Barrel Rust Bluing vs. Plum-ing

[Blackbeard4590]

I have done a couple rust bluing projects restoring a Peabody and a Highwall single shot rifle. I have seen some rifle barrels done in a plum color to present an aged appearance. I found a "browning" solution which, appears to be a cold-blue process only. Is there a method to get the soft plum color in a hot bluing process? I have not done a cold bluing process, but have been told that it does not hold up as well as hot rust bluing, so I never tried it.
If I have been mis-informed, can you gents provide some clarity? Thank you.

 

[Soliderity]

There is an old book........................By Cameron Judd named 'The Over Mountian Men'. ( You can buy these for next to nothing from Amazon.) A historical fiction of the Tennessee/Kentucky pioneers during the 1770s.
English or French gunpowder was very hard to obtain during that time; not to mention the distance inland from manufacturing areas. Mr. Judd goes into detail writing about how one of the book's characters made gunpowder. From a stash of sulfur and saltpeter obtained from boiling down bat guano, (crap) and willow charcoal. OF course this is fictional history but it was well researched IMO.

 

[Rifleman1776]

On this forum, best to not mention those rifles you are working on. Otherwise, a fair question and post.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have done a couple rust bluing projects restoring a Peabody and a Highwall single shot rifle. I have seen some rifle barrels done in a plum color to present an aged appearance. I found a "browning" solution which, appears to be a cold-blue process only. Is there a method to get the soft plum color in a hot bluing process? I have not done a cold bluing process, but have been told that it does not hold up as well as hot rust bluing, so I never tried it.
If I have been mis-informed, can you gents provide some clarity? Thank you.

So for a long time, hot, rust bluing was the standard, and it was the "deepest". It did require a very good polish of the metal, and that could drive up the costs. Cold bluing was actually a "touch up" procedure, or sometimes used in kits. It was later found that cold bluing, which gave a more blue than black result, was actually proper for ACW revolvers, and gave them the proper "look". So now, a lot of the guys with ACW or even modern stuff for CAS will cold blue their handguns, and then "rub them back" some to simulate age and wear....

Browning comes in two forms. Cold browning, often done with a nitric acid solution, and sometimes a humidity chamber, was the commonest way for that finish to be produced, and was much easier for the DIY person to do, and to restore. ALAS, too many makers of repro traditional rifles do a rust brown to unpolished parts, thinking the results look more antique, but (imho) they merely look like cast parts or unpolished barrels that have been browned, after skipping a step....

Birchwood Casey also offers a HOT plumb brown. I have used this, and frankly, I got MUCH better results on my ACW handguns and rifle repros by using a charcoal fire, especially with the rifle barrels. I suspended the barrels over a line of smoldering charcoal briquettes, which gave an even heating that you don't get with a torch, and quickly got a very even color. Rinse, then apply 30 weight motor oil with a rag to the still very warm barrel. This may be what you are seeking.

Brownell's Oxpho-Blu, although a cold blue, is actually pretty good, and an improvement over previous cold bluing solutions.

LD

 

[Blackbeard4590]

Thanks Dave. I actually have a hot bluing tanks (2 sizes) that I use for rust bluing. I had never tried using the charcoal method for bluing. I will give that a try.
I have a Stevens SS that i want to convert from a .32 (rimfire) to a .22LR for my granddaughter.
Did you go over the barrel with 0000 wool before the oil?
How many times do you repeat the oil?
I assume that like rust bluing, this is a multiple application process.
Do you polish off the oil film between applications or just wipe it down?
I have the soft wire and wool wheels on a slow speed bench grinder for rust blue polishing.

 

[user 34300]

I have used dozens of blues and browns. Some made by me and some commercial. A word of caution, many old formulas include mecuric chloride (corrosive sublimate). Avoid those formulas like the clap. Mercuric chloride is a powerful neurotoxin, it will hurt you an there is no treatment. Home cold blue is a selenous acid plating process. Hot salts are the modern way but not suitable for home use. Slow rust blue is browning that is boiled in distilled water or steamed to convert the Fe2o3 to Fe3o4. Browning is regular rust, Fe2o3.

Birchwood casey Plumb brown works well on small parts. I used to use a lot of it. I find it difficult to use on barrels and get a perfect job. IT is a quick brown that uses nitric acid and oxidizers. It used to use mercuric chloride, that formula worked better but was toxic.

For 90% of my bluing and browning I am using LMF. It works well in any weather I encounter. I do one coat per day and card with a fiber bristle wheel run at low speed. IT typically takes three passes to get a dark dense brown. If I want blue/black I boil it in distilled water. This IS slow rust blue. It is easy to do. Browning Reagent & Degreaser, 2.5 ounces, by Laurel Mountain Forge - Track of the Wolf

 

[Blackbeard4590]

Thank you Scota. I will look into LMF browning. I was wondering, if I did one application, carding wheels, then boiled the 2nd application in my tanks, carding wheels then did the 3rd same as the first, do you think I could get the plum color? I guess that sounds goofy, but a deep blue/brown = plum might look really sharp.
Anyway, thanks for the information.
I have a few late 1800s small caliber single shots that have been laying around waiting for inspiration, perhaps I will experiment on the old barrels and let you know what happens with the color.

 

[Gvilleddie]

I’ve used LMF for rust bluing and the barrels turned out great..

 

[Stantheman86]

I'm thinking of Browning a Pietta percussion revolver , I want an authentic Plum or Dark Brown look , if it's not perfectly even it's fine

I'll probably use the Birchwood Casey since I can just propane torch the cylinder and barrel

 

[sturmkatze]

I've done plum browning, but didn't like it. I really liked this cold brown Zack in the day "Thunder Bay". . I think he died

 

[Kansas Jake]

If you brown the revolver and don’t like the look, drop everything in a deep pan of boiling water and boil for a bit and your brown turns black.

 

[poker]

I have browned rifle barrels that came out great using plum brown. I used the flame on a gas grill and did half at a time. I gave everything 3 passes and they all came out very even.
Ive also used lmf without good results due to wintertime with low humidity I reckon.
And I bought a couple bottles of Homer Danglers from the log cabin shop, and was very impressed with how fast and easy that worked. Great results too, but then I used that in the summer with very high heat and humidity.
Of the three, I would definitely use the Homer Dangler as it was far and away the easiest, but Id also put off any browning until summer.