Browning a barrel

[reloader4410]

My father inlaw recently gave me a rifle he built, it had a browned barrel. looks to be a cold prosess ,is there a hot tank prosses? what is the history between browning & blueing? was there many sharps rifles browned instead of blued? forgive my spelling ect,my proof reader is at work . Thanks before hand.

[Badger]

You can either use Birchwood Casey's Plum Brown for a hot brown or there are also cold brown methods which are probably easier to do on a barrel as its often difficult to get an even finish using hot brown unless you've got an oven big enough to hold the barrel. Try Laurel Mountain's browning solution. You can get it through Track of the Wolf or Brownells. Easy to apply and gives a very good finish. Good directions come with it.

[ironramrod]

Reloader,

I have used Birchwood Caseys Plum brown on several barrels, and in every case the barrels turned out really nice; a very dark chocolate brown. The directions are straight forward, and you really can't miss. It takes a little time, but the results are worth the effort.

I have used the oven to heat the barrel, and that works good providing your barrel will fit into your oven. An alternative for the longer barrels is gradually and carefully heating all over with a propane torch to what I call sizzle temperature; like touching a hot clothes iron with a wet finger. This works good too, but it takes a little longer.

Now that you mention browned barrels, I got a couple of blued octagon barrels down in the gun room right now that I may go under the emory paper and brown. A fun project, and I like the brown better than the blue anyway.

Regards

[Trigger Dr]

Another process for browning a barrel is to heavily grease the action and all parts you want to stay the same. Grease the INSIDE of the barrel, put a cork in each end and suspend it over a pan od salt water in a warm area. Rust will form in short order, and you can then work it to your satisfaction with steel wool and light oil
I have done several barrels this way and it does work but keep a close eye on it.
Trigger Dr

[Tasmanian Rebel]

Ironramrod, your post brought back memories of my first barrel browning I did in 1979. I hung the barrel of a new Hawken rifle with wires and went over it lightly with a propane torch followed by Birchwood Caseys browning solution( I think that was the brand). The barrel would steam when I applied the stuff and I had the misfortune of inhaling a bit of that steam. Almost immediately I had a choking sensation followed by shortness of breath which lasted for about 30 min. Being a chemical major in college and a medical student I later looked at the label and realized I had just produce phosgene gas-the same stuff I think they used on troops in WW1. I don't know if the current solution is the same chemically but be careful with this stuff!