rust browning

[bigted]

I've built a few muzzle loaders and done the rust brown method with a butane torch as the heat source with some very good results.

question I have is concerning an old Remington rolling block military rifle I have in 43 Spanish...is there any reason why I couldn't do the same thing with the browning salts with this rifle? it has no value as a collector so its a natural for home spun attempt at shade tree smithing. it shoots great with a very good barrel inside so I don't want to mess this up hence the question here.

how about anybody having done a home 'color case' job on an action? anybody??

thanks for your answers/advise....[smilie=s:

[leftiye]

I did my Rem 700 BDL 300 Win. in brown. Receiver was an interesting color. Seems to work just fine. I used Laurel Mtn. forge. It will rust fairly fast if you get it wet, and don't dry it right away. Looks the same after rusting though.

[Cactus Farmer]

I use an industrial heat gun( think hair drier on steriods) for the heat source. Torches can leave residue and the heat isn't as even as with a blower.
It might take a bit longer but the results are worth the time. Brownells "cold blue" works a lot better if the iron is warm too. I've done cheapy jobs and they look almost as good as hot dipped blue. JMTCW

[bigted]

so do you dismount the barrel first or do the action and barrel while still together? can a feller get the rust stopped in the threads or does it seep into them at all?

[leftiye]

In my case the surface is not flooded, but the chemical applied with a cotton swab or ball. does not get to soak into crack. Apply and let sit 24 hours. Various techniques exist. One is to re apply and let sit another day for two more days. After three days you have a nice thick flat brown surface. Can be boiled if you like flat black better. OIL it! Do not leave wet for long or it continues to rust. As noted elsewhere, an application of something to neutralize chemicals could be used, I don't know if it will be an advantage or not. If you're worried about rust in the crack, you could unscrew the barrel from the receiver and brown separately.

[pietro]

I had an Austin & Halleck .50 Mountain Rifle (muzzleloader) which was browned, but the finish looked just like nicely-polished blueing, except for the color.

IMHO, a finish like that would do ANY rifle proud, beit a metallic or a frontstuffer.

Please post a few pics, to show us how it turned out.


.

[leftiye]

The more finer finishes in brown involve steel wooling between coats. Instructions come with the product. the first one I ever did was with Birchwood Casey Plum Brown. It was a PITA, long involved process with oodles of steel wool, heating to sizzling temps, etc., etc.. but the results were as Pietro stated.

[bigted]

thanks all. that is all the encouragement I need to go for it. this ol roller shoots so good but my what an eye sore. I will prolly shorten the long barrel and drill n tap for mounting an old Lyman 3/4 inch scope...[target spot]...which I do believe would look nifty and help my old eyes as well. will be a bit tho as other stuff is always first it seems...LOL...[smilie=l::drinks:

[KCSO]

Heat browning and a true slow rust brown are not the same thing. Rust browning is akin to rust blue only you skip the hot water bath. Browning any gun is a matter of choice, if you like the look go for it. I use slow rust brwn only and with my humidity cabinet and a few tricks I can get a deep rich smooth brown colour in 36 to 48 hours. Te big secret with any browing is to have a surface free of oil and just rough enough to give the brown a bite on the metal.