Brown or leave white?

[JimG]

First off when metal is left 'in the white' how does one keep it from rusting if you choose to leave it in the white? Something tells me just oiling it will not do. Secondly, how was the metal typically finished on the typical 'working mans muzzleloader' of say the late 1800's? Did the builders brown the metal or just leave it in an un-browned or un-blued state and left it to patina over time? Go easy on me ok! Not looking for my little project to be perfectly PC, just need pointed in the right direction. Thanks.

 

[Swampman]

18th c. guns should be white or blued.

19th c. guns were sometimes browned.

 

[AZ-Robert]

First off when metal is left 'in the white' how does one keep it from rusting if you choose to leave it in the white? Something tells me just oiling it will not do.

Oiling is working on mine, but humidity is low around here. But, if you think about it, the inside of that baby is pretty much "in the white." What ever works for the inside should work for the outside.

When I'm finished cleaning it, I wipe it down with a patch full of WD-40. When dry, I swipe it with an oily patch. If it sits too long between uses, I'll wipe it down with another oily patch about the time the I spot a layer of dust settling on the top of the barrel.

Some guys use paste wax or bee's wax to give it a good coating.

 

[CrackStock]

Highly finished and shooth metal does not rust easily and is pretty easy to clean of surface rust. Over time you may develop some low spots such as dings or you may see a bit of metal grain turning gray. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people try to force this by browning or rusting and then cleaning it off -- mostly.

CS