Rifle finishings

Wicky · Posted: Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:56 pm Post subject: Re: Rifle finishings

I am a traditionalist at heart, yes I realise I should be going for brown if that is the case Very Happy

, but walnut and a deep rust blue is the classic firearm to me. Very Happy

I do own a synthetic stock or two and even a stainless firearm but the majority are wood and blued steel.

skb2706 · Member Joined: Apr 10, 2006 Posts: 269

I wouldn't even consider a rifle these days without having at least the barrel in stainless. Bead blasted.

Answer - none of the above.

gelandangan · Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 4:05 pm Post subject: Re: Rifle finishings

Woohoo..

I forgot the stainless..

Yes of course, there is a couple of white guns in my safe..
a Ruger 77MkII in .308 (bead blasted) and a S&W 686 6 inch heavy barrel (original finish).
Yes, they are a lot less maintenance guns.

BUT..
Truthfully speaking, I hate how they shines in the sun - even the bead blasted rifle..
Many times I was tempted to just shake a can of spray paint and cover the dang thing..
But I am too lazy to clean up again afterwards, so I never end up doing it.

chambered221 · Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 4:35 pm Post subject: Re: Rifle finishings

chambered221 wrote:

I do however lean towards matte stainless steel, no finish required.

My first post on page #1 !!! Did you miss it ???

I’ve never seen a bead blasted (matte) stainless 77, just nice and shiny stainless.
Their target gray is a finish not bare stainless.

If you would like I can post some pictures of non-glare stainless.

speed swede · Member Joined: Feb 12, 2007 Posts: 32

rustbluing are stronger than salt bluing and more beautiful! i build rifles now and then and all carbonsteel hunting rifles are rustblued nowdays in my shop..((love that color Very Happy

)) but then again it depends on the rifle designs to i think....johan

gelandangan · Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 4:09 pm Post subject: Re: Rifle finishings

I also like rust bluing (browning whatever..)
but it does take a hell lot of preps and require a rusting cabinet..
Well that take a lot off the enthusiasm

speed swede · Member Joined: Feb 12, 2007 Posts: 32

gelandangan wrote:

I also like rust bluing (browning whatever..)
but it does take a hell lot of preps and require a rusting cabinet..
Well that take a lot off the enthusiasm

yes and its kinda tricky to get it done with good results. and i think its mostly for those custom rifles and dubbles on a work horse factory rifle the spray finishes would work great i suppose Very Happy

.

gelandangan · Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:15 pm Post subject: Re: Rifle finishings

Speed swede,
do you mind giving us a (maybe pictorial) tutorial on rust bluing?
I am sure many of us are either curious or interested in doing their guns.

I have a few "older" guns that were originally browned, but due to the age, all the brown are gone and been replaced with blues (black).

speed swede · Member Joined: Feb 12, 2007 Posts: 32

gelandangan wrote:

Speed swede,
do you mind giving us a (maybe pictorial) tutorial on rust bluing?
I am sure many of us are either curious or interested in doing their guns.

I have a few "older" guns that were originally browned, but due to the age, all the brown are gone and been replaced with blues (black).

im going to do a couple of sbs older shootguns sone. if you like i can take pictures and make a rustbluing trhead?....johan

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:07 pm Post subject: Re: Rifle finishings

Gelan, I know they make "browning" kits for finishing muzzleloaders. I've done a couple of singleshot pistol kits with them and they looked great!

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

Parkerizing is my bet, works well for a long time, and the finish is non-reflective.

Dimitri

gelandangan · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 4:34 pm Post subject: Re: Rifle finishings

Johan, that would be most wonderful!
I look forward to your pictures!! Smile

Pumps, browning kits? are they the true rust job or just some sort of spray on stuff?
I was given by a mate this old Belgian Rook 32Long that would definitely look great if browned rather than blued.

Dimitri, parks are nice,but some rifles would look much better if the finish match the era the gun were styled on.
Ie. black powder stuff usually looks nicer browned than blued or parked.
On the other hand, an M1 would look great parked.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 8:09 pm Post subject: Re: Rifle finishings

Gelan, try this link >> www.midwayusa.com/view...ber=137718

Birchwood Casey Plum Brown Barrel Finish. That's the stuff I used. Heat barrel, apply finish, let work, wipe off with 5/0 steel wool and repeat until you get the color you want. I'll try to get a pic for you.

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

Yes era's do count for something, however I don't care for a rifle, as long as it protects the rifle well, and parkerizing in my (yes limited) experience holds up better then blueing.

That black paint that the British (and some others that were influenced by the British) use seems to hold up well too. But I don't think that was a option.

Dimitri

stovepipe · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:44 pm Post subject: Re: Rifle finishings

Just fer looks?

Deep, dark polished blue against a nice select piece of killer walnut.

Nuttin prettier.