I dont own a spray gun but can get one. I HATE cleaning up after spraying with a gun but... I already got the veil.
Way back when, I screwed around with Lustrekote and many other similar products,
always compromising the final finish. I did so for quite a while, I probably should have owned stock in Lustrekote, I bought a LOT of it.
During this time I did all my build and prep work brushing butyrate dope but then would switch to Lustrekote etc. for the final colors and finish. This was mainly because like you say, I though it was easier and I didn't want to deal with cleaning spray guns etc. I knew I was capable of better finishes, it was the products I was using that was holding me back.
Finally at some point I got tired of the marginal finish results with these products. Also, all the related rattle can headaches like clogged spray nozzles and random puking of globs of paint toward the end of the can etc, etc. Another thing was the very limited color choice options.
One day I put on my big-boy pants, drove to Sears, and invested in a new Craftsman 33 gallon upright compressor. Next stop was Harbor Freight for a water trap, a couple hoses, and three $9.00 automotive detail guns that someone had described on the forum. You wouldn't need as big a compressor as I have, that's just what I chose so it wouldn't be running constantly during painting sessions.
I use two of the spray guns for color work and the third gun for clear only, to never have to worry about color accidentally getting in the clear. I spray nothing but butyrate dope, preferring Randolph or Brodak. I also have another small diameter hose that's set up for using with my small model airbrush, works perfectly for smaller detail painting.
From my very first session of painting with the new spray setup I was hooked. I wished I'd not been so ignorant and would've made the change years earlier. Can't say enough about that, I immediately felt I'd wasted time with years of headache. Once you suss your mix/spray/cleanup routine, and it doesn't take long, it's actually a lot less hassle then fudging with all the other makeshift products. Cleanup is not half the issue I'd imagined, just takes a couple minutes, really. Finishes are no comparison,
sooo much nicer.
I say bite the bullet and step up your program, you won't regret it.