Plugging muzzle for browning

[PathfinderNC]

I use a twisted, slightly oily paper towel. Insert it in an inch or so with a bit sticking outside the muzzle. Twist it to expand and that’s all it takes.
I don’t brown the face of the muzzle.

 

[cannonball1]

6 to 8 inch undersize dowel. build up one end of the dowell to barely fit into the barrel, and on the other end build it up to the bore size then telescope the last wraps so it is oversized to the bore. Drive the electrical taped dowel with a mallet until it stops. The oversize amount of tape will stop it. I want a clean bore and want the moisture sealed out. I have done a lot if barrels like this and never had a leak.

 

[Robby]

Tapered soft wood plug and bow string wax.
Robby

 

[Eric Krewson]

I have found when plugging the touch hole a green twig whittled down seals much better than a toothpick.

 

[Art Caputo]

I used a piece of modeling clay that was included in a Brownell barrel bedding kit, squeezed in the bore about 1/2” where I applied a thin coat of Minwax to the clay contact area inside the bore. Neatly trimmed the clay to the crown bevel….Worked well. Used a toothpick wrapped in a thin piece of plastic from a Baggie as a gasket for the flash hole. Just pulled the whole affair out when done.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

No need for a watertight seal. I do use a dowel in the muzzle for a handle.

Exactly. I also use the dowel as a handle and means to support and suspend the barrel in a humidity chamber.

 

[mooman76]

I used a slightly oversize lead RB tapped into the bore just enough to seal it.

 

[oldwood]

If you use one of the rust browning solutions like Laurel Mtn . Forge , or the one Davis' used to sell , etc , there are a couple important must-do's . 1. Smooth the metal to as shiny a finish w/ the emory cloth you prefer. Personally , my final step before the solution is a very fine high speed wire wheel with the wheel going with the direction of the oct. flats. The top five flats are all I Prep. Those in the wood , nobody sees. 18th century smiths did it this way. 2. You need to wear clean cotton gloves for the wire wheel step. Don't touch the metal w/o gloves during or after the wire wheel step. The beauty of using the wire wheel is that ALL the oils are removed completely . This level of complete oil removal can't be achieved by washing with any other means to my knowledge.
3. Application of the browning solution precludes plugging the touch hole or the muzzle. Your not going to use sloppy amounts of solution. The key to a smooth artifact free application , is using a minimum amt. of solution on a 1/4 " thick X 1" square clean cotton tee shirt swab. I use a hemostat to hold the swab. Lay the barrel on 2 ea. flat side hardwood blocks . Space one at each end of the barrel w/ it laid on top of them , so the barrel can be rolled back and forth with the flats being swabbed in the up position. 4. Wet the swab and wring it out a little against the inside of the vessel the solution is in. Start at the breach plug using long strokes w/ NO RUNS , NO PUDDLES. Swab just enough to remove any runs and puddles.
5. I use a home made damp box , since I'm impatient , and don't like to waste time. The damp box speeds browning to over night. A second coating should be left in the box an additional 1/2 day unless a rough surface is desired. I like this method because it is unfailing , controlable , and looks old. ..........To stop the rusting process , wash the outside of the barrel with water and wet rag , dry w/ a heat gun , wipe the bore w/ rust preservative , and apply gunstock finish to the outside of the octagon flats............. oldwood

 

[Reno]

I don’t drill the touch hole until almost the very last thing. I have hung barrels with a coat hanger. Using a hole in the tang to suspend them. I have used RIG at the muzzle ams once or twice a wooden plug. I paint the browning sol on ams am careful when I get near the muzzle. Never had a problem. Even without the wooden plug.

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

And for the hot water bath to turn the brown to black - what is everyone using? I have thought of a piece of 2" dia. PVC pipe with an end cap; pour the boiling water over the barrel suspended in said pipe. Good or not good, that is the question..... to mis-quote the Bard.

 

[3Setters]

Craig, thats what ive used for unmentionable shotguns. Works great. No need to suspend the barrel.

 

[flntlokr]

I have only done cold browns. I hang the barrels from a wire hook through the tang screw hole, and have a long skinny plastic bag which I pull down over the wet barrel after each wetting, and let them hang in a warm place. I have never bothered plugging the holes.

