Re-bluing a gun without grinding away metal?

[FISH4BUGS]

I am looking at an old Colt that has lost most of the bluing. I'm not sure why, but it has. Someone put something on it that removed a lot of the blue.
It was carried a ton but apparently not fired a lot. It is a definite candidate for a shooter grade gun.
The gun is also a definite candidate for a re-blue, but I HATE guns that have been re-blued with a grinding wheel to prep the metal....something about losing the sharpness of the letters and rampant Colt just doesn't sit well with me.
Can the gun be re-blued without grinding away metal? It isn't pitted - it just lost most of the bluing.
Maybe a re-blue or a cerakote?
Regardless, I don't want to have the metal ground away.
Your thoughts?

[country gent]

If the guns surface finish is currently even or acceptable clean the metal good degrease and blue. But any bright spots holster wear or rough areas will show in the new bluing. A light blocked sanding or polish with a true polishing stick or stone to restore the surface to even makes a big difference.

[akajun]

Not all hot blue/ polishers are equal. Anyone can buff the hell out of a gun, even when new.
Fords and turnbull both do excellent polish and blue work

[HWooldridge]

If the guns surface finish is currently even or acceptable clean the metal good degrease and blue. But any bright spots holster wear or rough areas will show in the new bluing. A light blocked sanding or polish with a true polishing stick or stone to restore the surface to even makes a big difference.

^^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^^

- Or you can bead blast the whole gun and get a nice even matte finish (although the polish will obviously be gone). I treated an old Remington 11 shotgun with blasting, followed by hot bluing - made for a very durable finish for field use.
- Or you can cold blue using Oxpho or a similar product. Degrease the main parts after disassembly then apply the chemical with steel wool that has also been degreased.

[waksupi]

Bluing prep is best done by hand, by someone who knows what they are doing. If someone is grinding on them, they shouldn't have them in the first place.

[contender1]

"Bluing prep is best done by hand, by someone who knows what they are doing. If someone is grinding on them, they shouldn't have them in the first place."

^^^^^THIS^^^^^

[Der Gebirgsjager]

So you just want the revolver as a utility gun, want it to be blue but not a showpiece? You can just disassemble it and degrease it and run it through the bluing tanks, but all imperfections like pits, scratches, nicks will remain and in some instances become more noticeable. As said above, removing those imperfections will require hand polishing by a skilled person--expect to pay accordingly.

DG

[Ajohns]

If it was a cattle gun, the bluing loss could be from blood.
All said above is valid, make sure it's completely clean before anything.

[roysha]

bluing prep is best done by hand, by someone who knows what they are doing. If someone is grinding on them, they shouldn't have them in the first place.

ABSOLUTELY!!!! That is why, back in the day, I charged an arm and a leg to reblue handguns. I polished all by hand.

50 years ago, I used to reblue a lot of police revolvers due to holster wear. I just completely disassembled cleaned with a heated detergent that I used to get from Brownells, then I would give the parts a bath in a dilute solution of Muriatic acid to remove the old blue and evenly "etch" the surface, rinse REAL good in running water to neutralize and then to the blue tank. The "etching" made the surface difference between the unblued portion and the holster worn areas pretty much even, so it all blued evenly. This was the caustic blacking process. I have found that even the best of the "blue in a bottle" is marginal at best.

[LAGS]

I generally just soak the metal parts in Vinegar to remove the old bluing and any rust.
It does not etch the metal.
Then hand polish and clean in Acetone to de grease the metal before re bluing.
The hand polishing evens out the finish where there are wear marks like from holster wear.
To polish I often just use mag wheel polish.
For a more Matt finish , I just bead blast the metal before bluing.

[M-Tecs]

I am looking at an old Colt that has lost most of the bluing. I'm not sure why, but it has. Someone put something on it that removed a lot of the blue.
It was carried a ton but apparently not fired a lot. It is a definite candidate for a shooter grade gun.
The gun is also a definite candidate for a re-blue, but I HATE guns that have been re-blued with a grinding wheel to prep the metal....something about losing the sharpness of the letters and rampant Colt just doesn't sit well with me.
Can the gun be re-blued without grinding away metal? It isn't pitted - it just lost most of the bluing.
Maybe a re-blue or a cerakote?
Regardless, I don't want to have the metal ground away.
Your thoughts?

Normally grinding is not done for a reblue. Buffing and polishing is. Improper buffing is what washes out the sharpness of lettering and corners. As stated above hand polishing tends to give the best result however it is also the most expensive.

You did not state what model Colt it is but if it's not pitted it would be a shame to cerakote it. Companies like Turnbull and Taylor's do excellent restoration but like they say you get what you pay for. If cost is an object you can do it yourself with polishing stick and rust bluing. If it truly is an old Colt collectable removing the patina may hurt collectors value.

What model is it?

[405grain]

The only "smith" who'd use a grinder on a gun to do a bluing job is the one named Bubba. Usually Bubba's better known for installing scope mounts with an arc welder, carving stocks out of 2x4's with an angle grinder, anything involving a massive blob of JB weld, or a litany of disasters caused by zealous use of a Dremel tool.

[Loudenboomer]

I would leave it and enjoy the current patina shine. For restoring an old colt Doug Turnbull is the only one I'd trust. Bad jobs are not easily re done.

[FISH4BUGS]

The only "smith" who'd use a grinder on a gun to do a bluing job is the one named Bubba. Usually Bubba's better known for installing scope mounts with an arc welder, carving stocks out of 2x4's with an angle grinder, anything involving a massive blob of JB weld, or a litany of disasters caused by zealous use of a Dremel tool.

I have seen way too many of those. That is why I am exploring options.

[pietro]

I generally just soak the metal parts in Vinegar to remove the old bluing and any rust.
It does not etch the metal.
Then hand polish and clean in Acetone to de grease the metal before re bluing.
The hand polishing evens out the finish where there are wear marks like from holster wear.
To polish I often just use mag wheel polish.
For a more Matt finish , I just bead blast the metal before bluing.

This.....

[GregLaROCHE]

If it’s an old classic gun, consider cleaning and polishing it and keeping it as is. It may be more valuable in its original condition.

[Reg]

Bluing prep is best done by hand, by someone who knows what they are doing. If someone is grinding on them, they shouldn't have them in the first place.

Amen !

[FISH4BUGS]

If it’s an old classic gun, consider cleaning and polishing it and keeping it as is. It may be more valuable in its original condition.

Well, it is an old Colt New Service in 38 Special. Nothing particularly rare and it looks like the gun was dipped in blood and has lost the vast majority of its bluing. There is no pitting on it, rather just a loss of bluing.
I am a collector of pre-war Colts, High Standards and S&W's so I fully understand the effect of refinishing a gun. I am looking this one to be a shooter, period.

[Geezer in NH]

No matter it will still be a re-blue as for collector's purposes. I have stripped hanguns in Brownells steel white then rinsed and cleaned in the soaps rinsed again then into the blue tanks. None of the markings were hurt came out as good as the original polish was However if as they say just the blue gone if it was blood that did it you will see it after bluing because it was etched.

Just strip it and blue it if you don't like it it can be stripped again and then repolished.

[flounderman]

Mark Lee Express blue would be my choice. I use a heat gun to get the clean metal hot, or a hair dryer would work. You can keep repeating the process until you get the result you want. It turns darker, when you oil it.