Blackening Stainless steel?

[glockguy609]

Is there a way to blacken a stainless steel barrel? I have a storm lake barrel for my Glock 19 but I would like it to be black.

 

[ArmyAviator]

Easy enough.

http://www.caswellplating.com/kits/black.htm

Give this a try.

 

[Azrael256]

I dunno if I'd want to start my insta-blak career with a Glock barrel. You might want to have it done professionally.

Just my $.02

 

[jojosdad]

Um - Did you read the last line in the description on the website?

Black Oxide works on steel or iron parts only and will not blacken Stainless Steel.

 

[Brian Williams]

But 6 to 8 lines later, is a SS blacking kit for $22

For Stainless Steel:

Stainless Steel Blackener 370 is an acidic liquid concentrate used full strength or diluted with up to 3 parts water to blacken stainless steel at room temperature. Recommended for color coding parts and blackening engravings on stainless steels. Produces a pleasing dark gray/black finish.
Quantity Product Code Name Size Price

SSB370 Stainless Steel Blackener 370 1 Pint $22.47
No Air Shipping

 

[glockguy609]

But they also have this, Stainless Steel Blackener 370

 

[Geno]

I would prefer "black chrome"

It's not quite as hard as silver-colored chrome, but it's harder than bare stainless steel.

Doc2005

 

[GeorgeR]

Blacken Stainless Steel

I use DuLite 3-0 salts to blacken (not gray black like Caswell's) stainless steel guns. It's hard to do. I've been doing it for ten years and worry every time, although my success rate is about 98%.

 

[jojosdad]

Um - Did you read the last line in the description on the website?

My apologies - should have hit the space bar one more time.

 

[mrmeval]

Does anyone know if duracoat would work on that? Maybe on the areas visible?

 

[GeorgeR]

Duracoat on Stainless Steel

My experience with Duracoat on stainless is that yes, it will work. It does add a slight thickness to the bbl, where blueing, being a stain, does not. I've used Duracoat and TR Gun Kote on bbls and both work. They will scrape off eventually, but then again so will blueing.

 

[Jim Watson]

A little wear on blackened stainless looks like crap.
S&W sold some black stainless revolvers a few years ago. They were very attractive when new, a satin finish not like traditional polished blue or cheap modern bead blast. But a little holster wear showed white through the black at wear points which looked worse than the same amount of wear on a real blue steel gun.