Best way to prevent rust on pinned barrel

[nuttbush]

I have noticed some of the fine rifles in the forum that are left white. What is the best way to treat the underside of the barrel if it is left white and is pinned in the stock. What period rifles would have been left white and what time period did most rifles start being blued or browned. Thanks.

 

[LSU TIGER]

The first step is to seal the wood in the barrel channel so it can't absorb and hold water. If you're leaving the barrel white, a coat of paste wax (for hardwood floors) works well. "White" and charcoal blued barrels were made in the same timeframe, but browning as a finish wasn't popular until nearly 1800. A white barrel will become brown thanks to nature anyway, which I prefer to an intentional browned finish. My favorite finish is, as I've said many times is charcoal blue. It's easy, durable, and just plain good looking. :hatsoff:

 

[taylorh]

Tell us more about this charcoal bluing process. Better yet do you have some pictures?
Taylor in Texas

 

[LSU TIGER]

It's really simple. I draw file the barrel and have all dovetails cut, lugs and rear sight installed. I also have the vent drilled and breech plug in. I have a steel box, 6" X 6" X 5' that I use for this, but a dug pit will work as good. The charcoal is important. Do not use supermarket charcoal intended for bar-b-qing. You must use pure charcoal. I get it at a grill speciality store. The stuff I have now is for the "Big Green Egg" smoker. Fill your box or pit with charcoal and get it burning. Lighter fluid is OK here. Attach a wire from the front lug to either the rear most lug or breech plug and degrease the barrel with denatured alcohol. DO NOT TOUCH THE BARREL AFTER THIS STEP! When the charcoal is burning well, rake a trench in it and put the barrel into it and cover with the burning charcoal and fresh charcoal as needed through out the process. The point here is to keep oxygen away from the barrel. Otherwise it will be black, not blue. Let it sit for about three hours and "cook." Remove the barrel with the wire, and hang it to cool and the scale to harden for about three days. Gently heat it with a heat gun amd apply paste wax and buff. Here's a pic of the finished product.

 

[anchorsawy]

What do you do with the lock? Can it be blued with the same process?

 

[Zonie]

If you want to blue the lock, be sure to remove all of the parts so only the lockplate goes into the heat. :grin:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

I was always a fan of waxing the bbl before pinning into place, but after reading and seeing (see link) pics of steel protected with various protective coatings, I do now regress on those thoughts.
[url] http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/mlexperiments/corrosion/corrosion2.html[/url]

 

[BLAHMAN]

I slobber some beeswax in the barrel channel...use a toilet bowl ring (cheap and very mushy).

I figure if that beeswax can hold up my big fat a**, it aughta work ok in a barrel channel.