Taking the shine off of a stainless barrel.

[Vann]

Does anyone know of a chemical that will darken stainless steel?

My favorite hunting rifle is a stainless steel Savage 116, and I have in the past had game get spooked by its white glow at night and bright glare during the day.

In the past I've wrapped it with a camouflage cloth tape, but the tape leaves a sticky mess behind when I have to take it off.

Other than bead blasting the barrel and action and painting it, I was wondering what other options where out there.

Thanks,
Vann

[HangFireW8]

Brownell's has a bake-on black finish my 'smith used for my 257 barrelled action years ago. It has a matte finish as I chose but maybe that was just one option.

It has held very well except for a few chips around the muzzle.

[akajun]

THe only way to chemically darken stainless that does not end up all splotchy is to sent it to a gunsmith that uses oxynate 84 bluing. You will still need to blast it or it will just be shiny black though.
Caswell does make a cold type blackening kit, but over something big like a barrel, I dont think it will be evenly colored.

[leadhead]

I've knocked the shine off stainless barrels by rubbing them with scotch bright
green pads.... worked well and doesn't cost much.
Denny

[Hickok]

Wonder if stainless could be sprayed with flat black heat-type paint used on exhaust headers?

[sundog]

Flat or semigloss exhaust manifold spray paint - 2 light coats.

[rking22]

Here's some info from Goodsteel when I asked a like question. And ,no, I haven't got roun-tuit yet!
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?258548-Ruger-quot-dark-quot-stainless-finish

[Hickok]

Flat or semigloss exhaust manifold spray paint - 2 light coats.Sundog, good to hear. I have a stainless barrel coming for an AR-15, and I was thinking about what to do about matching the barrel up to the rest of the rifle. I was just guessing. Thanks!:grin:

RKing, that looks like some good stuff, I put it in my "favorites" for future reference.

[Nobade]

Cerakote works real well.

-Nobade

[Sasquatch-1]

If you are looking for temporary solutions, A friend uses sight black to reduce glare on his sights. Might be a tad expensive spraying the whole barrel, but would be easily removed. Also, I don't know exactly what is used, but film crews have a spray to reduce glare off shiny surfaces.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

A fast-rotating scotchbright wheel, used on other things till it has a shallow beard of fibres and very lightly touched to the barrel, will give it a satin finish without the directional striations you get with the hand pads.

Long ago Winchester used to iron-plate stainless barrels and then blue that, which to me suggests that they had looked long and hard for an easier way and not found one. Nowadays the Brownells special hot-bluing process mentioned is available, but I don't know if it is as durable a finish as bluing on non-stainless steel.

[Vann]

Thanks, guys. I figured that if I had to go the rattle can way, I'd use Duracoat and try one of their camouflage patterns on it.

I am planning to buy another barrel for it and would like for the pattern to match on both barrels.

I think I'll ttry what rking22 posted first, at least that way if i botch it up I can still paint over it.

[44man]

I have never spooked a deer with stainless, movement is the first they see. Or the click of a safety or hammer cock.
But I don't have a Freedom with all the clicks or polished metal.
I think they pick up the glasses I need to wear first.
I had a doe spook this season with a slow cock of my BFR and it is the quietest gun I have. Just the cylinder stop popping up is enough. I sure do not want a safety click, half cock and full cock noise.
I never, ever had a deer see an arrow when they were plain aluminum and someone made a fortune putting camo on arrows. Camo boots, what in the world is that about. Notice they cost more! OH, you need a camo watch band too and a camo knife and wallet.

[Cap'n Morgan]

Wrap some tape around it. If you can find some electrical (cloth) tape it will be absolutely glare free - and warm to the touch in the winter time. :wink:

[country gent]

Used to put a heavy coat of paste wax on shiney stainless and bright blues. A nice heavy coat applied with a brush and allowed to dry will be very flat and allow for easy removal after the season. It will also protect from weather and other things on the hunt. Simple effective and easy.

[Houndog]

When I barrel a rifle with stainless and don't want the shine I bead blast it with glass beads like they use in highway marker paint. (extremely fine glass beads) It will come out a soft grey like the old Ruger target rifles.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I have never spooked a deer with stainless, movement is the first they see. Or the click of a safety or hammer cock.
But I don't have a Freedom with all the clicks or polished metal.
I think they pick up the glasses I need to wear first.
I had a doe spook this season with a slow cock of my BFR and it is the quietest gun I have. Just the cylinder stop popping up is enough. I sure do not want a safety click, half cock and full cock noise.
I never, ever had a deer see an arrow when they were plain aluminum and someone made a fortune putting camo on arrows. Camo boots, what in the world is that about. Notice they cost more! OH, you need a camo watch band too and a camo knife and wallet.

The nearest I ever came to an American whitetail deer was seeing Errol Flynn carrying one into Nottingham castle. But if they are anything like other species (and the elk is a European red deer adapted to better feeding), they have a very good eye for movement but can't see colours or fine camo patterns. Most of the proprietary camo patterns that catch hunters and military groupies are just a man-shaped grey shape to deer. You would be better off with giant checks in the pastel colours of your choice. A straight line, like a barrel, might be worth interrupting with something, though.

[44man]

The nearest I ever came to an American whitetail deer was seeing Errol Flynn carrying one into Nottingham castle. But if they are anything like other species (and the elk is a European red deer adapted to better feeding), they have a very good eye for movement but can't see colours or fine camo patterns. Most of the proprietary camo patterns that catch hunters and military groupies are just a man-shaped grey shape to deer. You would be better off with giant checks in the pastel colours of your choice. A straight line, like a barrel, might be worth interrupting with something, though.
You are so entirely correct about camo. But most is way too dark and deer will see a big black blob. They can't see the stupid stick patterns or tight leaf stuff.
I found blaze orange best and light colors best, even snow camo in the fall.
Not saying a flash of light might not be seen but that has been no problem for me. Movement is the worst. Any high freq sound is an instant bolt. You can break branches and make normal sounds but steel against steel is wrong. I laugh at the jerks in videos that CLICK off a safety. Ease it off.
Sadly, cocking any revolver will make noise. I have more trouble with that then anything.
Even a squirrel will go nuts with cocking a gun or a loud bow.

[Rick Hodges]

I would bead blast it...it will not glow or glare.

[muskeg13]

On a whim, I tried something else to darken a stainless barrel. I used a heat gun to warm the barrel first, and the process worked better than cold blue.158563 158564

[mcdaniel.mac]

If you use nonstick camo cloth tape, the stuff is basically coban medical tape, only sticks to itself. They make it in every color and pattern, and there's no adhesive to leave a residue. Just make sure you take it off if the rifle gets humid or wet to dry the metal and avoid rust. It's not as long-term as exhaust paint, but there's no permanent modification either.

[Vann]

Muskeg13, that looks great. That's exactly what I'm looking for, I'm going to give it a try.