Gunmetal Type Barrel Finnish?

[Valkyrie]

I am far from being ready to finish the barrel on this build but I’m thinking about it already. I know I don’t want to brown it. I want a grayish worn look. I have been using a piece of mild steel to practice with.

I am warming the bare metal with a heat gun and using Brownells Oxpho-Blue wiped on very lightly with a cotton patch. Then oiling it letting it sit overnight then using 0000 stew wool to burnish it back. It’s slow but seems like it’s what I am after.

Thoughts?

 

[Pete G]

Try wiping with phophoric acid, sold as rust remover. I buy a quart at the marine hardware store for a few bucks.

 

[martin9]

I am finishing a Jaeger up and wanted the same finish. I found instructions from one of my favorite builder.s He uses super blue, several coats til it was dark then polished it off with a red scotchbrite pad with oil on it. I took it a step further and sprayed it with windex with ammonia to make sure the blueing was neutralized after the polish/oiling....then oiled it again. I've been shooting this gun for a couple months and even though it doesn't look like much finish on the metal it hasn't rusted. I finally took it all apart a couple days ago and started on the carving on it.

 

[TommyG]

You will probably find many ways to do the finish you are looking for. This is what works for me and seems to hold up well with both club shoots and hunting. Finish sand the barrel to 220g. Brown 3-4 coats at 6-8 hrs each with LMF, carding with either a maroon scotchbrite or a wire carding wheel between sessions. What I am looking for is some moderate pitting. After this it depends on if I want a deep grey or an aged gray(if that makes sense). For a deeper grey I'll sand it back with 320g so all that remains is the light pitting of rust, then neutralize with lye water and a grey scotchbrite. Then apply Oxpho blue and rub back to desired color. For an aged grey I rub the browned barrel back using a maroon scotchbrite, then neutralize with lye water mix using grey scotchbrite. I have some examples below. The 2 lancaster guns are done with the deeper grey. The 2 Moravian guns with the aged grey.

 

[tenngun]

Mine with navel jelly

 

[Sam squanch]

I had jelly in my navel once. Now I eat with a shirt on..

 

[Jim Wag]

Great finish, Tommy

Please, what color
Scotchbrite is most and least
Abrasive

Jim in La Luz

 

[TommyG]

Thanks!
I believe it goes -
green
maroon
grey
white
green being the most abrasive, white being the finest

 

[Jim Wag]

Thank you

Jim in La Luz