Nitro Bluing

[InfidelCastro]

Hello.

I am interested in trying this technique on my 1911 after seeing the luscious blue tint it produces.

Does anyone have any info to share on the subject, how would it compare to traditional hot bluing, and has anyone tried it before? For those who have, what equipment and chemicals did you use?

The thing I'm worried about is that the temperature used (550 - 600 degrees F) will temper the metal, is this so? I believe the parts are submerged in the molten mass for less than a minute.

Thanks.

 

[BigG]

I'm assuming you mean nitre bluing? I would say the temp you quoted is much too hot. It is a form of heat treating if it is that hot.

Any bluing is only as good as the polish beneath. The ancient Colts which had a unparalleled color were due to immaculate metal preparation rather than the exact method. Most of the small parts were blued by exposure to heat, they turn a series of colors and you stop when it glows blue. It takes a little practice, I assume. The downside is the heat bluing is not very durable.

 

[Jim K]

There is a process called nitre bluing. Brownells has the chemicals, and yes, it does require heating the parts to about 600 degrees. Brownells does NOT recommend its use on any stressed parts, only on parts like trigger guards, buttplates, and the like that are being blued for purely decorative reasons.

Don't confuse most "nitre" blue with the color that results from the tempering and drawing process, like the blue of the Krag extractor or the straw color of Luger parts. That coloring is pretty but not very long lasting and cannot be duplicated without a complex process of drawing the temper, then retempering the part. Since the part is often a spring (e.g., the Krag extractor or the Luger ejector) it is very easy to end up completely losing the tension and having nothing.

There are some restorers who do the job right, but it is not cheap.

Jim

 

[rcmodel]

The type of bluing you are asking about should not be used on any heat treated or stressed parts.

That includes the frame & slide of a 1911, as well as all the internal parts.
If you heat steel hot enough to turn it blue, it will no longer be tempered to the same degree it was intended to be.

It was only used in the old days on screws and other small parts that were not tempered. Early Colts were not tempered or heat treated, except for the color case-hardening on the frames & hammers.
The springs & triggers were blue because thay had been hardened & tempered to make them springs & triggers.

And as BigG said, Nitre or heat bluing is one of the least durable finishes ever used on a firearm.
The reason it is so nice and shiny and "blue" is because it is very very thin, and you can see the white polushed steel under it showing through.


rcmodel

 

[InfidelCastro]

Sorry, yes I did mean nitre. No wonder I couldn't find anything on google about nitro blueing

Anyway, I was planning to do it on the frame but after seeing what y'all had to say I think I'll go with traditional hot blueing instead.

Thanks for the help.

 

[frogomatic]

just a note, if you nitre blue stainless, it comes out looking like gold. makes for nice decoration on a wall hanger