Touching up a browned barrel

[Crow Choker]

OK, my first experience in browning a barrel. Just finished a build on an old CVA 45 flint kit I bought in and around '77-'78. It's been in TLC storage over the years and got busy this winter and finished it. After the first 2-3 applications of Laurel Mountain Forge it looked like one poster somewhere stated it will look like an old iron bar dug out of some junk yard, but after repeated applications following instructions and everything I could read on this forum and Muzzleloaders forum it turned out really nice. A nice chocolate brown.

 I made one mistake though in building. I didn't fit the front and rear sights to the barrel before browning sights and barrel and had to do so after browning. In the process somehow a small 1/8" area in front of the front sight became marred (not down to the steel) and bothered me every time I looked at it, was sort of discolored. Thought of letting it go but my 'fussiness' prevailed.

 I took the front sight off and gently rubbed the area and after degreasing, applied three coats of LMF browning. Was not taking well but had to leave for the evening. 'Carded' the area and applied a light coat of oil. This morning the area was black as night, gently rubbed/carded area. To be frank, area looks like something drug outa a junkyard. Question, I haven't seen any information on how to touch up a small area of a browned barrel. Appreciate any directions on how to do properly.

[Crow Choker]

OK update. After four attempts to touch up the small area in front of the front sight (about an inch), rubbing down the area with steel wool, degreasing with acetone, and browning with no good results, I took the area down to bare steel with 320 paper, degreased with acetone and started the LMF browning steps from step one. I couldn't get the area to brown evenly and in one attempt one area on the flat wanted to stay light. After the first two or so applications it wasn't great (just like when I first started the whole barrel), but it soon was looking even and after 5-6 coats was a nice chocolate brown like the rest of the barrel. Even the corners of the flat are good. Matches the rest of the barrel, even under light and in sunlight there's no evidence that the flat in front of the barrel was redone. Learned alot on this first browning attempt.

Question, I used around 1/4 of the 2.5 oz bottle of LMF browning. Have read 2-3 rifle barrels can be browned with the 2.5 oz bottle. I did spill some on my bench while doing the pistol barrel, but there is appox 3/4 of a bottle left. Will this be enough to brown two MZ barrels. I have a Kibler SMR to do and possibly want to brown another down the road.
(Edit bottle volume from 4 0z to 2.5 oz  )

[bluenoser]

In my experience, there is more than enough to do three guns in a 4 oz bottle, if you use it sparingly. Keep your solution and dauber covered with something like saran wrap or a plastic bag when not in use to cut down on evaporation.  I don't use browning solutions right out of the bottle.  I pour a little into a small plastic container and dip and wring the dauber as required.  Among other things, it reduces the chance of spillage.

[Crow Choker]

As of today, they area I touched up with LMF Browning looks no different than the rest of the chocolate brown colorization of the rest of the barrel. Was surprised with all of the forum members who've browned barrels over the years didn't offer any advice when I first posted of my need for 'how to'. Surely others who are new to browning steel  may have the same question and needed advice.

[Daryl]

Maybe they just figured you'd figure it out by yourself. Been there myself and automatically did just that. I didn't even think to ask directions on the forum. Sometimes experience is the best teacher.
No foul meant nor implied.

[Crow Choker]

Well that may be true. No offense taken by no replies, a few hints though would have saved some head scratching.

[Darkhorse]

FWIW I need to retouch or rebrown a barrel and wasn't sure of the  correct process to do a barrel browned over 20 years ago, so I followed your post with interest. I also wondered why no one chipped in with advice. Maybe the right ones didn't read your post, it may be as simple as that.

[Eric Krewson]

I answered this same question recently, might have been over at the M/L forum, might not have been you. I am always quick to answer questions but I don't think I have ever asked one in the many years I have been on these forums, I just figure it out by myself with multiple trials and failures along the way.

I document everything I do with pictures so I can share the successes with others when they have a question. There are a lot more beginners out there than seasoned builders so that is who I try to help.

Every gun building question under the sun can be reached with the search feature here, I find it difficult to use at times but that is my first order of business to find an answer.

[Crow Choker]

Yes Eric, I posted on both forums and you did respond, thank you. I based my questions/post on the failure to get the small area to brown after repeated attempts. I did search both forums rewording my search title 2-3 times per forum to get some kind of an idea how to successfully retouch the needed area. Sometimes I wonder why posters don't search more vs starting a new thread that gets the same answers as posts that already addressed the question. Anyway, on neither forum after searching could I find any posts that really was geared to my need. Might have missed, can't advise.

 I've performed multiple touchup's over the last 50 some years with cold blue, even bluing complete firearms, both long and handguns with what is called Belgium Blue where you heat the metal in hot boiling distilled water, take out, swab, card, reheat....go through the whole process again until the depth of blue is attained. Was using alot of what I used over the years to touchup my browned barrel but it wasn't taking. Not until taking the area down to bare steel and rebrowning did my touchup succeed, an idea I had from the beginning but didn't want to do unless necessary. Still suspect that some of the area I was attempting to rebrown retained some of the oil I used to season the browning even though I scrubbed the area pretty good with acetone. Anyway, worked out ok, learned alot about browning just in the 12" or so of barrel. Help alot when I brown my Kibler SMR barrel. Take care. CC

[Hawg]

I got a taller rear sight for my woodsrunner from Kibler. I tried and tried to get it to match but it never did.

[Daryl]

Different steels brown differently, I assume.