Barrel Browning Advice

[dlgraley]

I'm about to attempt my first barrel browning. What are the pros and cons of using a cold process such as Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown, or Birchwood Casey Plum Brown. I don't have an oven that will accommodate a 36" barrel, but could I use a propane torch and work my way down the barrel with the Birchwood Casey product? Or does the cold process, which seems easier, produce as good a result? Thanks much.

 

[rabjr]

The times I've used Laurel Mountain, I just used a sweat box with a light bulb and pan of water. Worked out fine, made a nice even brown finish.

 

[stubshaft]

I've used both products and was suprised at the results attainable from the Birchwood Casey formula. If you decide to go with it be advised that the temperature of the part you are browning is even. If you have hotspots or cold spots then it may result in streaking or a variation of the color.

That being said my personal favotire it the Laurel Forge browning solution. With it I can get a "rougher" aged appearance or a smooth polished one by adjusting the time between cardings.

 

[voltagehound]

I have just refinished my gpr with lmf !! This was my first browning !! I was pretty nervous about the whole thing but now I am thinking about a build !! I used the shower/tub as a sweat box !! Hung the parts from a rod and put 3 or 4 gallons of hot water in the tub !! The finish seems to be pretty durable ( will know more later )!! I took everything down to 180 grit emery cloth and the finish is a real nice smooth milk chocolate !! I cant help with the birchwood caseys !! Good luck to ya either way !!

 

[Zonie]

I've used Birchwood Casey Plum Brown for entire guns but I'll be the first to say that browning large objects like a barrel is a pain.

The solution only works when the metal temperature is between about 250 and 290 degrees F.
Below that temp. it will deposit copper which must be removed before any browning will 'take'.
Above that temp. it sizzles and spits and makes spots.
Trying to keep a barrel in that temperature range can be a challenge.

Plum Brown is not a one step process either. If you want a uniform color plan on making at least 3 applications. 4 is better.
It doesn't develop its true appearance until it has aged at least a day with an oil coating on it.
That will smooth out the light/dark areas and greatly improve the look of what you will have when you've applied 3-4 coats.

I still use Plum Brown for small items where heating, applying, washing, drying and repeating this is easy like on a lock plate or a butt plate but, on large things like a barrel I much prefer the cold processes like LMF.

The cold processes also form thicker layers and naturally etch the surface producing what is usually thought of as a natural look. (a soft smooth appearance)

The PB works only on the surface. Although it is fairly tough it is not as durable as the browning produced the slow cold way.

 

[DTCoffin]

I've used Danglers cold brown on 2 rifles and a pistol.I didn't bother with a sweat box,just hung it up in my man cave(which is in my basement).It took a little longer ,maybe a week,2-3 applications and it was fine.

 

[dlgraley]

Thanks all. I am proceeding with Laurel Mountain.

 

[sean30ber]

Here is my LMF fowler. Barrel browned and lock blued. 3 days in the shower sweating every 3 hours. 2 to 3 coats a day with no carding in between. Baking soda paste after to nutralize. Heat with a torch to evap all the water and 24 hours with a good coat of used motor oil. Cleaned then gun oil. Nice and Dark color. My new .54 is in the shower now.

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[hpbear101]

When I browned my Jaeger barrel I used a propane double burner Mr. Heater space heater. I put a long dowel in the muzzle and screwed another to the tang. I placed the barrel between two saw horses then put the Mr. Heater close enought to bring the barrel up to temp. Worked well and the dowell made it easy to manipulate the barrel as I applied the brown solution.

 

[lpcenter52]

Do you have to plug the barrel when browning a gun
?

 

[paulvallandigham]

I used B/C plum Brown to brown the barrels on my shotgun. I found, after the first "cold" application, that I had foreign material in the surface of the metal of one barrel in my DB, so I heated the barrel up to over 250 degrees( water boils at 212 degrees F.) And then applied the browning solution to the metal. In some of the foreign stuff I had to heat the metal even hotter for the brown to "take" but I did the entire barrels, in one setting.

Then, after letting the barrels coil in the air, I washed off the yellowish brown residue, with soap and water under the tap in the kitchen, dried the barrels, clean off fingerprints and oils with an alcohol swab, and mounted the barrels back up on my coat hanger "hook" in the garage. I reheated the barrels, HOT, and then sprayed them down with WD40, which smoked and sizzles as it hit the hot metal. I continued spraying the oil on until it stopped smoking.

The result is a Chocolate Brown color to the finish- darker than Milk Chocolate--- that is very durable. I can point out the areas that had the foreign metal in them, but if I don't do it, its next to impossible for anyone else to find them. I am talking a 2 inch plus streak that is a 1/4" wide in places. There is NO color difference between the streaks and the rest of the barrel metal.

I believe the heat opens the pores, allowing both the browning solution and the oil to get down into the pores, and that creates both the darker color, and the more durable finish. :thumbsup:

Oh, She-who-must-be-obeyed would have had a fit if I had used "HER" bathtub to brown my barrels using the LMF methods. Now that I don't have a domestic supervisor, I can pretty well do as I please. :hmm: :thumbsup:

 

[AZ Muzzle]

lpcenter52,

It is best to plug up the bore, drum/vent holes when Browning.

Mark B

 

[rabjr]

Here is my LMF fowler. Barrel browned and lock blued. 3 days in the shower sweating every 3 hours. 2 to 3 coats a day with no carding in between. Baking soda paste after to nutralize. Heat with a torch to evap all the water and 24 hours with a good coat of used motor oil. Cleaned then gun oil. Nice and Dark color. My new .54 is in the shower now.

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I do the same with a torch and then rub all parts with bear grease. Have yet to see any rust appear.

 

[fleener]

I have plugged in the past, but now I dont no matter if I brown or blue. I dont put any solution on the muzzle however.

snapper

 

[Mike_AK]

I just finished browning my GPR barrel with LMF. It turned out pretty good. Overall I am pleased with the outcome. After the metal had a nice dark brown color, I neutralized with baking soda and rinsed with hot water, then heated the barrel with a torch until it was too warm to handle bare handed. After it cooled off a bit, I swabbed it with a rag soaked in Boeshield T9, which is basically paraffin dissolved in a mineral based solvent. It soaks into the pores of the rust, then the solvent evaporates leaving only the wax behind. The color evened out to a nice chocolate brown. Tonight I removed the case hardening from the lock with Naval Jelly and tomorrow those parts will go to the bathroom for rusting along with the tang and under rib.

 

[Vaino]

Years ago I browned a bbl w/ BC Plum Brown in an unventilated basement and was sick for a month so stopped using it. A year ago I browned a rear sight w/ it thinking this small job wouldn't affect me...wrong...got a minor allergy attack. With LMF, I've never had good luck using baking soda as a neutralizer, always had after rust. Now use household ammonia w/ excellent results and just submerge the small parts and "paint" the ammonia on the bbl for 2-3 mins and the rusting action is killed.....Fred