Barrel Treatment on Lock Parts?

[Silky]

Is it common to apply the same treatment (bluing or browning) to the lock as you do to the barrel?  I haven't seen much on this topic, though lots of pictures seem to show that it is done.

If so, do you prep the lock parts the same way you do the barrel, i.e. sanding/draw-filing?  I assume you would leave the face of the frizzen untouched?

Any tips/advice is much appreciated.  I plan to rust-blue mine, if that helps.

Thanks!

- Tom

[Mark Elliott]

My work with and examination of old guns leads me to believe that most locks and many barrels were left white.   Lock plates were generally polished and case hardened, even on the cheapest.    Locks, more than any other part,  look to me as having naturally rusted over time leaving a more gray appearance than anything else.   Also, as I think about it, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me to intentionally rust a new lock as we often do to make them look old.   There is plenty of written evidence from early advertisements from the late 18th century on that the barrels were blued(charcoal or rust) and browned as an aftermarket activity.   As it is practically impossible to know how guns looked when new, I do one of two treatments;  polish bright/white (brass mounted) and add a slight patina or on iron mounted guns add a heavily rusted patina to parts left in the white.   We know that many iron mounted guns had charcoal blued or blackened(burned linseed oil) mounts and barrels, but I have yet to finish one like this.    It would look so odd with the polished dark blue finish,  I am not sure anyone would want it like that.   They are so used to looking at them 200 years old.  

[Long Ears]

It depends on what you like. I'm fond of the rust blue finish on the lock as well. You can leave it white or just leave the cock white. It all looks good. And yes, I file, sand and stone the lock parts to nearly a chrome finish. Bob

[E.vonAschwege]

Mark is correct that generally, most original locks were case hardened and then polished bright.  Some fancy European and late flint period locks were left with the case hardened finish.  Upon close inspection of many original guns, you can tell that the locks were once brightly polished. 

I think a bright lock and barrel combination looks best when it's had a few years to mellow out with some light surface rust (hard to duplicate when building new).  The original guns we see that are still looking "shiny" have a mottled bright/brown appearance, suggesting they were also finished bright to begin with. 

Yes to leaving the face of the frizzen untouched

Today, I've seen just about every combination of barrel and lock possible - I don't think there's a wrong way to do it, well, don't fire blue the lock to look like a robin's egg at least  .  If you're going to rust blue the parts, they don't need to be polished like crazy, just get the file marks out if you can.  If it's too shiny then the rust will have trouble starting. 

-Eric

[WadePatton]

I like to remove all signs of casting left on the parts.  I've over-polished for my school now, but use and residue shall overcome.

If a file readily bites into the face of the frizzen then you probably need to harden it.  

[whitebear]

  I assume you would leave the face of the frizzen untouched?

Any tips/advice is much appreciated.  I plan to rust-blue mine, if that helps.

Thanks!

- Tom
[/quote]

If you can do anything to the face of the frizzen then it needs re hardening or replacing.

[deano]

Just don't brown the inside parts of the lock.....my store bought Lyman GPR was blued on the inside so I just assumed the lock got the full treatment.  A bonehead beginner mistake that took a full week to polish off after my Siler just wasn't as smooth as it used to be.