GPR metal finish

[hilbily]

I must have been on the nice list as Santa brought me a GPR kit in .54 percussion. I have a question. I am not sure if I want to vinegar etch or LMF brown the barrel and other metal. Does anyone know how difficult it is to "start over" with each finish. What I mean is if I LMF brown and dont like it can I take the metal back to "the white" and then try the vinegar and/or vice versa. Thanks.

 

[Steve Blancard]

Its not hard to remove either unless you let the LMF stay on for a long time and get deep pitting. You can also do the vinegar first and if you don't like it, just put the LMF over it. It doesn't need to be removed first.

 

[jbtusa]

Go with the LMF brown. It is a fool-proof method and it is a deep and durable finish.

 

[evanschd]

Great question... I'm debating the same thing, so I will eagerly watch this post

 

[bioprof]

I have to agree with jbtusa. LMF will give you a deeper and more durable finish than the vinegar.

Vinegar is a weak acid and is going to do the same thing as LMF browning solution. It is just much weaker and is going to work much more slowly than LMF. Some people really like the look of vinegar, but in my opinion is just speeding up the process of allowing your barrel to rust naturally. The one advantage of vinegar is that you can wet down strips of cloth and create patterns. The finish will be thin though.

One way to look at it is to ask yourself the question of what do the professional builders do? Do any of them use vinegar to finish barrels on the rifles that they build? There may be, but I'm not aware of any.

 

[LRB]

If you are going to experiment, try the vinegar first. The LMF will take considerable work to get back to bare smooth metal. That said, I would also recommend the LMF for a tough, almost carefree finish.

 

[hilbily]

Thanks for the input. I do like the look of the vinegar but what I am ultimately looking for is a durable finish that can withstand the elements. LMF looks like the clear winner.