Brown everything?

[Recurve]

Now that I have decided to brown my GPR caplock I need to know if I should brown ALL the hardware or not. Of course the lock plate and the hammer are case colored. I'm talking about the escutcheons and forend cap. I have even thought about removing the finish on the screw heads and browning them.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I think this is up to you. I have seen escutcheons, and forend caps browned, but also case hardened.

 

[Zonie]

IMO, if the forend cap, the thimbles, butt plate and trigger guard are all browned it will make the gun look like all of the parts "belong" to it.

As for the screw heads, I often like to polish them and then gently heat them with a propane torch so they turn a rich blue color.
I think that looks nice but others may disagree.

If you do heat blue the screws, quench them in oil right when the reach the dark blue phase (yellow, brown, purple, blue, gray).

zonie

 

[fw707]

I browned everything on mine except the trigger plate, lock plate insert and screw, and the tang screws.
I posted some pictures in this thread:
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/195472[/url]/

 

[Kooner]

Put together a GPR kit last year and didn't brown the nose cap, escutcheons or wedge pins. I browned every thing else including the triggers and trigger plate. I'm new to this posting stuff but I'll try to send a picture of it so you can see if you like it or not.
[url] http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n131/Jackasshill/DSC00011.jpg[/url]

 

[AZ-Robert]

That looks sharp!

 

[Old40Rod]

WOW! Great looking GPR Kooner. I am thinking about building another one, I might try leaving those parts in the white.

 

[barebackjack]

Great lookin rifle kooner! Adds a little contrast to the gun. Im building one right now, :hmm: , might have to try that.

How did you polish those up?

Boone

 

[NORD]

Howdy!

I browned everything including the lock plate and hammer on my GPR. I just sanded the case color off with 220 grit wet/dry sand paper. I heat blued all my screw heads...much simpler then browning them all...that could make you crazy. It worked great! Here is a photo showing the muzzleloader and last years deer. Good luck!

 

[Kooner]

Thanks Boone. I removed the bluing with naval jelly on the blued parts and then just used files, different grits of sandpaper and finely OOOO steel wool on the nose cap. I read a post somewhere about applying naval jelly to dull them parts down somewhat so to make them look like pewter. It worked to some extent. Good luck on your project.
Hey Nord, like your rifle, especially the patchbox. Do you have a close-up?

 

[NORD]

Here you go Kooner & Recurve...enjoy!

 

[Goldhunter]

Wow. That looks like some NICE wood. It's much better than the stock that came on my GPR.

 

[Kooner]

That rifle is sweet. I thought long and hard about a patchbox and cheek piece inlay in german silver on my GPR flinter but I chickened out. Wish I would've now.

I LIKE!

Is your heart inletted or standing proud. Kooner

 

[NORD]

Hi Kooner,

The german silver heart is indeed inleted...I use a very large magnefying glass when inleting to get it as perfect as I can.

Thank you for the complement on my muzzleloader!

NORD

 

[barebackjack]

Hey nord, what color stain did you use on that GPR with the capbox? I really like it. Nice lookin rifle. Wish the one im workin on right now had wood that nice, whatever stain you used really brought out some beautiful figure. Nice work!

Thanks
Boone

 

[NORD]

Hi Boone,

I used the American Walnut stain from Laurel Mountain Forge...I used a good bit on it and really watched the figure until I liked it. Then I used some 400 grit wet/dry sand paper and rubbed in the Laurel Mountain Forge wood Sealer. Finally I used their finish as well. Then I used some gunstock wax to dull the finish and for more protection.

Take care, Nord