Re Blueing.

[MeinhardcFJR2]

Hello,

Does anyone out there have any recommendations on which product to use when re-bluing a weapon?

I own an MG34 that is in dire need of renovation, it had originally been parkerised after de-activation in the early 90's and now most of it has now flaked away.

There is no pitting to the metal itself and the weapon is in very good condition save for the finish.

I have tried Birchwood Casey Perma Blue (Cold Blue), which initially looks good after 2 to 3 coats then it appears to take on a Browny shade and not the classic Blue colour.

Any advise wood be greatly appreciated.

Mark.

[phild]

There is no cold blue product that will provide satisfactory results for bluing an entire firearm or even a major part of one.

The only way is have gun reblued is to have a finish applied that approximates the type of the original one. In your case that would be a salt type blue and requres a fair amount of set up in order to perform it. Rather than try and describe process here you can search on the web for what is involved in applying this type of finish or find a gunsmith who specializes in this. England led the world in firearms manufacture and finishing and used to have a lot shops that could do this. I don't know (but suspect) if this has changed over the last few decades given the nature of the gun laws there and the restricted ownership.

There are salt blue kits offered by a company called Brownells that can be used in a home setting.

[MeinhardcFJR2]

Thank you, I will start to ring around.

Cheers,

Mark.

[ChrisCook]

Bluing

I have read a lot of favorable things about Brownell's Oxphoblue. It supposedly holds up much better than all other cold blues, and the color is supposedly the best out of all the cold blues. I haven't tried it, can't get it shipped to Alaska due to it being a hazmat item (too much $$$$) Chris...

[phild]

I agree that Brownell's Oxphoblue is the best that I have seen of the cold blue products. I try to aviod using any form of replacement blue on any part of any collector firearms, however for some of my working guns the occasional touch up of a screw head of sight blade is no big deal.

All of these cold blues use some form metal covering bonding with another chemical form of metal...usually copper that will in turn blacken when the reaction to air takes place. I'm being general and simple here, one can read the 5 page chemical equation BS on some websites if they wish!

It comes down to the fact that some do this better than others and Oxphoblue is about the best, however they all leave the copper smell, waxey gray/brown/blue rainbow appeareance and get worse with time.

One can get away with this in very small areas like a screw head...sometimes...but it neve works well for a large exposed part like a frame or barrel for example.

The hot bluing salts emersion blue was employed in Germany from the mid/late 1930's on. There are many different formulas and metal prep as alawys is very important with unsing this method.

[Suber]

I have been looking hard at purchasing a Parkerizing kit to re-finish a S&W .38 Victory Model revolver. It does not look overly complicated to do Parkerizing in your garage, providing you have all the right stuff.

[Ronnie Fry]

I have parkerized small carbine parts on the stove in my kitchen. (The wife was away in St. Louis) I'll try to get the addrress of the place that I bought the already mixed chems. from. No big deal, just gotta follow the instructions carefully. Get the parts CLEAN, get the solution HOT, and go for it.

r

[Von Hoth]

I have read a lot of favorable things about Brownell's Oxphoblue. It supposedly holds up much better than all other cold blues, and the color is supposedly the best out of all the cold blues. I haven't tried it, can't get it shipped to Alaska due to it being a hazmat item (too much $$$$) Chris...

chris, can't you get it shipped via ferry boat? instead of by plane?

[ChrisCook]

Oxphoblue

The websites don't even give you the option on shipping hazmat items...so when I come down to the "real world" at the end of May I'll be doing some shopping for sure...

Although I do have an interesting story about getting "jacked up" by TSA for having a Parts kit (no receiver or prohibited items) in my checked luggage on a return trip back up here...... Five TSA agents and three police officers later I finally convinced them that parts kits are OK to own, but they still wouldn't le me take them on board, even in checked luggage? Apparently TSA and BATF don't talk w/ each other.....but that's another story... Chris.....