Color case hardened lock - Browning?

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Has anyone ever stripped and browned a lock plate that was originally color case hardened? Im tired of that blue looking stuff and want to Brown my next hawken on the work bench.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You will have to CUT away the old finish to expose new steel.  Use abrasive cloth or wet/dry paper.  You don't need to go finer than 220.  It'll brown fine.

[Mark Elliott]

I would like to suggest that you might not want to brown the lock as such.   Original gun locks were invariably polished and case-hardened although I have never seen one that still had the color on it.    If they end up gray or brown after 200 years, it is by natural aging, and I don't see anything wrong with wanting to recreate that patina.   I usually do that to some extent or another.   Just a thought. 

[Hungry Horse]

 I suspect the color on a CVA lock is just that, color only. It probably can be removed with Naval Jelly or something similar. I'd try that first, rather than investing a lot of time in a gun of such little value.

                Hungry Horse

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

i have blue and rust remover that i can try out. Not really messing with it till after i finish the current one i am working on.