 

[Bergmann]

Getting setup for applying LMF browning solution to my Rice 40. Cal barrel. Question, is a simple dowel plug at the muzzle and a toothpick at the touch hole sufficient? It seems logically simple…. Or is there another way? Thought I’d better ask than to have another “uh-oh”.

Never done either of those things and I've never had a problem in "several hundred" barrels done with LMF! The key is not to slop on the coats! If you can squeeze liquid out of the patch it's too wet! All it takes is a patch iust damp enough that it leaves a damp film on the barrel, and just a swipe around the face of the muzzle! It rarely takes more than 4 coats. Between coats I wash it down with water and a sponge. When the brown is the way I like it I put the barrel in a PVC pipe filled with a saturated solution of baking soda and water for an hour and then wash it off with a garden hose! Remove the excess water with patches and set the barrel in the sun or a warm corner to dry - H have used a hair dryer! I use type F automatic Transmission fluid to oil the barrel; but that's a matter of preference! If the surface is too rough I use paper towels to scrub is smooth and re-oil! You can also lightly oil the bore, if you are worried - as long as you clean it off the outside before you apply the solution!

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Getting setup for applying LMF browning solution to my Rice 40. Cal barrel. Question, is a simple dowel plug at the muzzle and a toothpick at the touch hole sufficient? It seems logically simple…. Or is there another way? Thought I’d better ask than to have another “uh-oh”.

Question: Are you going to brown the barrel without the back sight on? If so, what type of sight finish are you planning?
Thanks
Larry

 

[Red Owl]

I put in a dowel just to have a handle to manipulate the barrel. The LMF browning solution is very easy to use. ONE WIPE, don't go back and forward. If you do you get a copper effect and have to start over. IF YOU MISS A SPOT don't worry- get it on the next coat. I made a "damp box with wet towel and lamp inside. Doesn't have to be very complicated. You can take down the grit too fine. I was going to 600 grit and the rust wouldn't take. 320 is much better and I've done only 240 and the results were fine.
You can finish with boiled linseed or beeswax BUT TRY a spot on the underside of the barrel to see if you like the effect.

 

[windini]

And for the hot water bath to turn the brown to black - what is everyone using? I have thought of a piece of 2" dia. PVC pipe with an end cap; pour the boiling water over the barrel suspended in said pipe. Good or not good, that is the question..... to mis-quote the Bard.

I think I tend to overthink things... I'm confident someone will come along soon and confirm that! But here's how I did my first barrel, from an FIE-branded .45 cal Kentucky rifle:

I had a local shop fabricate a rectangular tank and lid for me. It was about $150 (?) several years ago. I wish I could say I planned this, but it just worked out that it fit diagonally across my stove! I have a 5th burner in the middle, but it would work with just the two in the corners.

Rubber stopper in the muzzle, bolt with teflon tape in the nipple hole; Brownell's version of Pilkington's rust blue formula.

I carded it with degreaased steel wool, then another treatment & hung it in a closet. I put a small crockpot style party dip warmer under it to provide humidity.

It came out good enough for me!

Footnote: Though attractive, it was ineffective at correcting my accuracy issues. Gonna have to blame that on the nut behind the trigger...

EDIT: You can see the bent 1/8" steel rod end brackets I made to suspend the bbl in the tank. (Tank is 38" long.) I subsequently addred a mid-tank "saddle" to support shorter bbls.

 

[Mule333]

Question: Are you going to brown the barrel without the back sight on? If so, what type of sight finish are you planning?
Thanks
Larry

Ooooppps.... never thought about leaving the rear sight on.... I'll have to fix that later.

At the moment I'm "rust blueing" the barrel in a PVC trough, per LMF instructions.

Can you "rust blue" any parts of the lock.

 

[SDSmlf]

Can you "rust blue" any parts of the lock.

Any carbon steel parts will rust blue.

Look up using steam instead of boiling water when rust bluing. Much easier in my opinion that boiling distilled water.

 

[Mule333]

Picture’s are pretty much self explanatory.I’ve achieved exactly what I was hoping for. Beautiful rust blue.
Thanks to all

 

[oldwood]

For a unique bluish brown , a brown that's dark , and very simple to accomplish. First , rust brown with one of the Laurel Mtn. Forge type brown solutions. Once the barrel has been browned , and dried after water rinse ,simply apply a selenium dioxide base cold blue solution. It blues right through the rust brown and darkens the browning base color. Then just continue sealing the brown process with stock finish , Watco oil or whatever........oldwood