Okay Gentlemen! After a week's work I finally got the browning off my barrel :applause: Now I need the consensus on keeping it armory bright. What say you? I need a way that works long term,because this gun is pinned,and I don't really like to remove them. So I call upon the knowledge of this board,to give gunsmith's experience for shiny,rust proof barrel. [hmm]
Many Thanks,,Mike
Mike,
I don't particularly like bright barrels but if I had one to keep clean and bright I think I would clean it up good, wipe it down with rubbing alcohol to get the oils off and try using an automotive type clear paste wax. You could get it on the stock and hardware without any "ill" effect but would also protect those areas also.
Mark
Papa,,I do appreciate your thoughts dntn
The best luck I have had keeping woodworking tool tables free of rust is to clean the metal WELL with acetone and an abrasive like emery cloth,dry it well with paper towels then rub talcum powder VIGOROUSLY into the metal. I repeat the talcum powder bit two or three times. On a gun barrel the wax is likely to work better,wax does tend to wear off since it is a surface treatment.On tool tables the talc fills the pores and stays there.I am no fan of bright gun barrels.
I recall reading someplace the British used Chalk to help old Brown Bess stay nice and Shiny......
On metal I'm a big fan of Barricade or Amsoil MP spray.
Sir William,,I have Barricade on order,how often does one need to re-apply? [hmm]
I would reapply any time you've been out hunting in wet conditions and to the bore after each cleaning.
On a newly browned barrel I would apply liberally in several sessions.
Quote from: mtnmike on March 22, 2015
Okay Gentlemen! After a week's work I finally got the browning off my barrel :applause: Now I need the consensus on keeping it armory bright. What say you? I need a way that works long term,because this gun is pinned,and I don't really like to remove them. So I call upon the knowledge of this board,to give gunsmith's experience for shiny,rust proof barrel. [hmm]
Many Thanks,,Mike
have no idea why you want the barrel shiny, but one sure fire way to guarantee a shiny barrel is to take it to a plater and have the outside of the barrel CHROME PLATED or Anodized. That will give the best and easiest way for upkeep. Would need to remove pins to completely protect barrel with oil preservative, and to much oil will destroy the stock, eventually. I think it would look Fugly, but.............
http://www.zycon.com/Products/US-NC-North-Carolina/Plating.html
When we duck hunted out on the ocean we used plain old vasilene when in use and wiped it down when in storage.
From what I have read and been told by those who know more than me (most everyone it seems) historically not many if anyone had bright barrels. Plain metal barrels would gradually attain a grayish patina and rust was kept at bay with daily applications of some type of oil. But I have been wrong before, so it is said. As for chroming, well let's just say that one of the guys that helps me take senior citizens out pheasant hunting twice a month had both his (and I don't want to hear any guff about mentioning the following modern firearms, it goes with the story) Browning A5 and his Browning Citori along with a Ruger Super Redhawk chromed. Not nickel plated, chromed. It wound up causing a lot of fitting problems plus now he stays way back of us 'cause he hates hearing the continuous laughter and questions relating to his manhood, not to mention we told him that the mirror shiny firearms transformed him from hunter to easy target.
However, if this is what you truly want, more power to you. I would suggest a good polishing down to purple compound, a bit of Brasso followed by a dry buff, then a real good quality auto wax then regular coats of Vaseline. For low maintenance instead of wax you could try a clear enamel, and for really low maintenance, if you have access (and I have done this, just not on a firearm) a clear powder coating will last darn near forever, plus it's super resistant to scratches. Even with enamel or powder coating, regular applications of that high quality auto wax will keep it bright & shiny for a long time. Now that my interest is piqued, make sure you share some pictures of the finished product. We are a voyeuristic bunch you know.
Come to think of it, I wonder if a bit of clear powder coat around the drum area would cut down on rust and corrosion that I cannot seem to stop. Hmmm, now you got me thinking, and that is not always a good thing.
Hey mtnmike, You're not pulling our leg or anything are you? April fools day is still a week away man.
Hotfxr,, no sir this is a real deal,, I do not like the idea of deliberately causing a barrel to form rust(browning) it just don't compute in my lil brain (susp)
Quote from: mtnmike on March 25, 2015
Hotfxr,, no sir this is a real deal,, I do not like the idea of deliberately causing a barrel to form rust(browning) it just don't compute in my lil brain (susp)
Your gun, your choice. But I would NEVER go out hunting with anything bright or shiny. Out here in the West your lucky to get within 150 yds and with bright or shiny you may never even see a deer.
on the 58 rifle that Mike Lange redid, he did it in an antique brown and it is really sharp, looks like the rifle was made in the 1700's, and the CVA with two barrel's, one in .50 and the other in .54, those barrels are a beautiful Plum Brown. Amazingly beautiful and no maintenance what so ever other than wiping after hunting and handling. What I am concerned about is this: you dont want to have to remove the pins to remove the barrel from the stock, Now when you treat the barrel with Barricade, it is almost the same as spraying on WD40 and then wiping off excess. But when you go out hunting and get into drizzle, high humidity or rain or dew, you will need to pull the pins to retreat the barrel. ?? Please Sir, keep us informed as to how this works for you. I am very interested in the results. Thank you.
Quote from: mtnmike on March 25, 2015
Hotfxr,, no sir this is a real deal,, I do not like the idea of deliberately causing a barrel to form rust(browning) it just don't compute in my lil brain (susp)
Have you considered bluing? Most of the Spanish and Italian guns are blued. Three quarters of mine are blued. And since I re-blued all of them, I can tell you it is as easy as browning.
