Any ideas? Preferably some sort of chemical like a gun black that doesn't alter dimensions of the metal or its hardness. This is for a boxlock shotgun BTW.

You might consider having it Parkerized.

You mean like a French gray finish?

yes, like a french grey.

quote:

Originally posted by enfieldspares:
yes, like a french grey.

Try French Grey...

Here's the french grey process that I've used to emulate a Browning Pigeon grade grey:
Blue the piece,
Then etch it slightly with dilute Ferric Chloride etchant (I use Radio Shack's Printed Circuit Board etchant cut with 60% pure water)
Then clear coat.
This gives a soft grey finish

quote:

Try French Grey...

Hmm! Not now called "Freedom" Grey then?

Thanks for the reply about the circuit board etchant I had read that thread earlier and think that I will try that route.

+1 on Radio Shack PCB etch-I have used it.

Also, sand blasting from 15-18" away (test!) may just wipe the shine off a bit.

Something silly though-make sure that the bright finish is polished in and not applied (nickel or something similar). Nothing suggested here will help, you'd have to chem strip it and finish it how you want it.

quote:

Something silly though-make sure that the bright finish is polished in and not applied (nickel or something similar).

No. It is the result of a stupid fashion in England in the 1960s to use a polishing wheel to remove the last vestiges of an old finish from the actions of boxlock (and sidelock) shotguns. It certainly was corroasion resistant, cheaper than re-colouring but left them a very bright polished white metal.

It was called "Old English silver finish". It is really very very shiny bright almost like the action is chrome or nickel plated...which it isn't. I'm trying to dull it back down so that it doesn't reflect the sun so much.

way back...I was a Bowning dealer..From Morgan UT...bead blast with the finest glass beads, "blacken" the engraving with paint , printers ink...whatever...then spray with lacquer..Ti will match exactly the pigeon grade...cause this is the way they did it!