Browning bluing or rust bluing

[Jason holgate]

Which is most durable??

 

[M. De Land]

Which is most durable??

For many years I hot tank chemical blued with bluing salt or browned using LMF solution. I then squired a old gunsmithing book written by Roy Dunlapp some time in the 50's I believe and it had various rust bluing solution formulas and how to apply each. I had all the chemicals on hand to make Niedner's solution so I did so and applied according to his instructions.
I found it to be the most durable blue I had ever encountered and it is all I use now for bluing and LMF for browning.
The Niedner blue is more durable than LMF browning.
Most rust blue jobs will eventually turn to brown anyway after many decades of aging.

 

[Ryanlpuckett]

Which is most durable??

I just browned mine, using the plum brown from birch wood Casey. Its strait forward, and looks great, I love the finish, complements the stock perfectly. Durability, if you scratch a blueed finish rust could form, it may be noticeable. If you scratch a brown barrel, rust could form, but will blend in. Both use acid, I think both etch to some degree, and as far as Durability, probably the same. Its all personal preference, but I love the brown, just really looks nice.

Best

Ryan

 

[ZUG]

I liked the original Birch Wood Casey Plum Brown when I did a browning job and I love Mark Lee's Express Blue for the rust blue look.