Anyone here used Plum Brown? (let's see some pics!)

[Magno]

I just ordered a bottle from Sportsman's Guide, the Birchwood Casey stuff. I'm hoping it will look good on some of my cowboy guns.

Anyone here dealt with the stuff before? Any tips or trivia? Advice on applying it?

Let's see some pics, if you have 'em!

 

[DaveyMG]

Curious to see your results, I might try it on my old .38.

 

[Shimitup]

Here it is on a CVA Hawkin I put together back in the 1980's
Not a good close up but it did produce a beautiful rich color.

 

[NormB]

I used it on a Charleville musket a few years ago. Came out really nice. Small parts you can heat up in the kitchen toaster oven and dip until you get the right depth of finish. Just follow the directions, it works great.

 

[1KPerDay]

Like shimitup, I plum browned a couple of CVA hawkens in the 80s. Worked nice... using a torch is a little dicey, as you have to do sections at a time.

VENTILATED AREA. I can still taste the caustic gases I breathed at the time.

if the part will fit in an oven, it works better than a torch. Degrease/clean very thoroughly, and make sure no drips/anything occur; as they will show up in the final product.

 

[Magno]

I'm doing a pistol first, so it sounds like I'm in luck. Toaster oven, here I come!
Any tips on degreasing? I was going to do straight acetone...reckon that'll work?

Shimitup, that rifle turned out great!

I was handling some browned SAA's from the 1910's this morning. Man, what a beautiful finish. I love it. Can't wait to do this!

 

[Mauser lover]

Acetone will work, I used brake clean, either/or.

 

[Magno]

I have brake cleaner lying around, funny I didn't even think of using that. Maybe I'll throw some of that in there too.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Here's my first run at it. Same finish for 31 years now.
Alcohol, brake cleaner or as I did, exceptionally hot water (boiling) as built the gun hanging around a series of camp fires in the Army.

#0000 steel wool after a series of emery cloths. I don't remember the numbers but the guys at Cumberland Knife and Gun squared me away with 4 or 5 grits, knowing I couldn't just pop into ACE for more while building.

Metal was no hotter than stones at the camp fire and I've since learned that even heat gives more even results. Turns out the camp fire was a better option for me than torches on later guns.

Applied with wood shaft medical swabs since that was what in the ruck but changed to cleaning patches with better more even results results.

Slathered it afterwards with the nasty old Army LSA before it was completely cool.

Treat the bottle like Hoppes in that you take the amount needed from the bottle and never return a used applicator to the contents of the bottle in order to avoid contaminating the un-used portion.

Unfortunately, my good camera is at the shop and this is a much better looking pistol that the photos suggest - well - and almost exactly 30 years of non-cushy use.

 

[Shimitup]

Thanks Magno, like Apache, I used boiling water to rinse off a good strong detergent. If I recall correctly I applied the browning with cotton balls. I would sop a cotton ball and make a few long even strokes then discard it, sop a fresh cotton ball and do it again.