High gloss gun blueing.

[Ruger44mag]

Hey guys, I am repairing the bluing on my Ruger SBH. I bought Birchwood Casey Paste Gun Blue to touch up some spots that were worn from shooting it. It worked really well for the smaller areas. On the blackstrap of the grip the bluing was missing down to the steel on half of the grip. I put some of the bluing there but it looks HIDIOUS because one side is high gloss and the other side is more of a gun blue color. Is there a way to shine up the new applied bluing? Thanks for the help!

 

[dfariswheel]

No.
Cold bluing is best used to touch up small scratches and worn spots.
It doesn't do well on larger areas.

How shiny a blued finish is depends entirely on the level of polishing done to the steel before it's blued.
Real bluing just colors what's already there.
If the metal is polished to a mirror polish, the bluing will be mirror shiny.
If the metal is a satin finish the bluing will be satin.
You can't polish the bluing itself and if you try, you'll only remove it.

In any case, cold blue is in no way anywhere close to the equal of a hot salts blue job, it won't match, and it won't wear very well at all.

 

[Ruger44mag]

No.
Cold bluing is best used to touch up small scratches and worn spots.
It doesn't do well on larger areas.

How shiny a blued finish is depends entirely on the level of polishing done to the steel before it's blued.
Real bluing just colors what's already there.
If the metal is polished to a mirror polish, the bluing will be mirror shiny.
If the metal is a satin finish the bluing will be satin.
You can't polish the bluing itself and if you try, you'll only remove it.

In any case, cold blue is in no way anywhere close to the equal of a hot salts blue job, it won't match, and it won't wear very well at all.

So I guess the only thing I could do would be to take it to a gunsmith?

 

[Jim K]

Why do anything? If you use the gun that much, you will only wear off the bluing again, then have it reblued, wear it off again....

Anything that man uses will show wear; if you don't want a gun that looks used, don't use it. Lock it in a safe, in the original box, and your descendants can sell it to a collector for big bucks - or they will shoot the heck out of it and wear off the blue.

Jim

 

[788Ham]

I bought some Oxpho Blue to fix up a pistol barrel, not having good luck there either! Its not a huge barrel, total length maybe 3 1/2 inches, still not like I want, but not going to the expense of a hot blue job either.

 

[gb6491]

I bought some Oxpho Blue to fix up a pistol barrel, not having good luck there either! Its not a huge barrel, total length maybe 3 1/2 inches, still not like I want, but not going to the expense of a hot blue job either.

You may not get a real high gloss with it, but rust bluing is an option for DIY.
http://www.google.com/search?q=rust...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Regards,
Greg

 

[788Ham]

gb6491,

Thanks for the tips here. Its a Beretta 1935 .32 auto, maybe its supposed to look old!

 

[Red Cent]

788Ham, heat up the barrel a little and lightly scrub on the bluing with steel wool. Still not perfect but should produce better results.

 

[Big Az Al]

I would say you need to find some one like myself that does bluing, if all you have is wear.

I can make it look like it did when the box was first opened.

I see that you are way up north, and I am less then 70 miles from our southern border

 

[788Ham]

Red Cent, and others,

I've tried the Oxpho Blue route, rubbing after being heated and rubbing with 0000 steel wool using the blue stuff, the Oxpho definitely didn't work! The Oxpho might have darkened a little, but left the metal splotchy looking. I used 0000 steel wool/oil routine to remove some of the splotchy look. I applied 3 applications of Birchwood Casey Cold Blue cream, steel wool/oil again, this is the best this barrel has looked since I've owned this pistol, dark blue and very shiny. I'm thru messing with the chemicals, heating routine and just shooting the danged thing, not worth the hassle!! Thanks for your suggestions and ideas, I appreciate your help.

 

[Jim K]

Dfariswheel and yours truly keep saying it but no one is bothering to listen. COLD BLUE IS NO DAMM GOOD FOR REBLUING A GUN!!!!! Period. It works fine on a buggered screw head or a small scratch, but for a major job, forget it. You can waste time doing a whole gun with hot water and torches and dragon's scales and incantations but it won't last.

Jim

 

[slicksleeve]

Pilkington's Classic American Rust Blue (from Midway USA) is what you need. For a handgun you could find a pot that it will fit in on the stove. Apply Pilkington's, let rust, boil, card with 0000 steel wool, and repeat. It can be an all day job, it will take as many as six or eight cycles, but it will work and look great. And it is a rust blue, so it will last a lot longer than cold blue.