browning solution ?

[dave m.1]

this may sound like a beginners question(which i am). I'm getting ready to brown the barrel of my first rifle,i'm using track's cold brown.  will the browning solution do anything to the brass and silver of my front sight,which is already installed?  iwould hate to have to take it back out,I had a hard time with it,like I said first gun

[Pete G.]

Browning is a controlled rusting process. Brass and silver do not rust, so you are OK.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Laurel Mountain Forge's solution puts a brown finish on brass.
But you should be browning the barrel clean of sights.  With sights installed, it will be nearly impossible to not get a puddling of the solution around the sights.  It will not be an even brown with sights installed prior.  Underlugs, staples, or loops is a different matter.  They are on the bottom flat where it is not nearly as important.
To answer the question though, try a little on a Q tip on some clean brass and silver, and see what happens.

[Rolf]

Hi Dave, I'm working on my first gun and in the same situation as you. I bought the book "Firearm blueing and browning" by R.H Angier. According to this book browning and blueing solutions containing nitric acid and copper salts should be avoided on barrel with silver inlays. Brown finish on brass could be caused by"copper plating" by copper salts in an acid solution.

The book has several recipes  on browning/blueing solutions . I plan to use recipe
Aa.22. Black browne.

Bismuth oxychloride   1.6g
Hydrochloric acid cons. 9.0g
Alcohol 90⁰  8.0g
Water t.s to make 100.0 ccm.

According to the book this should give "A particularly excellent brown", and if I've understood the book correctly, it should not discolor silver or brass.

Best regards
Rolfkt

[Birddog6]

If it went in, it will come back out if in a dovetail. If it won't it is too tight & you need to work on it, as you may need that adjustment there.
I brown all of my parts individually, barrel, T/guard, patchbox, screws, lock disassembled, etc.   I brown with Wahkon Bay Tru-Brown & card with a Dixcel wheel & do one in less than 24 hrs. Usually brown in a steamy bathroom &  BE SURE     to put some plastic down on the area, or you will have one *#)*^~ off squaw !!   

[Nate McKenzie]

Also, any oil under the sights will bleed out and screw up the browning. Ditch the sights.