I read in one of Mig's articles that painted metal appears to have a satin sheen. Is this correct or am I better of with a matte?
Thanks
-Matt

Most WW2 German armour I have seen is matt; Sherman’s I have seen are a mix of satin and matt. The yellow used on modern armour that was in Iraq is matt; however the green does have a slight sheen. I am unsure about modern US armour as I have not seen any in the flesh for many years. So in short your question does not have a definitive answer because as they say it depends.

Depends on time and place. US armor went from flat Olive Drab to semigloss Olive Drab immediately after World War Two ended (the shinier enamel is less subject to scuffing, and looks more "spit and polish"). The practice continued through the Cold War period, with the justification that shiny finishes were easier to decontaminate from biological or chemical attacks. Armor in Vietnam was delivered in this finish, but equipment was usually too dusty under field conditions for any shine to be visible. Semigloss OD gave way in 1974 to the four-color MERDC camouflage patterns, which again used flat paints.
More generally, many flat paints are not completely matte when applied, but even a light coat of dust will kill any visible shine.

Thanks for the replies. I do mostly WW2 kits. Matte it is, then.