I helped a local gunsmith with some bluing work. I had a couple actions and some small parts that needed to get blued and he did'nt charge much because I helped out with some other bluing jobs that he was doing.

Anyhow, he had some barrels that he was doing and I asked him, "arent you supposed to plug the barrel before they get dipped?" He said that he knows of no good way to plug the barrel that will ensure that the air in the barrel wont expand and blow the plugs out. Makes sense, I guess.

It goes without mentioning that I would not want by bore blued. I assume it would be done the same way for parkerizing. Is this the correct way for a gunsmith to perform the task of barrel bluing or is there a better way?

He better not plug the barrels. Wou SHALL have an eruption! You've never been burnt by hot blueing salts have you?

Just why would you care if the barrel was blued internally. While it has been 30 years since I did any hot bluing... I always thought it did a fine job of cleaning the bores! Now seriousily, the actual depth of the bluing's penetration into the steel is so shallow and the all to soon removal by firing and cleaning I can't see a reason to be concerned. And yes I have been burned that way... never again!

NO!!!
plugging the bores would result in what doug said.. ERUPTION!!! the barrel and air inside is would go from ambient to 290deg in seconds,.. the air would expand, and a very high PH very HOT fluid would spray all over the place.

not a pleasant idea
jeffe

OK, I get the point. I just thought bluing, and parkerizing, would somehow affect the bore in one way or another. Is that how factory rifles are done?

ratboy

You're right about parkerizing. Don't want the bore parkerized. So you plug the bore for that. The same for the hot or cold rust or acid bluing. What you're talking about is niter bluing, a different process, and you definitely don't want to plug the bore for that. Niter bluing is not technically "bluing". It is blacking. Black oxidizing to be specific.

Ray

quote:

Originally posted by D Humbarger:
You've never been burnt by hot blueing salts have you?

While I can't say that I have firsthand experience with this, it seems that EVERY gunsmith I've ever talked to that HAS been burnt by hot bluing salts always has a strong reaction when telling the story!

Must be quite the experience!

quote:

Originally posted by Cold Bore:

quote:

Originally posted by D Humbarger:
You've never been burnt by hot blueing salts have you?

While I can't say that I have firsthand experience with this, it seems that EVERY gunsmith I've ever talked to that HAS been burnt by hot bluing salts always has a strong reaction when telling the story!

Must be quite the experience!

Thats the same reaction/impression I got.

While bluing salts get warm, perhaps a few of you all would care to mention a tad of moisture entering the casting pot, and the attending eruption of molten lead vacating same....

Nasty business!

quote:

Originally posted by Cheechako:
ratboy

You're right about parkerizing. Don't want the bore parkerized. So you plug the bore for that. The same for the hot or cold rust or acid bluing. What you're talking about is niter bluing, a different process, and you definitely don't want to plug the bore for that. Niter bluing is not technically "bluing". It is blacking. Black oxidizing to be specific.

Ray

Maybe we are using different terms for things, but Nitre Bluing is done at a temperature of about 600 degrees, and is normally only used for smaller non critical parts like screws, pins, buttplates, etc.

Nitre Bluing salts don’t even turn to a liquid much below 300 degrees.

At 600 degrees I don’t think anyone would want to use this process for barrels or receivers.

Rick

I should have said nitrate bluing. Sorry. Old time gunsmiths were very contemptuous of any but the rust blue processes and referred to the black oxide finishes as "a nitre job".

Ray

quote:

Originally posted by Cheechako:
Rick

I should have said nitrate bluing. Sorry. Old time gunsmiths were very contemptuous of any but the rust blue processes and referred to the black oxide finishes as "a nitre job".

Ray

I figured you new what you meant and what you were talking about and it was just semantics that caused the confusion.

Nitre salts can turn out some beautiful colors on steel but until the temp gets to about 600 degrees or so the colors are shades of yellow...above 600 they start turning blue.