ReBlueing or "Painting" Older, Worn Guns

dbhn · Aug 16, 2007

I have been looking for a new hunting shotgun and have noticed a lot of them are beat up or old. I don't mind this as I will also beat it up (as long as it functions good and has a good bore). And it keeps them in my price range.

My question is how hard is it to reblue a gun or touch up the blueing on a gun that has spots worn down to bare metal? Will a touch up attempt work at all? I've never tried it.

Other question is is there a way to "paint" the metal of gun. i.e. like a marine coat/tactical type of finish? If I get something like this I am likely to buy synthetic stocks for it so a black finish on the metal is OK with me. Not sure if it is even possible though.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
-Derek

adweisbe · Aug 16, 2007

Rebluing with Brownells Oxypho blue is easy and works great. It doesn't wear as well as more caustic bluing solutions but it is easy to reapply and provides corrosion protection. This is my favorite choice because cosmetics don't matter much to me.

The paint type finishes are all pretty difficult to apply perfectly. When applied correctly they are incredibly durable. You have to get the thickness just right or it won't cure and adhere to the gun. The air cure finishes don't cure as well and the longer you let them cure the better. We are talking on the order of months depending on where you leave them to cure and how thick you applied the coating. You also need to invest in a GOOD spraying device to get the best control and results.

You can also rust blue and parkerize at home. Brownells has solutions for those.

In all cases surface prep is the most important part and is an art in and of itself.

dbhn · Aug 16, 2007

Thanks. Just took a look through Brownells and it definitely seems as if the painting or parkerizing is more than I want to get into.

Blueing seems rather straightforward.

How well does the touch ups work? Can it make an old worn finish presentable?

adweisbe · Aug 16, 2007

Cold bluing touch ups come out looking identical to the old bluing. Large areas are tougher because it is harder to get an even application without immersion. If different areas spend more time in contact with the solution then you will get an uneven appearance in the finish.

Queen Bee · May 17, 2020

reigniting this old thread. i have decided to use some oxpho blue solution to blue a bolt in a mauser k98 silver bolt. seems like there are some good videos out there but wanted to know if anyone had pictures on guns from this era and how their cold blue has gone. really looking to make it black to match the gun better.

mac1911 · May 18, 2020

Queen Bee said:
reigniting this old thread. i have decided to use some oxpho blue solution to blue a bolt in a mauser k98 silver bolt. seems like there are some good videos out there but wanted to know if anyone had pictures on guns from this era and how their cold blue has gone. really looking to make it black to match the gun better.

most cold blues are not going to be "black" The smoother/more polished the metal finish is the better it will look. Also the metal alloy plays a part in the final color.
You might just want to see how much it would cost to have it hot dip blued.

cold blue
I like oxpho blue from brownells The birchwood casey blues have down well for me also.
the casey super blue is pretty dark.
BEST TIP- i can give you is do not dip any applicators back into the bottle, I dont even like using the same applicator once I apply the finish I will grab another swab of cotton.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdESVrBA_Y

akma · May 20, 2020

Browning then cold blue over it.
There's a video on YouTube. Ginsboy is the author.

PatMcD · May 20, 2020

I actually got better results from El cheapo Birchwood Casey PermaBlue.

45collector · May 21, 2020

I took a 1917 Luger that had been nickel plated at some point and had lots of rust spots, stripped all the nickel off it and rust blued it with Pilkington’s. Came out pretty sweet.

A molested 1917 Luger gets a little love...

As promised, here is the thread of my 1917 DWM Luger semi-restoration. The gun came into my hands years back for dirt cheap. All the accessories it came with are WWII era. Both magazines, the holster (no markings on it) and the takedown tool. When I first removed the gun from it's holster...

www.northeastshooters.com

Queen Bee · May 26, 2020

Well after 2 -3 quick coats i am letting it sit with oil and seeing where this goes. Warmed them up with a torch. Then dunked them into almost a full bottle of bluing solution and then plucked them out and doused them with water. I hit them with steel wool and a torch to get them to dry quickly to use paper towels.