Stainless GM barrel, can you blue/brown?

[Mad Professor]

I couldn't resist the deal GM has right now. Friend and I got two 50 cal barrels for $199. Anyone know what can be done to treat stainless barrels similar to bluing/browning? Both of us will use these for hunting soon so want to avoid the shiny finish of the stainless. Hope I don't have to resort to a camo paint job.........

Thanks in advance, Tony

 

No on the browning or bluing of stainless. The only thought I have is Paint it. :curse: If you do a lot of play ing with it you mite do some thing that way that mite not look to bad. Something like a flat black then spalted with some red. primer using a bug bomb all of the way. (Spay can) Just play with it. You can,t hurt the stainnless you can alis take some paint striper to it if you don't like how it turns out. I would start with your buddy's ::
David of David's Painting

 

[guncobbler]

I used a baked on high temperature paint like the ones you would use to paint a BBQ grill. Turned out to be quite durable and since it's only paint what scratches I've got on it don't bother me. It was pretty simple: Clean, spray, let dry then bake in my oven when family was gone GC

 

[CrackStock]

It is hard to color stainless -- hence its name! :crackup:

A company named ROBAR had a process for darkening it with an NP3. The costs involved will make you wish that you had purchased a barrel of a different material. :imo:

CS

 

[triplefg]

I'd either go with a matte satin finish or paint it. Either way you'd have to hand sand or bead blast the barrel. If you get it bead blasted, which shouldn't be that pricey, the paint will stick better and be less prone to scratches. You might even be able to find a nice brown colour paint that mimics rust browning...

 

[BLAHMAN]

It sorta depends on what is put into the stainless that makes it stainless.

Stainless simply means it stains less.

I have seen industrial grade stainless become pitted, rusty and corroded due to chemicals like bleach.

 

[roundball]

I couldn't resist the deal GM has right now. Friend and I got two 50 cal barrels for $199. Anyone know what can be done to treat stainless barrels similar to bluing/browning? Both of us will use these for hunting soon so want to avoid the shiny finish of the stainless. Hope I don't have to resort to a camo paint job.........

Thanks in advance, Tony

A couple of thoughts:

If you're worried about the stainless bothering the deer, I don't believe it has any effect at all...I hunted a stainless ML 15 years ago, got my share...and ever since then I've hunted TC Hawkens with brass polished so shiny you can count your teeth in it, no problems.

However, if you feel strongly you want to cover it and are short of time, you can temporarily cover it using a roll of 2" wide cloth camo adhesive tape...run a strip full length top and a strip full length bottom of the barrel...peel it off after the season if you want to do something different, etc.

 

[KampKool]

It sorta depends on what is put into the stainless that makes it stainless.

Stainless simply means it stains less.

I have seen industrial grade stainless become pitted, rusty and corroded due to chemicals like bleach.

We used a Nitric/hydroflouric acid mix to 'passivate' Stainless Steel tankers. It used to brown the surface and after it was washed off, the stainless was sealed...Two nasty acids and the 'brown' would wash off....

 

[Mr Nick]

Brownell's makes a baking laquer available in pints or spray can. This stuff is designed for firearms and puts on a thin durable coating. Bead blast, spray on paint, allow to dry and bake in oven. I have used in on several firearms and love it.

 

[Mad Professor]

I'd either go with a matte satin finish or paint it. Either way you'd have to hand sand or bead blast the barrel. If you get it bead blasted, which shouldn't be that pricey, the paint will stick better and be less prone to scratches. You might even be able to find a nice brown colour paint that mimics rust browning...

Got on Brownell's website and found they do have a formula to blue stainless but it's not for small scale setups or user friendly on a smallscale:

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/P...amp;s=3944#3944

However they do have several options available for do it your self spray on coatings and the tech. reps there are quite friendly and helpful. The one I talked to suggested roughing up the surface with sand/bead blast and/or sandpaper then going with one of the spray ons. You need to bake these at low temp (ca. 300 F) for ca. 1/2 hour which is not so hot as to effect the barrel. I'll post some pics with the results when I'm done.

see:

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1143&title=AEROSOL+BAKING+LACQUER

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1117&title=ALUMA-HYDE+II