Is brownin' a barrel any good?

[Spot Shooter]

Guess I don't need to put much more down here. I've seen posts on keepin' a barrel in the white, then saw, and like alot, Kevin's Blueing job on his GPR kit.

So I know the Options I got (I think) - an my gut tells me hot blue'n would be the toughest finish. Leavin' here in the white would require a bit more attention. And Brown'n?? Well I don't rightly know how good it is, so fill me in on it, how it's done, and how good it is compared to the rest.

Thanks,
Spot

 

[hardykev]

Despite my choice, browning would be the best choice for ease of maintenance, cost, durability and being PC.

I went with the bluing I did because I prefer that look and I wanted the finish in all the nooks and crannies that are hard to reach with a brush-on finish.

 

[Spot Shooter]

Kevin,

I don't really know what browning is, and really liked the looks of your blueing job. I'm hoping one of these blueing / browning experts will weight in.

Spot

I do like the blue look - how much did it run you to have it done?

 

[Rancocas]

"Browning" is basically a rust finish. It is simple, easy, durable, looks good, and has been a common finish on gun parts for hundreds of years.
All the muzzleloaders that I make are browned. I have even browned a couple of modern guns. I like browning better than blueing.
There are lots and lots of different formulas for the browning solution. Some are complicated and take a lot of work. Others are very simple to apply. Most all of them have some kind of mild acid as the main ingredient.
For a commercial browning solution I prefer the "Laurel Mountain Forge" products. If your local gun shop doesn't carry the stuff, you can order it from Dixie Gun Works, Track of the Wolf, or most any other blackpowder firearm supply.
Instructions come with the solution. Basically, you just wipe it on, let it sit for several hours, then wipe it off. Keep doing this until you get the shade of brown that you want. Finally, wipe down the metal with a damp cloth to cut the solution and stop the browning action. Finish by oiling the browned metal.
It is likly that until you get the technique of wiping the parts down correctly, you may get a streaking effect in the metal. If you don't like it, just lightly sand it down and start over.
The Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown solution contains its own built in de-greaser. However, be aware that other products and homemade solutions usually require you to de-grease the metal parts first. Just the natural oils from your own hand can cause blotches on the metal when you attempt to brown it.
Read up and learn to do it right. Nothing hard about it. It just takes a little learning, and some practise.

 

[musketman]

I like the looks of a deep plum brown finish on octagon barrel, keep it oiled and it will maintain it's rich, brown luster...

But for those who can't choose...

Do the breech area plum brown, leave the middle section white and blue the muzzle area...

There you go, something for everyone...

 

[hardykev]

Spot Shooter,

My work ran me $65 for everything. Barrel and all the furniture, save the trigger assembly and the polished cap.

Shop around as the price can vary widely. Make sure you do all the metal polishing prep work yourself as this will impact the price significantly. If you can, check to see if the shop does their own work or if they ship it out. Obviously you want the place that does their own work.

If you have trouble finding someone to do the work, let me know. This person in Colorado Springs will accept ship in work and does Parkerizing and color case hardening as well as bluing.

 

Do the breech area plum brown, leave the middle section white and blue the muzzle area...

Musketman, if you can get the plum brown to be more of a red color you would have a true "American" longrifle

Cody

 

[Spot Shooter]

hmmm....,

So does browning show rust like blueing? Sound's stupid if it's already rust itself, but how do you tell if you've got a problem spot?

Spot (hopefully not a problem)

If any of you have a brown'd version of the GPR please post it so I can have a look.

Thanks!

 

[Zonie]

If you have shovels that look like mine they have a browned finish.
Seriously, if you have a shovel or hoe that has been left outside and "rusted" it will have two kinds of rust on it.

The rough soft kind is rather red and easily steel wooled off. The "deep" rust under it is the kind the muzzleloading sidelocks use.

This Brown rust is just about impossible to remove with steel wool. It is thicker and tougher than gun blueing and resists scratches much better. It is also more porous so it soaks up oil easily which makes it very rustproof.

I have never seen the soft red rust form on a browned barrel. That doesn't mean it can't happen if the barrel IS neglected and NOT oiled occationally. Anything made with iron in it will rust if not properly cared for.

If you can take my hint and get some steel wool and try to remove the rust from your shovel you will see what browning looks like. If you don't have a rusty shovel all I can say is when it is oiled it has a deep, dark brown color. It has a soft semi matt non reflective look to it.