Best way to strip bluing

[Pavia]

I have a Traditions Pennsylvania Long Rifle (50 cal flintlock) that I would like to brown the barrel. What is the best way to remove the existing blued finish?

Thanks...

[Smoke4320]

loan your gun to a friend :) :)

degrease first with say ...brake cleaner

white vinegar completely submerge of about 15-20 minutes .. turns orange take out wipe off with paper towel repeat
and repeat till all bluing is gone then run under water to neutralize the vinegar

No joke.. Taco Bell hot sauce same as above

[Pavia]

Thanks for the info. I'll give it go as I have brake cleaner and plenty of white vinegar. I like the rifle but it would look better browned...

[Smoke4320]

heres a link to a method similar

http://m1-garand-rifle.com/debluing/

[bedbugbilly]

I either submerge in white vinegar or wrap in layers of paper towel and soak well with white vinegar - have donate a number of times on barrels as well as cap and ball revolvers when getting ready to "antique' them - works very well.

[KCSO]

I use plain old toilet bowl cleaner brush it on and hose it and the blue off.

[tallwalker]

I think bleach works too. Cleaned a pietta navy using a bucket of soapy water my wife had been using to clean some stuff with. Turns out it had bleach in it and took most of the bluing off. Oops. Does look more authentic and beat up now.

[mooman76]

Anything that removes rust will work. Bluing is essentially a type of rust. I was cleaning my gun one day and heard how Windex worked well and thought I would give it a go. Couldn't find it but found some kind of "green" cleaner for the bath room. Some dripped down the side of the gun and removed the brown that fast. I didn't know it also dissolved rust. So I ended up having to rebrown the whole thing. I would think lemon juice with the citric acid would work too. Coke will also work but takes a day or so and if left long enough starts dissolving the metal too. Some people like that effect because it gives the gun kind of a rough finish, making it look aged. Just get piece of PVC pipe just big enough to fit the barrel in and cap it. Plug the barrel good so the bore doesn't get damaged because it will start dissolving and get rough. Check it every day. Rinse good when it's where you want.

[bedbugbilly]

tallwalker mentions bleach - I'm not debating what he is saying but am just asking a question. It seems to me many years ago I read whee bleach applied to bare steel will cause pitting - I think what I had read was in regards to a guy who forged knives and would "Antique" them with bleach which caused shallow pitting? Anybody have any experience with that at all or am I remembering it wrong (which could be)?

tallwalker - like you, I wash my C & B evolves in a bucket of hot soapy water. I was cleaning my Pieta 1858 Remington Navy last year and when it was all cleaned, dried and I got ready to oil it, I had a streak of missing blue fro the muzzle almost back to the frame on the side flat f the barrel that was missing the blueing. I never did figure out wha caused it as the buckets new and it was just hot water and mild dish detergent. Not a big issue as I'm going to strip it when I have time.

Not that it has anything to do with the OP's post but this is my Uberti '51 Navy that I stripped with vinegar, lightly polished and "browned" with Birchwood Casey PlumBrown. I was going to do some "aging" of the finish on the sharp areas but that will happens it gets holster wear anyway and I liked the way it looked so much that I just left it the way it turned out. I've done the same thing on other barrels, etc. Everybody likes different things but just thought I'd show how it turned out. One of the best '51 Navies I have ever owned.199648199649

[Bohica793]

Evaporust, available at any auto parts store, works wonderfully for both rust and bluing.

[OverMax]

Try Naval Jelly.

[tallwalker]

tallwalker mentions bleach - I'm not debating what he is saying but am just asking a question. It seems to me many years ago I read whee bleach applied to bare steel will cause pitting - I think what I had read was in regards to a guy who forged knives and would "Antique" them with bleach which caused shallow pitting? Anybody have any experience with that at all or am I remembering it wrong (which could be)?

tallwalker - like you, I wash my C & B evolves in a bucket of hot soapy water. I was cleaning my Pieta 1858 Remington Navy last year and when it was all cleaned, dried and I got ready to oil it, I had a streak of missing blue fro the muzzle almost back to the frame on the side flat f the barrel that was missing the blueing. I never did figure out wha caused it as the buckets new and it was just hot water and mild dish detergent. Not a big issue as I'm going to strip it when I have time.

Not that it has anything to do with the OP's post but this is my Uberti '51 Navy that I stripped with vinegar, lightly polished and "browned" with Birchwood Casey PlumBrown. I was going to do some "aging" of the finish on the sharp areas but that will happens it gets holster wear anyway and I liked the way it looked so much that I just left it the way it turned out. I've done the same thing on other barrels, etc. Everybody likes different things but just thought I'd show how it turned out. One of the best '51 Navies I have ever owned.199648199649

Yep, bleach really does a number. In addition to removing a good bit of the bluing, everywhere there was a fingerprint or black powder residue was attacked by the bleach and raised a mottled looking surface rust spot. If I had left it in there long enough I am sure it would have deepened into pitting in short order. Yes, I believe it would work well if that is what you want to do inentionally. Just controlling it would be the thing to be careful off. Anyway, lesson learned for me.

[Mica_Hiebert]

Wire wheel.

[waksupi]

I brush on muriatic acid, works well.

[Geezer in NH]

Plus 1 on Evapo-rust

Or Brownells steel white in heated tank as we used in the blue shop. Took 20 minutes and then into the blue tanks after rinse.

[Pavia]

Thanks everyone. Any favorite for a cold Browning solution?

[Uncle Grinch]

Never tried it, but have read the oven cleaner will remove blueing. Oh, so will deer blood!

[Geezer in NH]

Thanks everyone. Any favorite for a cold Browning solution?
Brownells Oxpho-blue

[jjarrell]

Try Naval Jelly.

+1 on the Naval Jelly. Very quick and you can get it at any hardware store.

[jjarrell]

Laurel Mountain Forge gives the best finish of any browning agent I've tried. It takes a few days but the results are really nice.

[Col4570]

Dilute Hydrochloric Acid,Rubber Gloves.Wipe on and wash off.

[Geezer in NH]

Try Naval Jelly.Leaves a Phosphorus finish PASS