What's the brown stuff coming off a blued gun?

[Zerstoerer]

While cleaning my new Christmas present gun with regular gun oil I noticed brown stuff coming off the blued metal surfaces.
Only the first time a new gun is wiped down, looks almost rust like.
Is that some kind of protective coating from the manufacturer or a by- product of blueing?

 

[DPris]

A rust byproduct of the bluing process.

 

[Olympus]

More than likely it's what the previous poster said. Or it could be actual oxidation/rust.

 

[makarovnik]

Protective grease or rust. No big deal unless there is pitting. Clean it well inside and out and re-oil.

 

[rcmodel]

Hot bluing is rust.

After a gun part comes out of the bluing tank, the red rust, (Fe2O3 or ferric oxide) is carded off, the black oxide "bluing" is left on the surface, and the finished part is dipped in hot oil to fill the pores of the metal and stop the rust action.

After storage & shipment, the preservative oil may have lifted some more red rust out of the metal surface.

It is nothing to worry about.

rc

 

[bluetopper]

You mean someone actually buys new blued guns these days?

 

[jimmyraythomason]

^yeah,me. I only(mostly) buy blued guns. I MAY trade for a stainless handgun though.

 

[rcmodel]

Me two.

I only own two stainless revolvers out of 30+ handguns.
And I only own them because they were not available in blue.

Blue steel & fine wood is a gun.
S/S & rubber is just a soulless machine made to fire bullets..

rc

 

[bob.a]

+1 for blue.

I have a stainless S&W model 60, just to wear in the shower.

 

[2GunsWest]

Blue steel & fine wood is a gun.
S/S & rubber is just a soulless machine made to fire bullets..

Well said, indeed.

 

[Phydeaux642]

S/S & rubber is just a soulless machine made to fire bullets..

I guess that makes a plastic gun something like a spawn of the devil then.

Speaking of blued steel and wood, I picked up a Colt Trooper MK III .22lr today.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

+1 on blued.

 

[medmo]

After the black oxide process, parts are neutralized in an acidic solution to stop the oxidization (caustic rusting) process. If you are getting lots of red stuff coming off when wiped down you may want to degrease and apply apple cider vinegar then wipe down with oil. Brownells used to sell a product called "Stop Creep" that is designed to neutralize parts before the final rinse. I don't know if they still make it but it does work really well. The steps for black oxide process is degrease tank, rinse, black oxide (blueing) tank, rinse, neutralize tank, final rinse, water displacing oil tank then apply oil.

 

[Cougfan2]

I noticed when I got my new safe that if I shine my Tac light in the safe (don't have a light in the safe yet) that my blued guns all have a reddish color to them, but when I take them out of the safe and look at them in normal room light or sunshine they look like normal blued guns. Blueing is controlled rust. Your job is to keep it controlled.

 

[Bovice]

it's poop.

j/k.

 

[MICHAEL T]

I guess that makes a plastic gun something like a spawn of the devil then.

You are correct their work of the devil.
Blue steel and wood is the true path to the light

 

[Manco]

You are correct their work of the devil.
Blue steel and wood is the true path to the light

So the antis are correct after all that some guns are inherently evil?

 

[FenderTK421]

If it's thick and waxie/greasy it could be cosmoline. Just a generic automotive term for any number of goops they through on metal products as a foil for rust etc... Several of my Taurus pistols had a good coating and many milsurps will as well.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

"Stop Creep" is not used to neutralize bluing salts. It is used(in the bluing tank) above the level of the bluing solution when not in use to prevent the salts from "creeping" out of the tank. Brownell's B.O.N. or Bluing Bleed Out Neutralizer is used to stop the bluing process.