How to brown a blued piece?

[Speedo66]

Have an old 1873 Winchester. Came with no dust cover, which I found wasn't unusual. Were they a big problem that people removed them?

Anyway, I replaced the missing piece with a blued steel reproduction. Nice piece, but it sticks out like a sore thumb, way too new looking compared to the original finish.

Can anyone recommend a simple way to get this blue piece looking like the worn brown finish of the rest of the rifle?

Thanks

[thumb bum]

naval jelly will take the bluing off.put it on let it set steel wool it off.the muzzleloader I did I coated in browning solution and hung in the shower till it was rusted up good enough. then lightly steel wool and oil some people have used brown shoe polish after instead of oil.

[Bulldogger]

+1 to Naval Jelly and giving it browning solution, exactly what I'd do.
Bulldogger

[seaboltm]

you can somewhat replicate a worn, aged, patina look by experimenting with Oxpho blue from Brownells. The browning method described will look brown and rusty, not aged. If that is the way the rest of your 73 looks, it will be fine. If it has the aged bluing with grays and slight browns here and there (patina) I doubt you will be satisfied with the rusting process described. HOWEVER, you may be able to use naval jelly on a cotton ball and start removing the existing blue finish. Rub a little, then rinse quickly. Doing this slowly may replicate a worn aged bluing. you just have to stop at the right time.

[Speedo66]

Not really blue or gray, pretty much all brown. Here's a couple of photos, you can really see the contrast of the original finish to the blue of the repro dust cover.

[220swiftfn]

I'd toss a vote for Laurel Mountain (?) browning solution. It is easy to work with, as it degreases as it works. Yes, you're going to have to strip the bluing off (muriatic acid works, I think I got mine at Tractor Supply, either for pools or cement cleaning.....) Just remember that the difference between blueing and browning is that to brown, you card the red rust (ferric oxide) dry. If you boil the rusty part you change the ferric oxide to ferrous oxide, which gives that deep black......


Dan