Does anyone know what type of steel Remington used in 1955 11-48 shotgun receivers? I have a customer trying to rust blue his 11-48. The barrel blued fine in two passes. But the receiver and mag tube refuse to rust or color. Reminds me of those "monkey metal" Win '94's from the 60's and 70's. I've rust blued 870's and 1100's with no issue.

Bob
www.rustblue.com

I've hot blued many of them over the years and they take fine. Rust blue, I can't say. I have an 878 here right now for repair and I put a spot of cold blue on it and it takes to it like a fat kid on a bag of Snickers Bars. So rust blue should take no problem. Not enough head on the wheels could have burnished the surface. Or it's a cleanliness issue.

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Not enough head on the wheels could have burnished the surface. Or it's a cleanliness issue.

Yeah, I suspect cleanliness. He just called and told me he first used Polish-O-Ray compound, then sanded with 320 grit, rinsed with acetone and paint thinner. Sent me some pics and they look splotchy. He basically didn't follow directions. Used the entire bottle on the barrel and receiver! Probably wiped off what he was putting on.

The plastic carrier in the Polish-O-ray grit sticks to the metal like baby shit to a diaper. It goes right into the polishing lines. Rinse it about 4 times with lacquer thinner. Then hand card it with scotch-brite pads of the appropriate grit and water to break the hardened burnishing and go into the soap and water boil before bluing.

I should have been clearer. The solvents are liquefying the carrier left by the polishing compound and spreading it around. Get as much off as you can with lacquer thinner, then cut the remainder away with the scotch-brite and water. The scotch-brite will also break the surface hardening left by the polishing wheels and give the acid a more even bite.

Thank you Rod!

Yes that is what I do; scotch bright pads, acetone. NEVER buff metal with any polishing compound that is going to be rust blued for the reasons Speer said. It won't come out of the pores. Hot bluing cuts it out with boiling lye.
I hot blued an 11-48 once and it blued like soft low carbon steel, which I suspect it is.