English Fowler metal finish

[Longknife]

I have a circa 1810 1/2 stock English single barrel fowler. The barrel had been wire wheeled and the other steel parts were coated with rust---pitted. I posted here some time ago about refinishing the barrel and up on testing, I discovered the barrel is not damascus.  I aquired the necessary chemicals for rebrowning the  barrel and then the project got put on hold......... Now... when removing the other steel parts there was quite a bit of blue on the undersides. The standing breech and patent breech plug also were a nice blue color on the underside. Is there any chance this circa 1810 gun was blued at time of manufacture? ....Ed

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Certainly.  I could have been rust blued, or perhaps even charcoal blued.

[keweenaw]

The typical finish used on the hardware of  English guns of that period was to charcoal blue the trigger guard and butt plate.  The standing breech and breech plug would almost surely have been color case hardened.  These pieces would most like not have been rust blued. 

Tom

[Feltwad]

Yes there were several types of blueing for that period mostly used on iron barrels .it is applied the same has Damascus browning  until rusted then it is scolder ed with boiling water which then changes to a blue .Sometimes on the steel furniture fire blueing was used
Later there was a solution that was known has Birmingham black and mostly applied to the military weapons of the late percussion and early breech loaders I use both of these solutions in my workshop on restorations.
Feltwad

[Longknife]

Thanks for the replies. All the help and knowledge here is greatly appreciated ...Ed