Anyone got a formula for Browning solution?

[docone31]

Well, in blackening my brass on my Hawken wannabe, some of the solution hit the blueing on the barrel.
It does make a fine rust, but I now need to brown it.
Anyone got a formula for homebrew that works?
I got some Dixie Gun Works browning solution years back, and it was great! A most beautiful finish. Thick, rich, and really finished the rifle. If I cannot get a formula that I can make, I might just get some more. I would rather home brew it though.
Browning sure does make the rifle.

[madcaster]

A lot of oldtime gunsmiths used to take them out and pee on them,the salts in the urine-or is it mine?[smilie=1: would start the rusting process just fine.Keep it in a place where rain will not wash that "special formula" off,and be sure and apply evenly and keep an eye on it,checking and reapplying the formula daily....I hope this helps!

[docone31]

Believe it or not, I have heard of that formula. It apparently works.
It is a lot less expensive than the shipping on a 4$ bottle of browning solution.

[madcaster]

If you MUST go commercial,Homer Dangler made a browning solution that worked great.

[405]

Don't know if this applies to your wishes but some of the custom ML makers I've seen in action use a humidor box. Their browning is second to none. Simple plywood long box that closes up completely with a shallow pan in bottom. Light bulb mounted inside to keep temp up or low temp heating element in salt pan. Simple cradle and dowel to hold barrel suspended in box. Add heavy salt solution to water in pan, close box, turn on light bulb or heat source and wait. Just have to make sure outside metal is completely clean and bore is treated well and sealed away from effects of salt air corrosion. Add water as needed. Takes some time (a few days to a couple or three weeks?) depending upon humidity, temp, etc. but the results are tops.

[docone31]

I think I am going to get some Plumb Brown from the range tomorrow. It is a question of time.
Lots of good stuff here though.
I never would have gotten away from my front stuffers except for my wife. She came from Los Angeles.
I had to beak her in slowly so I did not scare her off.
She actually thought boolitts went around corners!
I got her a .45 Kentucky percussion cap. I got the Hawken wannabe. I got her a Colt Navy .44, I got a Walker. She actually looks forward to the range. People know her there, she helps the ladies and first timers. She made friends with benchresters, smokers, and got to fire a Shiloh Sharps.
She will not go back to LA now, even though we have property there.
I hope when she fires her first front stuffer, she will really get the feel of shooting.
Then to make her one. I made her Palma Rifle.
She has never seen Curly Maple before.

[405]

Sounds like an all around good outcome. Most MLs if loaded to reasonable levels and reasonable recoil won't spoil the progress for new shooters. Just don't let her try to shoot next to someone on the line cranking off a ported 30-378! :roll: Wow, just remembered how much do I hate those things.

[docone31]

I know that one!
Where we are at the range, there is only the Benchresters. Well, once in a while a Goomba with a Chrunch and Ticker, tossing hot brass or steel as the case might be everywhere.
The Range Officers keep a good eye on her and keep her with sane folks. One Range Officer's wife is also the cook for the range. They get along great!
We had some folks at the range a while back, back before folks realized there would be no more primers. They were all dressed in fatigues, with black glasses, and Uber Rifles! They had some kind of badges, and this one dude was teaching them how to shoot. He had a serious rifle, suppressed, subsonic ammo, scope longer than the eye can see. She had her trusty Ishapore, he fired off some rounds at a bowling pin on the berm. He missed. She took her trusty Ishy, single loading, and with a rear reciever sight hit the pin five straight times to his five misses in front of his students. He let her fire the rifle he had. They fired at the 100yd at a 10" X with 1" red dot. He missed, she hit five times in the red dot.
His students saluted him when he spoke. He packed up his Uber Rifle, gave me his spent cases, 100 in all, and they went away.
Through these years we have been together, she went from being afraid a pistol would chase her down the road holding her up, to comfortably helping people learn to be safe around a firearm.
Yep, we got a recruit here. She loves single shot rifles. I want to get her a Sharps one day. She talks to the REAL old timers, the ones who never got rid of their original smoke poles. Still shoot em today. She listens when they speak of the old days and how things changed, got easier. About cartridge changes, they speak of their Krags, Rolling Blocks, and she tells them how I paper patch.
When they are talking and she walks by, they stop and say hi.
She is safe around a firearm, loading components, and the range.
What more could I ask for?

[imashooter2]

Laural Mountain Forge Barrel Brown worked very well for me. Available from Brownells.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=7780&st=browning%20&s=

I didn't much care for the Plum Brown... To much plum, not enough brown.

[frontier gander]

laurel mountain forge.

[FL-Flinter]

I didn't much care for the Plum Brown... To much plum, not enough brown.

:holysheep:drinks:[smilie=l:[smilie=l: Good one! (and quite right too)

Well, :takinWiz: will work, I don't use it at my shop ... tends to deter rather than build sales. :(

I have my own methods and solutions depending upon the type of alloy; a sweat-box can greatly speed-up the process but speed does not make a better finish. The depth of the brown, number of times carded and manner of carding all play a roll in how the resulting finish looks and how well it holds up.