Everything digital fails right when you need it most, that's just the rule now.

Honestly, the gun matters way less than people think. Most of that orange peel is about how you mix the paint and how far you hold the nozzle, not the fancy new tool. You probably just slowed down and paid more attention on this job, and that's what saved you the sanding time. Give the old gravity gun to a buddy who knows what he's doing and he'll get the same result, I'd bet money on it. It's like blaming the hammer when you miss the nail. Glad it worked out for you, but that's a 1998 Civic, not a show car.

Honestly, I used to think people were just rough on their gear when they complained about rust. I figured they were leaving it out in the rain or something. Then I bought this same model and it barely made it through the winter, and I patched it too just like you said. It really opened my eyes to how cheap the metal is these days. I mean, you expect a little wear, but not full on flakes of rust after one season. So yeah, you changed my mind, it's not the user, it's just junk.