Gun Paint Planner·Updated September 28, 2026
Rattle Can Splinter: History, Colors and Paint Jobs on Real Guns
Splinter camo is hard edged shards of green and brown over a light base. The German army first used it in 1931, and Sweden carried the idea into the 1990s with its M90. Here it is painted with real spray can colors on 12 real guns. Pick yours to open it in the planner, then reroll the layout or paint over it by hand.
Quick answer
- It takes 3 spray cans: Khaki, Woodland Light Green, Brown.
- Spray it light to dark: Khaki first, Brown last.
Cans and spray order from the Krylon and Rust-Oleum color charts, matched in GunPartPicker's paint planner.
Splinter camo on 12 real guns
Where splinter camo comes from
The German Reichswehr put the first splinter pattern on its shelter quarters in 1931. It was printed as angular brown and green shapes with thin green rain dashes over a light background.
After the war, West German border guards and the early Bundeswehr wore close copies in the 1950s and 1960s.
Sweden's M90 is the modern face of splinter. It came in around 1990, shrunk down from Swedish vehicle camo, with sharp geometric fields in beige, two greens and a near black.
On guns, splinter is a cold, angular look that stands out from blobby woodland. It's also the easiest pattern on this page to tape off.
- First used
- 1931, German army
- Modern version
- Sweden's M90, around 1990
- Colors
- Three or four: light base, green, brown
- Look
- Sharp angular shards, no curves
Spray cans for a Splinter paint job
In spray order, lightest first. Either brand works; do not mix them in one job.
Krylon
- 1Camouflage Khaki
- 2Camouflage Woodland Light Green
- 3Camouflage Brown
Rust-Oleum
- 1Camouflage Khaki
- 2Camouflage Army Green
- 3Camouflage Earth Brown
Painting splinter camo on a gun
Straight masking tape does all the work. Lay strips at random angles, spray green, add more strips, spray brown, then pull it all.
Keep the angles sharp and the shapes uneven. Three cans cover it: Krylon Khaki, Woodland Light Green and Brown.
We'd use cheap blue painter's tape here. You want it to pull clean without lifting the coat under it.
How to spray Splinter on a gun
1. Strip it down
On an AR pull the bolt carrier group and split the upper and lower. On an AK take off the dust cover and bolt carrier. On a Glock take the slide off. Remove the optic or plan to tape it.
2. Degrease everything
Wipe every outside surface with acetone or isopropyl alcohol. Paint will not hold over gun oil.
3. Mask what moves
Plug the chamber and muzzle, tape the ejection port, magazine well, trigger and safety, and cover the optic lenses.
4. Base coat in khaki
Two light coats over the whole gun, 8 to 12 inches away, 10 minutes apart.
5. Lay the splinter pattern
Sharp angular shards, cold war style. Spray woodland light green, then brown, light to dark, letting each color flash off before the next.
6. Let it cure
Handle it after an hour but give it a full day before it goes in a case, and a few days before hard use.
More rattle can camo patterns
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you paint splinter camo?
Lay straight masking tape at random angles over a light base, spray the first color, add more tape, spray the next, then pull the tape. No stencil needed.
Who used splinter camo?
The German army from 1931, West German border guards in the 1950s and 1960s, and Sweden, whose M90 splinter pattern came in around 1990.
What spray paint do you need for a Splinter paint job?
3 cans of Krylon, sprayed in this order: Khaki, Woodland Light Green, Brown. Rust-Oleum has a match for every color.
Can you paint Splinter camo on a real gun?
Yes. Strip and degrease the gun, mask the bore, chamber and anything that moves, lay the lightest color first and build the look light to dark with tape and stencils. Plan on an afternoon plus a day to cure.
Cite this tool: GunPartPicker, “Rattle Can Splinter: History, Colors and Paint Jobs on Real Guns”, https://gunpartpicker.net/gun-paint-planner/camo/splinter. Paint colors from the Krylon and Rust-Oleum color charts; gun photos credited on each gun's page. Free to cite with attribution.
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