fowler barrel in the white

[Maurice]

I considering leaving my fowler barrel “in the white”. Looking for suggestions/comments on a sandpaper grit for a final polishing/sanding of the barrel. Or is steel wool a better option? Or do nothing. If needed for responses, time period would be a new American made copy of a British fowler in the mid-1700s.  Any pictures of “in the white” barrels after time would be appreciated.

[Eric Krewson]

This isn't in the white but close to it, blue rubbed back to gray, I found gray to be the least durable of all the finishes you can put a firearm because it literally rubs off over time.

This about 10 years down the road from what was a gray finish, the barrel has been kept well-oiled but the patina formed anyway and I like it. 220 grit sand paper was as fine as I went on this barrel.

The finish started like this;



The gray is mostly gone and the barrel looks like this now;



A couple more pictures, I left the lock bright on this fowler and went to 000 steel wool on it.

As just finished;



This morning, the polished lock stayed bright.