Final Barrel Oil Finishes

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

What does anybody use here for final barrel finish.

After reading the different LMF Browning Reagent directions, one will say to use boiled linseed oil, another print of directions says to use some kind other kind of oil and paste wax.

This is a bit confusing to me.

I have boiled linseed oil, but do not have any wax.

I was wondering what other people might use and which oil finish is the most trouble free?

Local climates might play into this as well before I make a final decision.

 

[Black Hand]

I believe I used deer tallow on my barrel.

I tried linseed oil once, and it left a sticky, nasty layer on my barrel that I immediately removed and replaced with something else.

 

[Zonie]

IMO, about any kind of oil on a freshly browned barrel will darken the color and even out most, if not all of the unevenness.
Add to this, some sort of oil is needed to actually make the finish rust resistant.
(I think a good petroleum or synthetic auto oil works fine.)

The reason browning or bluing works is because the hard brown/blue rust absorbs and holds oil.

That keeps water away from the steel layer under it so no soft rust can form.

You might gather from this, I would NOT just wax the barrel until after I had applied oil to the finish.

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

Would it be okay to use the same oil found in gun cleaning kits?

I have some Hoppe's Lubricating oil, if it would be okay to use.

If not I also have motor oil, which one of the instructions says to heat the barrel to about 120 degrees and then apply the oil and wipe it down 24 hours later.

 

[Black Hand]

Just oil the barrel with what you have. You can heat it if you want, but it really isn't necessary. The most important part is to neutralize the rust-browning agent (I use a paste of baking soda) and card to remove loose rust before oiling.

 

[Swamp Rat]

You can oil it real heavy wrap it with paper towels to keep the oil off every thing else and set it in a hot car for a day. I did that to my small parts and tomorrow will be doing the barrel.

 

[Larry Akers]

I finish my barrels with original Simonize car wax applied while the barrel is hot from the final boiling water rinse. I let it sit for several days then buff it out.

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

I just used the Hoppe's Lubricating Oil and let it soak in.

I may have been overthinking the final oil finish.

I put the rifle together and although the browning job is not perfect, it is a pretty little thing to look at.

I am now completely ready for squirrel season with this little frontstuffer.

Thanks everyone for walking me through this, I would not have done as well with all the help I have been given here.

I appreciate all the info here a great deal. :hatsoff: :hatsoff: :thumbsup:

 

[frogwalking]

I usually use RIG, but upon someone's recommendation, on my last few, I heated the barrel and melted beeswax onto it, then polished. So far, no after rust and no corrosion of any kind. It also does not seem to come off easily with handling.

 

[MSW]

I just used the Hoppe's Lubricating Oil and let it soak in.

I may have been overthinking the final oil finish.

I put the rifle together and although the browning job is not perfect, it is a pretty little thing to look at.

I am now completely ready for squirrel season with this little frontstuffer.

Thanks everyone for walking me through this, I would not have done as well with all the help I have been given here.

I appreciate all the info here a great deal. :hatsoff: :hatsoff: :thumbsup:

bwa ha ha ha (mad scientist laugh)

this fellow is SO hooked ...

 

[509thsfs]

My 1st barrel I used the BLO like the directions said, did not like the stickiness, so redid just using CLP I had on the shelf. It worked fine. My last build on the rifle I just finished, after neutralizing with a baking soda slurry, I just gave it a good soaking with CLP. works fine. I'm guessing any good oil will do.

 

[Onojutta]

I'm also in the camp that any oil will do. My first barrel that was treated with cold blue i used BLO after watching a Larry Potterfield video on YouTube in which he used BLO because he said it was traditional. But he did say that any light oil would work. Maybe the advantage BLO has over regular oil is that it can dry or harden over time. But I've clean my rifle so many times and buffed it with steel wool that any benefit of the dried BLO is probably long gone. I have used different types of oil to wipe it down after cleaning and all seem to work just fine.

Some say that petroleum based oil can soften wood over time, so I now use Ballistol to wipe the barrel after cleaning since that is said to be harmless to wood. When I finish my next barrel I probably won't use a petroleum based oil for the initial treatment for the same reason.

 

[rafterob]

I allow my barrels to age about a month with oil only on the browning.That seems to mellow and "set" the browning. After that, I clean the oil off well and wax it (Johnson's paste wax or whatever) It provides a smoother finish. Then after routine cleaning just a light rub with a minimally oiled cloth.

 

[Ames]

After the oiling, during field use, I always rub the excess mink oil from my patches off my hands onto the warm barrel. No problems yet. Kind of a hand rubbed oil finish for metal.

 

[Vaino]

I only use Oxyoke 1000 Plus.....the matte finish on browned parts sorta "captures" whatever is applied. Seeing the browning is already rust, not much is needed to prevent further rusting.

Wouldn't like BLO.....sticky all the time. CLP is excellent....use it on metal that doesn't have a matte finish....Fred