Hot Tank Blueing

[sammass]

Have a Mossy 42MB from the WWII Lend-Lease program with the British.

Would like to have it prepped and hot tanked to prevent the barrel from becoming a C&R wall hanging. "Thought" the issue was handled last year with a respected 'smith an hour's drive away. He said up front his blueing was done in batch when he had enough pieces to fire up the tanks. At six months, called and was told he had not blued yet. "Soon". Yesterday at one year, called again, with the same reply. I picked up the barrel.

My question is: Is it reasonable for a customer to expect that a work order could be accomplished on a timely basis, abet periodic? 'Soon' is not on any page of the calendar. If he would have offered blueing in April and October each year, then I would have known when it would be accomplished.

Lastly, within the U.S., does anyone have recommendations for a gunsmith, skilled & proficient in hot tank blueing, that tanks on a periodic schedule? I'm not looking for a exhibition gloss finish, but one that will still be clean and functional 100 years from now.

Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[Skylerbone]

Send member log man a PM, he has tanks but I cannot speak to his schedule though he does a number of other machining and welding operations (no receivers IIRC). Highly recommended.

If you decide to go with a full time outfit contact Glenrock Blue here: http://www.gunbluing.com/

Hot bluing, from what I've read accounts of is not an activity one partakes of for fun and is often relegated to batch only work. Anyone short of an exclusive service will likely have a wait unless timing works out.

 

[dfariswheel]

The problem with local "occasional" bluers is that they only do it once in a while and therefore, they can't maintain their skills or the equipment properly.

This is why their polish jobs often butcher the gun and the improperly maintained tank system often give red or purple colors to the metal.
These days, if you want a good job, send it to a professional refinisher who runs their tanks every day, and has people who spend their days polishing metal.

Here's some of the very best pros who do top quality bluing. These people run their equipment all the time and the only delay is the work load of customers who get there before you do. There's none of this "When I fire up the tank" stuff.

Remember, these days you can have good bluing or you can have it cheap, and even the cheap jobs cost a lot of money now days.
Cheap or good....chose ONE.

http://www.apwcogan.com/

http://www.fordsguns.com/

http://www.gunbluing.com/

http://www.elitecustomguns.com/index1.htm

 

[sammass]

Thanks for the information. Will contact your suggested resources for the most reasonable outcome. Appreciate your thoughts! Sam

 

[4v50 Gary]

Contact Lassen College in Susanville. One of their students may do it cheap.

 

[mike.]

Sam.The "smith"should have said leave me your number.When i get enoug to do a run i'll call.If you get it done somewhere else before that i understand.
Just good old customer service.