Blacking Garand Gas Cylinder and latch

[mtgrs737]

Has anyone refinished the gas cylinder and latch on their Garand and how did you do it. It appears to be made of stainless and regular blue doesn't do much. What was the original finish?

[cheese1566]

Original finish was quite a process; hard to duplicate now and don't know anyone doing it at this time.

I was going to use Brownells black baking lacquer on mine and also considered AlumaHyde II.

[Multigunner]

When first issued in WW2 the gas cylinder was left in the white. Don't know when they began blacking the cylinder, but every example I've examined was blackened in some manner.

PS

Heres a link to a more full explanation.
http://www.fulton-armory.com/CylCoat.htm

[BarryinIN]

It is stainless. People have been trying to blacken them for years with varying success (especially those who carried them in battle with a "glowing" gray muzzle end).

The most successful method I've heard of came from Maj Dick Culver USMC, who had a local shop copper coat the gas cylinder, then had the copper chemically blackened in some way. I don't remember the details, but want to say it was more or less "pickled" black. Perhaps the details can be found on his website or forum somewhere. http://www.jouster.com/
It's an entertaining place to poke around at anyway, especially if you have an interest in Garands.

[cheese1566]

Found this:http://www.fulton-armory.com/CylCoat.htm
M1 Garand Gas Cylinder Finishes
by Walt Kuleck & Clint McKee


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


In response to a recent query about coatings for the stainless steel M1 Garand gas cylinder, gas cylinder lock and gas cylinder lock screw, a brief explanation:

As manufactured, the stainless steel gas cylinders were (literally) "in the white"; a variety of coatings was tested, including Armor-Vit and Silco Black. Eventually "a molten dichromate black" was found to be most durable. Winchester gas cylinders have been observed (that) were iron plated and blued. In adition, Winchester gas cylinders have been observed which appear to have been copper vapor plated and blackened" (Quote from Duff, "The M1 Garand: WWII," page 147).

Today vendors such as Brownells offer various paints and other finishes, some of which are baked on. Maybe they work, maybe they don't. I'm just an old-fashioned guy who figures that Springfield Armory solved the problem in WWII, so why not follow their lead?

On the other hand, field repair/depot repair differs markedly from mil spec manufacture.

The process necessary to get the real blackening process requires a very complex system. So, other protocols are necessary once a component leaves the "factory."

Example: The M16 upper & lower receivers (aluminum) require a hard coat anodized finish. Once in the field, such a coating is unavailable. Thus, "spray can" coatings are in all the manuals. Nonetheless, hard coat anodize is the mil spec coating.

--Walt Kuleck & Clint McKee

[MtGun44]

I have read what the process was somewhere. IIRC it was a fairly high temp and used
something nasty like lye as the primary material. A bit if online research should turn
it up.

[mtgrs737]

Sounds like more trouble than it may be worth. Thanks for all the replies guys!

[Lead Fred]

Its called mil spec coating, there is not a part of my M1 that is not black

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab211/stallhorn/m1e.jpg

Duracoat works well also

[hcpookie]

So I wonder if you can electroplate copper onto the stainless steel and then blacken it. Some motorcycle finishing shops may have the equipment to do it for someone.

[akajun]

A guy on SUrplusrifleforum bead blasted a bunch then used Brownells onynate 84 bluing salts in a cast iron skillet. They all came out very nice.

[sheepdog]

When first issued in WW2 the gas cylinder was left in the white. [/url]

+1. These were in the white as they were meant to take the wear without being exposed.

[nicholst55]

Black lacquer; that's what the last TM for the M1 called for to touch them up.

[BruceB]

The quickest, easiest and cheapest method is to simply buy a spray can of flat-black "barbecue paint" at Walmart or a hardware store. It won't last like Duracoat, but it will stay on there rather well and is easily touched up. Note that this is a "high-temperature" paint.

Just degrease, mask the areas you don't want affected, and spray away. To be really fussy, remove the gas cylinder entirely, but I dislike the possible wear being inflicted on the splines etc....I prefer to just mask it.

[KCSO]

Per Brownell's tech support, you are advised to use Brownell's bake on finish in either black or Park grey. Last one I did this way has been used for 4 years with little noticable wear.

[mtgrs737]

I wonder how they were done by the original manufacturer?