[dikar]

I have a problem. I have just aquired 2 muzzleloaders and both of the cleanout screws are stuck. I have just about stripped the screw heads trying to get them out:banghead:. Any help on getting them out? thanks <>< del

[flintlock62]

You may have to drill, use an extrator and replace with new screws. On installing new one's, use an anti-seize so that it is not so difficult the next time.

[arcticap]

I would place the drum section of the barrel in a pot of boiling water. You might be surprised to see what some heat will do to loosen it up.
Soaking it on and off in hot transmission oil over a long period of time may be worth a try even if it takes days.

[dikar]

Putting it in hot transmission fluid would stain my stainless barrel. can you stain a stainless barrel? I hate the white thing! Can it be browned? blued? <>< del

[mykeal]

A mixture of equal parts acetone and ATF with moderate heat, or wintergreen oil will work wonders. The wintergreen oil will not harm the finish. No, you can't blue or brown a stainless steel surface.

[dikar]

Well, I guess I will have to shoot a stainless barrel then. Thanks for all yall's help! I will try some of the remedies yall have offered. thanks again <>< del

[Purvis1]

Roguard claims it will stick to stainless and their pricelist says $130 for a rifle barrel. Sounds like neat stuff. However, I have not used their product.
http://www.robarguns.com/roguard.htm

[Marlin 45 carbine]

if all else fails find an accomplished welder and get a nut tig welded to the screw head. it'll come out then.

[flintlock62]

I like stainless on my revolver, but a BP rifle? I dunno. I guess I could get used to it.

[robhof]

I got one on auction that was a Green Mtn for sabots, got a deer with it this year in a pouring rain at 100+yds so now I'm sold on stainless b/p barrels.

[dikar]

This rifle is a Traditions .54 I took on trade. It will shoot a roundball like nobody's business. It looks sweet but just different. Wish I had a brown or blue one though. Tomorrows my birthday and it will be in the woods ready to make meat. thanks yall <>< del

[flintlock62]

Not saying there's anything wrong with a SS barrel, just takes getting used to.

[desidog]

No, you can't blue or brown a stainless steel surface.

I beg to differ. True stainless..perhaps. But many of the metals marketed as stainless today can get stained. For example, I bought a bunch of knife blanks from Camillus a while back when they went under...some were Stainless.

Here's a Camillus blade with "Colt USA" engraved on the reverse side. You can see that it says stainless, but that some Laurel Mountain Browning Solution did brown it. Sorry for the pic quality, but i've just taken it after reading this thread...the white below the knife is a sheet of regular printer paper, and below that is my hp keyboard; for color/tone reference.
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8678/imgp2820.jpg

[flintlock62]

That statement is true. There are serveral grades of stainless. True stainless is non-magnetic. Some imports (especially from China, are magnetic). I would say to check the barrel with a magnet and it it sticks to it, it may be stainable (ability to oxidize). Try to stain the hidden part of the barrel first, and if after three or four applications you like what you see, finish the whole barrel. Just don't blame me if the turnout is not what you expect.

[dikar]

I might try to stain the bottom of the barrel, and no, I will not blame you, flintlock62, for something I did myself. NEVER KNOW TILL YOU TRY. I just checked with a magnet and the magnet sticks tight so I might be able to put some color on this dude. I am planning on gettin some RED on it in the AM. :>) <>< del

[arcticap]

Almost every Traditions model is electro-nickeled steel that is only called a stainless finish because it's silver in color and shiny.
Without even knowing the specific sidelock model I would think that it's probably nickeled and staining it with blue or browning solution probably shouldn't even be attempted.
Their nickel coating is very durable and slick, but it's not stainless steel.
And they even apply it inside of their barrels because nickel is corrosion and heat resistant.
But black & grey powders can sometimes leave stubborn mottled stains on its surface.
The nickel coating should be appreciated for what it is and not for what it isn't.
What model is this Traditions rifle anyway?

Here's what the nickel finish looks like on my Traditions Deer hunter which coats the lock plate, hammer, drum, hooked breech, bore and exterior of the barrel:

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=62975&d=1188185779

[mykeal]

So, let me see if I understand this...

You can rust brown or blue (which is also an oxidizing, or rusting process) stainless steel, as long as it's not really stainless steel.

Did I get that right? Gee, I hope so.

[flintlock62]

I did not say with affimity that oxidation (brown or blue) will occur on dikar's barrel, I said "try it on a hidden section and see what happens". I also cautioned the end result may not be desirable.

I also said there are several "grades" of stainless. I did not say that unless it is "true" stainless, it is not stainless, I simply said "true" stainless is non-magnetic, which it is. Ferritic stainless for example, is only moderately resistant to corrosion.

The appearance of stainless steels can be perminately changed, or ruined in coloration by caustic chemicals. It may turn dikar's barrel pee yellow or something that is totally undesirable. I simply do not know. Desidog is showing his knife that he claims is stainless, and I am not calling him a liar. The grade on desidog's knife MAY be Martensitic which is also less corrosion resistant than other stainless grades.

Let it also be known that all stainless steels are only resistant to corrsion and are not impervious. Any stainless (no matter the grade), exposed to salt water over a period of time, will rust to different degrees.

Did I get that right? I hope so! :)

[flintlock62]

I did not say with affimity that oxidation (brown or blue) will occur on dikar's barrel, I said "try it on a hidden section and see what happens". I also cautioned the end result may not be desirable.

I also said there are several "grades" of stainless. I did not say that unless it is "true" stainless, it is not stainless, I simply said "true" stainless is non-magnetic, which it is. Ferritic stainless, for example, is only moderately resistant to corrosion.

The appearance of some stainless steels can be perminately changed, or ruined in coloration by caustic chemicals. It may turn dikar's barrel pee yellow or something that is totally undesirable. I simply do not know. Desidog is showing his knife that he claims is stainless, and I am not calling him a liar. The grade on desidog's knife MAY be Martensitic which is also less corrosion resistant than other stainless grades.

Diluted muriatic acid should be used, followed by baking soda to neutralize it. I do not think aquafortis will work to any extent.

Did I get that right? I hope so! :)

[flintlock62]

Sorry for the double post! Can one of them be deleted?

[dikar]

Arcticap, where did you get the picture of MY rifle? LOL Only mine is a .54 cal. This is one of the rfles I have a stuck screw in. I will leave it the color it is.
They red front sight on mine broke when it got kncked over and I had to reglue it. Works ok, will have to get another front sight or been thinking about making one out of a deer antler. love mine rifle <>< del

[mykeal]

You keep using the word 'true' (your quotes) in regard to stainless steel. But you also mention that there are several 'grades' (my quotes) of stainless steels. So I'm confused. What is 'true' stainless steel and what is not 'true' stainless steel in your definitions? Is martensitic stainless steel not a 'true' stainless? Is there only one 'grade' of 'true' stainless steel, and all the others are not 'true' stainless steel?

[flintlock62]

Maybe "true" is not the best answer. Austenitic stainless is the most corrosion resistant of the stainless family. Maybe that's why I called it "true". It has been a long time, since I took metalurgy.

[TomADC]

You could always do something like Gunkote or one of the other finishes.
http://www.larsontactical.com/id30.html

[mykeal]

Ok, I'm on the page now.