Old Time Browning ?

[54ball]

Hello,
It seems I have read that the old time gunsmiths sometimes placed rifle barrels in a pile of rotting hardwood leaves. They would place the barrels in deep where the leaves were fragrant, moist and black. I have seen this done as a child with steel traps to turn them brown and keep them from rusting. I assume they carded off the barrels as needed. It seems this process took several days or weeks. Have any of You heard of this?
Thank You.

 

54ball:
There are as many ways to brown a barrel as there are recipies for patch lube. Well....almost.
I've done one with great results, proving beyond a doubt that ANYONE can do it if I can.
I've read of one way that I have to try one day.
Get a dressed 200 pound porker and roast him over an open fire.
I recommend you do this outside.
Well with all the smoke and all.
Shove the barrel up the porkers behind and after about 14 hours the barrel will be BLACK and later patina out to a chocolate brown. :huh:
There IS a shortcut if the barrel isn't real long.
Put the barrel in a vessel of some sort, cover with lard, bacon grease is better (salt ya know), and put it in your oven, better yet a clay oven you've just built in the back yard.
Cook the sucker in the grease just to simmer gently untill it turns black, cool, wipe down. It will NEVER rust but again patina out to a rich chocolate brown.
:m2c:
By the way all this takes is some small effort and a lota time. You'll have the time as you will be divorced soon and you'll need to save the $$$ after you get zapped in court. :haha: :haha:

 

[Slowpoke]

I never heard of the leaves, but I buddy that browned one of his barrels with urine. Every morning he would go outside and take care of business. He did it for a month and it turned out nice. The funny thing is that he carded it 4 times! :shake: