Barrel's Brightness

[musketman]

On muskets with barrels in the white, do you like bright gleaming barrels or apt for a more dull and subdued finish?

 

[Musketeer]

I think a white barrel should start out almost mirror shiny, and then be allowed to patina naturally. Don't polish it, just wipe it down with oil after each handling/shooting session, and let whatever's gonna happen happen.

 

I prefer a browned barrel but have one in the white. It looks fine and I don't worry about it spooking game. Noise, movement and human odor is what spooks game.
I once shot a deer with my bow wearing a white t-short and white sneakers.
Now any deer wearing a t-shirt and white senakers in the woods orta get shot!
How it got my bow is still a mystery. :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:

 

[sebago]

Dull and subdued for me right from the start and then just let it age naturally.

 

[robinghewitt]

Bess barrels were worn thin by constant polishing which is why the British Army took to browning in 1812 :m2c:

 

[frenchfusil]

On my previous gun we artificially aged it using some things you really don't want to know. On my new gun I'm letting the metal aged naturally like Musketeer said.

Tristyn J Cramer
A.K.A Red Leggins
Guerre Abenakis

 

Robert- the American Military did the same to their muskets, using ram-rods and most anything metallic to polish and rub their guns. They also took to annealing some of the parts so they'd come up with a higher polish. Many times, the rods, parts and barrels were so bent after polishing, they'd not fit back together properly.
; Both army's were ordered not to use their rods for polishing, but to use the issued dwooden polishing sticks, but both army's enlisted, ignored these orders for the most part.