Barrel Browning

[smoke]

Hi: What is your favourite browning agent. Dan

[rsells]

Davis Browning solutions or Homer Dangler's browning solutions have worked good for me over the years.
                                                                                      Roger

[Lucky R A]

The above plus Mike Lea's Tru Brown,  all are easier to work with than Laurel Mountain browing solution. 

[Potsy]

Just wondering, why are they easier to work with?
Can you rust blue with them like the Laurel Mountain Forge?
Hopefully I'll be browning (or bluing) my first one this fall and I'm trying to figure all this out.

[Dphariss]

Just wondering, why are they easier to work with?
Can you rust blue with them like the Laurel Mountain Forge?
Hopefully I'll be browning (or bluing) my first one this fall and I'm trying to figure all this out.

For rust bluing you need some nitric in the mix.
I was using Laurel Mtn brown and AF stock stain mixed for the best store bought solution for rust bluing.
Nitric will produce a better blue IMO. It will also keep working in dry climates when others, including some store bought rust blue solutions quit working after 3 coats or so.
Dan

[hyltoto]

dont wait too long, you need humidity to make the stuff work. Modern houses are way too dry. I don't even try it if there is not at least 45% humidity in my basement.

[DTCoffin]

DP, what ratio did you use with brown solution and aqua-fortis.I would like to have a rust blued barrel on my current project and happen to have a little aqua-fortis left from previous build.Thanks

[satwel]

Dan,
The best barrel browning results I have achieved were with Tru-Brown Browning Reagent from Wahkon Bay Outfitting Co. I read on this board that the original producer stopped manufacturing it several years ago, but I believe it is available again.

[Benedict]

Dan,
The best barrel browning results I have achieved were with Tru-Brown Browning Reagent from Wahkon Bay Outfitting Co. I read on this board that the original producer stopped manufacturing it several years ago, but I believe it is available again.

I found this browning agent to be very good producing a nice brown and working consistently even in dry climates.  I believe the Mike Lea is now selling it.

Bruce

[Dphariss]

DP, what ratio did you use with brown solution and aqua-fortis.I would like to have a rust blued barrel on my current project and happen to have a little aqua-fortis left from previous build.Thanks

About 50-50.
I just dumped in some, tried it and it worked.
People should note that rust bluing is not the same as browning. Boiling the part and converting the red oxide to black oxide produces a very different surface than simple rusting. The surface is harder and more rust resistant than the red oxide and once well established it does not rust well without some nitric in the mix.
The nitric also produces better color IMO.
The barrel must be tightly plugged with wood plugs and the bore kept oiled. Plugs are removed after each boiling, the bore wiped and dry plugs installed. I card with *degreased* 0000 steel wool.
I got the idea for adding the nitric from a formula in Angier's book "Firearms Bluing and Browning".

Dan

[Benedict]

About 50-50.
I just dumped in some, tried it and it worked.
People should note that rust bluing is not the same as browning. Boiling the part and converting the red oxide to black oxide produces a very different surface than simple rusting. The surface is harder and more rust resistant than the red oxide and once well established it does not rust well without some nitric in the mix.
The nitric also produces better color IMO.
The barrel must be tightly plugged with wood plugs and the bore kept oiled. Plugs are removed after each boiling, the bore wiped and dry plugs installed. I card with *degreased* 0000 steel wool.
I got the idea for adding the nitric from a formula in Angier's book "Firearms Bluing and Browning".

Dan

Dan,
How long do you leave the solution on before boiling again?

Bruce

[Dphariss]

Dan,
How long do you leave the solution on before boiling again?

Bruce

Till I got a decent rust coating. Usually 24-48 hours.
I took to using a damp box, but a room type humidifier works too with the barrel hung 2-3 feet above it. Where I live the humidity is often under 30% and sometimes single digits is summer.
I was doing mostly 4140 barrels and these and even 1137 are tougher to rust.

Dan