And you can get a nice high polish with bluing (PM me I will walk you through it) and not have to worry about rusting out so quick. I don't know a lot in this life but I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt that unless you chrome, paint, or powder coat the bare barrel of any muzzleloader, the steel of that barrel will start rusting right after your first shot. Ah, what am I saying, you know that as well as anyone. That is the extent of my brain power on this one and I gave you all the things I could come up with to make it work, so like I said before, when you decide what you are going to do, do it and take pictures of it so we can ooh and aah and of course, nit pick and criticize. All things we do well. Good luck brother.
I once had a very nice early Va rifle that I specified an uncolored barrel. It was not "bright" but looked like old steel, a very faint "gray". It still acquired a patina and dots of surface rust were (not many, however) accumulated over the years. I loved this finish. It was not shiny at all but simply bare metal color. I don't mind guns that acquire evidence of FW&T. None of mine was abused and I don't abuse or like signs of abuse. The rifle's finish looked natural; it could have been built 250 years ago.
Well as you can see in my avatar,I don't shave,so I didn't need a mirror finish either,,but that browning just ain't right 'shok'
I recently got some barricade for a blued series 70 Colt I carry. I've been really impressed with it so I'm using it on my GPR now. It penetrates and it doesn't make the blued surface look like its oily and shiny.
River,,Yep, after several suggestions,I ordered the Barricade,just waiting for it to arrive wtch
flwa Barricade is wonderful stuff and you won't regret using it. hntr
I don't think he wants a shiny finish as much as an old natural finish. I shot CAS for decades, and I wanted my guns to look like the originals. Cimarron sold guns with what they called the original finish. I liked it, and used it on all my guns. I'm thinking of doing it to my Pedersoli Frontier model gun.
Here's some pictures of the different finishes. The original finish at the bottom is the least shiny, but more bright than browning.
http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/percussion-revolvers-2/custom-finishes-hand-guns.html
I recently finished a fowler and put almost that same finish on the barrel and lock. It's easy to do, looks good and is easy too maintain. Can send pics if you want to see it.
Mark
Muley,,Thanks dntn,,Papa pictures would be nice & appreciated wtch
that browning although a form of rust is a controlled rust ! oiled and cared for properly it prevents further rusting . the same can be said about letting the barrel develop a patina over the years ! I think the latter looks better , and having owned several blued rifles , pistols and other odds and ends , I tend to think of blued as a more modern look ! lol yeah I know ! bluing goes back several hundred years , it`s just personal tastes ! go with what you like !
A finish similar to that can be achieved with Naval Jelly. Turns out kind of flat grey. Experiment on scraps to get the timing right.
Now that we know the look some of us like. We need a detailed step by step method on how to achieve it.
I want to do my barrel, but I don't want to try without knowing what i'm doing. The Pedersoli came with what looks like black primer on the barrel, and is about as durable too. It has to go.
Nobody??
Quote from: Muley on March 31, 2015
Nobody??
There is a thread in here somewhere that either explains how to do it, or leads to a link that explains how to do it. I used it to "grey" the barrel of my pirate pistol flintlock a year or so ago. Of course since then I polished it, bead blasted it, then browned it because I never liked the way it turned out and the browning protects it better against rust.IMHO
Here is a link to one of the conversations. http://traditionalmuzzleloadingcheap.com/forum/index.php?topic=7274.msg55709;topicseen#msg55709
Muley
Go to www.laurelmountainforge.com/instructions.htm and click on the barrel browning instructions. Everything you never wanted to know about the process and more.
doggoner
Muley,
I use the cold blue and clorox method and get a consistently nice gray aged look on my barrels and lock. It's simple, effective and pretty much maintenance free. Can send you some pics if that interests you.
Mark
Quote from: Papa on April 01, 2015
Muley,
I use the cold blue and clorox method and get a consistently nice gray aged look on my barrels and lock. It's simple, effective and pretty much maintenance free. Can send you some pics if that interests you.
Mark
Pictures would be good, but i'm really interested in exactly how you did it?
Muley,
If you get me an email address I'll send some pics, unfortunately I don't post. The way I do it you will need; PVC tube long and large enough to hold your barrel with a fixed cap on one end and a loose cap on the other. Cold blue, 44-40 if you can get it, clorox bleach, scotch brite pads and 0000 steel wool. Once you have finished your barrel contour and cleaned it up, plug the muzzle and any openings at the breech, wipe it down good with alcohol and try not to handle it. Put a good coat of cold blue on the barrel and put it into the PVC tube and fill the tube with bleach, cover the entire barrel. Leave it in the bleach 25 minutes and when you pull it out you should have a scale all over the barrel which you will scrub off with the scotch brite or steel wool. Once it is cleaned of scale and dried re blue it again and when that coat is dry scrub it back with a new scotch brite pad. If the depth of the aging and the color is not enough you can go back with more blue and soak it again. The 25 minute bath gives it a grayish aged look that I like a lot. It's a simple process that can be done in a couple of hours.
Mark
Thank you. My email is in my profile.
Muley,
looked twice and see no email.
Mark
Not sure why? It's there, and I have the box checked to receive email from members.
petegaimari@yahoo.com
Pete,
Pics sent.
Mark
I got them thanks. chrrs
Guy's just a quick side note here: The reason Pappa could not see your email address is that it does not show. when you check the box to receive emails from members it opens the envelope icon under your avatar. you do not see the email address itself. When you click on the envelope it opens your email and adds the email address for you.
Jim