Paints › Mr. Hobby › Light Gray › vs USAAF Light GrayLight Gray vs USAAF Light Gray
Brand Mr. Hobby Range Mr. Color Code C-97 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #a7b7a9 (estimate)
Brand Vallejo Range Model Air Code 71.296 Type an opaque base/layer paint Swatch #b0b3a0 (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 5.6, very close: most people won’t see a difference side by side. USAAF Light Gray is warmer than Light Gray.
Can I use USAAF Light Gray instead of Light Gray? Yes, for most jobs. Very close match (ΔE 6). USAAF Light Gray is warmer than Light Gray.
Can I use Light Gray instead of USAAF Light Gray? The same difference applies the other way round: Light Gray is cooler.
ΔE is the colour difference between our two swatch estimates: under about 6 is close, over about 15 is loose. Real paints also differ in finish, coverage and how they thin, so test before you commit.
See Light Gray on the colour wheel See USAAF Light Gray on the colour wheel
Other Vallejo paints close to Light Gray Other Mr. Hobby paints close to USAAF Light Gray All matches: Light Gray equivalents · USAAF Light Gray equivalents
© 2026 AK Tabletop Studio. Swatch colours are estimates and will differ from the real paints; cross-brand matches are close, never exact.
Chart-listed matches come from the Two Thin Coats Paint Comparison Chart 2024, the Army Painter Warpaints Fanatic conversion chart, the AK 3rd Generation Acrylics equivalence table (2021) and the Herrick Games hobby paint comparison chart; the rest are a nearest-colour calculation.
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