Browning of firearms

[Dphariss]

 According to  the introduction in Angier's "Firearms Browning and Bluing" browning was a common finish for English sorting arms by 1720.
There are reports of "russetting" of barrels in London in 1637.
I finally got around the checking yesterday.
Dan

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Dan, I found your post most enlightening.  I have just gone ahead and browned barrels on all but one longrifle, just to get a protective finish, not worrying whether it is correct or not.  And if I interpret what you post here correctly, I am not far off the mark.
When I built my Long Land Pattern Brown Bess 1728, I polished the barrel and shot it like that for years.  I did quite well too, but there were times when the sun was in front of me that I had a lot of glare on the polished steel.  So I browned it, and not a fine grained brown either.  I used LMF brown and did no carding.  the result was a deep, dark, coarse brown.  But I have to say, it did not improve my score.  At least it is PC to have it browned so.

thanks for the info.

[Roger Fisher]

I brown mine (Laurel Mt) most til they 'start' to pit (no,no not in the bore ) does in fact help in bright sunlight shooting!

A long ago friend of mine (lost to cancer) was a very good and fussy builder. He built a beauty of an Armstrong with that fancy horseshoe inlay around the barrel tang in german silverI can still see him spraying sight black on that inlay area to shoot..

[Daryl]

I like the Laurel Mountain due to it's aggressive nature, especially on the top flat and rear sight.  I had to hand a wet rag beside the barrel this time to get it to work- pretty dry in the shop this time of year.  It took over a week to get a descent finish, but I'm happy with it.  Now all I have to do is make an underib for it.  The Canoe gun is no more - it's my new 1/2 stock squirrel rifle in .40 cal.

[Feltwad]

What has been said on browning barrels to stop the sun from reflecting along them is correct the early browning was a solution of mostly salt and water which gave a coarse  browning. Another point that was common especially on sporting guns was that if the browning wore off then they would give them a coat of black lacquer this method was carried on into the breech loading era, it was a good thing because it did preserve Damascus barrels from the elements.I have come across this procedure many times with restoration.
Feltwad

[Roger Fisher]

I like the Laurel Mountain due to it's aggressive nature, especially on the top flat and rear sight.  I had to hand a wet rag beside the barrel this time to get it to work- pretty dry in the shop this time of year.  It took over a week to get a descent finish, but I'm happy with it.  Now all I have to do is make an underib for it.  The Canoe gun is no more - it's my new 1/2 stock squirrel rifle in .40 cal.

My browning 'tank' is a 55 gal barrel which I use blocks across the open top to gain the neccesary length for the longer barrels in which I hang and lay damp or wet rags 2 or so, and a extension cord light bulb (lit mostly ) I cover the top with an old rain coat.  This in my basement.  I sleep better at night if I turn the bulb off!  (meaning the bulb in the barrel) Barrel and smalls hang from wires.   I refer here to cold brown.  Card em off with burlap 'tween' sessions.....!

BTW I must add that I switch the barrel end for end at times since being in the vertical position seems the browning leaches to the lower end and gives uneven job if I don't turn the job!

[mykeal]

Using LMF:

I built a wood fixture that attaches to a large, stable sawhorse; it holds a dowel that fits in the bore to support the muzzle end and a notched board for the breech end. Small parts sit on top of the sawhorse or hang suspended from it. The whole thing goes in the basement bathroom; I turn on the shower with full hot water and wait till the fog makes my glasses unusable. Then shut off the water, apply the solution, shut the bathroom door and go back to work at the bench. After wiping off the glasses, of course.

[tg]

There are early references to browning barrels in Europe what is there in the way of references to it being used in the colonies before 1780?

[R. Hare]

Bluing was used right through this time period as well.
but some of the brilliant bright blues are hard on the eyes!

In "Great British Gunmakers, 1740 -1790"    there are plenty of examples of originals still with bluing on the barrels.
I think that browning is easier on the eyes than a bright blue, but  a dark charcoal blue  is ok for a rifle.

[Feltwad]

Most of the old blues on barrels here in the UK were heat blue another common method in the late percussion and the early breech loading period was the Birmingham Black this is a coarse dark blue and I still use it today on restoration.
Feltwad

[Daryl]

Wanna see a nice blue - just go to Jerry Huddleson's site and view the last pistol - WOW! doesn't even come close to doing it justice.