Metal on the edges, both The Army Painter paints. Bottom line: run out mid-project and another brand will get you within a shade.
Gun Metal equivalents in other ranges
Several ranges orbit this color without landing on it. Here is the closest each brand manages, nearest first:
- Closest Two Thin Coats equivalent: Two Thin Coats Sir Coates Silver, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 2.2).
- From Humbrol: Humbrol Metalcote Gunmetal, close, with a hint of drift side by side (delta E 2.3).
- Vallejo's closest color: Vallejo Natural Steel, a near match with visible drift up close (delta E 4.0).
- Nearest in the Tamiya catalog: Tamiya Gun Metal, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 4.5).
- Best Citadel option: Citadel Ironbreaker, workable at tabletop distance, not up close (delta E 5.1).
- From AK Interactive: AK Interactive Gun Metal, a usable stand-in rather than a twin (delta E 5.7).
Worth knowing before you swap: Two Thin Coats Sir Coates Silver runs slightly darker, which shows most where the paint thins over raised detail.
How to read the score
90+Close
80sUsable
<70Mix
Two Thin Coats
Humbrol
Vallejo
Natural Steel
Steel Grey
Field Blue
Violet Grey
Neutral Grey
Basalt Grey
Dark Sea Green
Stonewall Grey
Neutral Grey
London Grey
Tamiya
Citadel
AK Interactive
Gun Metal
Dark Sea Grey
Rlm 66 (1941)
Rlm 74
Rlm 61
Us Army Helo Drab Fs 34031
Rlm 72
Raf Extra Dark Sea Grey Bs381C/640
Raf Dark Green
Basalt Grey
Neutral Grey
Monument Pro Acryl
P3 Paints
Green Stuff World
Scale75
Revell
About this color
Color profile
Highlight and shade ladder
Match difficulty
Found in 3 other brands with a same-finish match.
Where painters use it
Frequently asked
What is the closest equivalent to The Army Painter Gun Metal?
The closest same-finish match is Two Thin Coats Sir Coates Silver at 89% color similarity.
Is there a Vallejo equivalent of Gun Metal?
Yes. The closest Vallejo option is Natural Steel at 80%, a same-finish match.
What finish is Gun Metal?
Gun Metal is a metallic paint with a silver tone and a reflective finish. Because the shine comes from metal flake, a flat paint can match the color and still be wrong for the job, which is why cross-finish matches here are references rather than swaps.
What do I highlight and shade Gun Metal with?
Highlight Gun Metal toward Plate Mail Metal and shade it down into Rough Iron, both The Army Painter paints in the same finish family.