Bluing in barrel

[SAA]

Does bluing in a new barrel get shot out when shooting lead bullets? Or, does it get shot out in short order?

The reason I ask is that I am thinking about firelapping. If the bluing is unaffected by shooting lead I might prefer having the protection afforded by the bluing, rather than having an unprotected bare steel bore.

Ideas?

[Springfield]

Yeah, oil the bore after cleaning. I really doubt blueing would do anything after the first bullet downrange.

[docone31]

I wouldn't worry there.
Fire lap. It helps me with accuracy.

[bhn22]

Bluing doesn't protect anything. It's just a thin layer of polished rust.

[bowenrd]

:?:
Is that the truth?

Bluing doesn't protect anything. It's just a thin layer of polished rust.

[Bill*]

Yes it is

[rattletrap1970]

That's not entirely true. Bluing does afford a fair amount of protection. And for some processes, quite a bit. For instance, I do slow rust bluing as well as fume bluing. The outer surface of the metal is converted from Fe (iron - or steel if you will) to Fe2O3 (your typical red rust, iron III oxide). After boiling it becomes Fe3O4 (blue/black rust or iron II,III oxide "bluing"). Each successive application renders the material more and more difficult to rust. After several (between 8 and 16) applications the barrel is very difficult to rust any further.


Bluing doesn't protect anything. It's just a thin layer of polished rust.

[Sensai]

Blueing is a thin layer of rust. But you have to remember two things: Rust don't rust, and rust holds oil quite well. As long as that thin layer of rust is intact and oiled, air/oxygen cannot reach the steel below.

[beagle]

Whether it's helpful or detrimental I don't know but I do know it's persistent. I once helped Petey hand lap a .32-40 and there was a bit of bluing at the muzzle end. At the end of two days of carefully programmed lapping, it was still there. It didn't appear to affect the accuracy./beagle

[JIMinPHX]

Bluing is a thin layer of a certain type of rust. It affords some protection, but not that much. If you really want the inside of your barrel to be blued, you can run a patch or two of cold blue solution down the bore after you clean it. I've never blued a bore myself. I don't blue my crowns either. I polish them. I oil my bore after cleaning. I've never had any trouble, even when I lived on the east coast, near the ocean.

[HangFireW8]

Anyone remember the Blue Sky (re)import Garands? Heavily re-parkerized... inside AND out.

[rattletrap1970]

Cold blue is nothing like rust blue. It is garbage used touch up spots.

Bluing is a conversion process. If you cold blue a bore it would shoot out in fairly short order. There is no reason to blue a bore as it will never be as smooth as a polished and lapped bore. On a microscopic level bluing is bumpy. That's why it is nearly impossible to have a mirror finished rust blue job. Salt bluing, niter bluing and charcoal bluing can have a nearly mirror finish (although niter and charcoal are more caused by heat than by a chemical conversion and nether are particularly resilient). Some who do salt bluing plug the barrel, some don't, it will wear where it's going to wear regardless. It's hard to seal the barrel well when it's boiling in the solution. Rust and fume bluing can easily be done to skip the bore by virtue of the process. Of all the processes, rust and fume bluing are the toughest and least likely to rust.


Bluing is a thin layer of a certain type of rust. It affords some protection, but not that much. If you really want the inside of your barrel to be blued, you can run a patch or two of cold blue solution down the bore after you clean it. I've never blued a bore myself. I don't blue my crowns either. I polish them. I oil my bore after cleaning. I've never had any trouble, even when I lived on the east coast, near the ocean.

[XWrench3]

i can not imagine that blueing inside of a barrel would last very long under any circumstances. any metal to metal contact would wear it away very rapidly. plus you have the flame running up the bore behind the bullet (or boolit) as well as all that pressure and heat. it is a pretty ugly enviroment for certain. i have had good luck with firelapping. just do it. and do not forget to run an oily patch down the barrel after cleaning it.

[SAA]

Thanks, Gents. The barrel was recently charcoal blued. I had loads worked up before that didn't lead the barrel at all, but now I find some bit of leading in the first inch of the barrel now that it has been reblued. If bluing has a texture to it, that may be the reason. I guess I'll run some J-B through it, shoot it a bunch, and see if the leading stops. I'm debating whether I want to risk firelapping or not, since the leading is not past the frame at all.

[Bass Ackward]

Thanks, Gents. The barrel was recently charcoal blued. I had loads worked up before that didn't lead the barrel at all, but now I find some bit of leading in the first inch of the barrel now that it has been reblued. If bluing has a texture to it, that may be the reason. I guess I'll run some J-B through it, shoot it a bunch, and see if the leading stops. I'm debating whether I want to risk firelapping or not, since the leading is not past the frame at all.


If you shoot it, you WILL be fire lapping. And keeping it clean for the first few rounds will do all that needs done. Lead must polish steel. If steel is covered with lead, then lead polishes lead.

Just shoot it.