Paints › Tamiya › Gun Metal › vs Obsidian BlackGun Metal vs Obsidian Black
Brand Tamiya Range PS Spray (polycarbonate) Code PS-23 Type a metallic Swatch #545358 (estimate)
Brand Vallejo Range True Metallic Metal Code 77.180 Airbrush Type a metallic Swatch #4a4c4c (estimate) How close are they?
ΔE 4.8, very close: most people won’t see a difference side by side. Obsidian Black is a little darker than Gun Metal.
Can I use Obsidian Black instead of Gun Metal? Yes, for most jobs. Very close match (ΔE 5). Obsidian Black is a little darker than Gun Metal.
Can I use Gun Metal instead of Obsidian Black? The same difference applies the other way round: Gun Metal is a little lighter.
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 Gun Metal on the colour wheel See Obsidian Black on the colour wheel
Other Vallejo paints close to Gun Metal Other Tamiya paints close to Obsidian Black All matches: Gun Metal equivalents · Obsidian Black 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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