[socaldan]

What brand or type cold blue is best for old revolver restoration.
I have several old (junk) revolvers i'd like to clean & restore just for giggles,and wondered if anybody has experience with any of the cold blue products on the market.
Oven baking is also an option.
So...watcha think!

Dan

[JohnKSa]

None of them is going to give you great results, but in my experience the best is Oxpho Blue from Brownell's.

If you don't mind a non-traditional look, you might consider something like Brownell's Gun-Kote

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1150&title=GUN-KOTE?%20OVEN%20CURE,%20GUN%20FINISH

They've got some different colors available, might be a hoot to finish the gun in the "brushed stainless" color and the cylinder & other small parts in the "matte gold".

[jimmyraythomason]

You can get a beautiful finish with most any cold blue if you are willing to put in the "elbow grease". Durability won't be stellar but it will look good. What ever brand you choose,be sure to follow the manufacturer's DIRECTIONS to the letter.

[kcshooter]

but in my experience the best is Oxpho Blue from Brownell's.This stuff is much better than anything else out there. Best coloring, best protection, no over-rust, best wearing. The 40/44 isn't bad either, but the Birchwood-Casey stuff is useless.

[jimmyraythomason]

I agree,Oxpho Blue is the best of the lot but Birchwood Casey's Perma Blue will work well IF properly applied.

[Clipper]

I have used Birchwood Casey 'Super Blue' with fine results. But like painting a car, surface preparation is the key. I polished my Mosin-Nagant barrel down to jeweler's rouge on a felt wheel, washed then steel-wooled between each of the 3 coats I applied, and the finish is magnificent...

[grendelbane]

How old are they? Some people's junk is considered collectible by others. Collectors prefer the original finish, no matter how ugly others might think it is.

If you are going to go ahead and re-finish them, you might want to consider rust blueing. Most commonly applied to rifles in the pre WWII era, as pistols were usually heat blued. I have had good success with nitre blueing small parts, but I am leery of trying this process on anything very large, or subjected to much stress. The early Colt pistols were nitre blued, however. It works pretty well on low carbon steels such as they used in the pre WWI era.

[res7s]

This will walk you through a good reblue. I like oxpho-blue too. But this is primo http://smithandwessonforums.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3331040301/m/1551012192