Anyone Use Mark Lee Express Blue?

[Micah Clark]

Has anyone used Mark Lee Express Blue on a lock and / or ML barrel ?

I am also considering Laurel Mountain Forge browning, then the boiling stage for a rust blue lock and barrel on my TVM late lancaster.

I know for some it is browning or in the white or nothing on a traditional ML . . . I'm not there yet. I could live with a rusty blue or black look, but after 40 years of shooting, owning and caring for modern smokeless cartridge guns, I just can't get "rust and gun" to go together in my mind or eyesight . . though I know what bluing really is.

Thanks !!

 

[dlgraley]

I've used LMF for both browning and bluing, although the blue is more of a black. Both look great.

 

[Micah Clark]

I have thought a lot about LMF and the boiling step for bluing. . black is better than blue.

Interestingly, I was just reading my book I am using with my build by Peter Alexander called "The Gunsmith of Greenville County: Rebuilding the American Longrifle." In his chapter on finishing the barrel he has used LMF browning and loves it, but has used and simply recommends Birchwood Casey Super Blue for bluing as it is dark and easy, though not as durable as some other bluing.

He used to use BC Plum Brown, discussed it a lot, but seems to like LMF better.

Well, BC Super Blue is easy. . . not sure if anyone has used it. . but maybe someone will chime in on that.

 

[Chevythunderman]

I just used it on a .58 hawken I just built (super blue) and it was the easiest blueing I have ever worked with. Its more black than blue but it is super easy to work with. I've used perma blue in the past and its easy to work with also but it takes more coats to get to a darker color. The perma blue has a nice dark blue color to it where the super blue is more black.

I have a hard time seeing anything other than brown on my blackpowder rifles. My wife who is not into black powder at all even said on that .58 the blue just didn't look right to her. She said "isn't that suppose to be brown". I know I married her for a reason. :grin:

 

[ZUG]

YEP -- here's a lock & a barrel

 

[Micah Clark]

That's pretty !! Thanks !