TO be honest the CCH was a low no2 for me - the correct "look" of a fine English DG gun was the no1 consideration. I think rust blue was the right one.

I believe whaen Winchester started making the .264 Westerner M70, they used a stainless barrel which they PLATED WITH IRON before bluing it. NO ordinary method would blue that steel.

eldeguello is right. I have a M-70 with a stainless varmet weight barrel made in 1961. According to a Win. rep their standard procedure was to plate the stainless with iron then do their regular hot bluing. The barrel has a matted blue similar to the matted action on all pre-64's. The barrel is not stamped anywhere saying it is stainless. A magnet will lightly stick to the plating but will not stick to the muzzle, which is not plated.

This is 2004...not 1961.

The chemicals and processes now available can and do "blue" stainless steel. Is it a "traditional, true, rust bluing???"...I have no idea. But I do know that the finished product is "blued" and I doubt that anyone other than an experienced purist could tell the difference...and if the person is that much of a "purist" they would probably not be using a stainless steel barrel in the first place.

Just my opinion,

Rick

The caustic blue that is available to blue stainless has some drawbacks. It's not as durable as a regular caustic blue. Also, part of the process is to matte the barrel in a strong muratic acid solution (the instruction refer to it as pickling the metal). I would have a long talk with the bluer to make sure that the necessary steps were taken to protect the bore and chamber of the barrel.

I don't know if the outside of the barrel could be sand blasted instead of the acid dip. Don't know why it couldn't.

Gentlemen,

Just passing on a "lesson learned". Arguing with rick0311 is even MORE useless than arguing with me!

I truly stand in the shadow of rick0311's greatness.

ASS_CLOWN

Chill Rick,

So Stainless can be blued. I think everyone agrees. Mostly it is a caustic type. Can it be rust blued though, not that I'm aware of.

Rick, if you do not know the difference between Rust bluing & Caustic, then I think you ought not be answering these questions with the air of authority you have been using.

I think to continue with this line of discussion it might be helpful for those asking the questions to give "their definition" of what constitutes what is being referred to as "rust bluing" and how, in their opinion, it would differ visually from other types of bluing.

As others have pointed out on here, stainless steel does in fact "rust"...it is just much more resistant to rust and other types of corrosion than are most other steels used for firearms.

Rick

Even though 416 stainless will rust. It will not do it to the degree needed to produce a rust blue........Period.

Hot tank system works quite well, however your results will be more of a grey-like finish, rather than a rich blue, or black that is obtained with Dulite's salts for instance.

If you want to really get the ultimate in rust prevention, take your stainless barrel and have it passivated, which removes 90% or more of the free iron on the surface of the barrel....Then blue the barrel in standard chromoly salts. What little iron is left over from the passivated stainless is then blued, which gives it a dull grey finish that's impervious to damn near anthing. This I've tested, and it works very well, but alas, it's not your typical guild finish, but neither is the Ruger, so It's a matter of personal preference and durability rather than how well it will hang on a wall FWIW.

Fair enough! A bluing method that requires a barreled action to be immersed in a caustic bath that is maintained at some specific temperature range is NOT rust bluing.



Rust bluing consists of swabbing the absloutely, totally clean steel with a "browne solution" which induces a fine, even rust coating on the metal. This rust coating is "carded" off with either a fine brush or steel wool, and the part is then boiled in distilled water to convert the red/brown iron oxide to a tough, magnetic black oxide. The part is then swabbed again with the browne, and the carding/boiling process is repeated. This is done over and over until the part is the desired color. This usually takes six to ten OR MORE "passes" before a sufficiently dark blue or black color has been obtained, depending on the kind of steel used and the composition of the browne solution. Then the part is given a final boiling in clean distilled water to kill all traces of the browne solution, and then finished with an oil or some kind of wax.



A most interesting little volume on this subject is "FIREARMS BLUING AND BROWNING" by ANGIER. It contains many formulae for browning solutions.



In essence, slow-rust bluing is the same process as the browning process that was used by our ancestors to brown muzzleloading and damascus guns, but with the added step of boiling in distilled water, which changes the rust brown to a black color.



Custom gunsmiths who used to insist on doing rust bluing referred disparagingly to the hot caustic bath method of bluing as "a cheap nitre job", and would have nothing to do with this method of finishing a fine arm. Slow-rust bluing is still used exclusively on double guns, because the "cheap nitre" solutions eat up barrel joining solders!

Brownells sells their "Oxynate N0. 84" hot chemical blueing compound that they claim will blue stainless steel...but I have no practical experience with it.

You could call them (800) 741-0015 and I am sure they could answer your questions and perhaps lead you to a smith that has used this product.

Rick

Rick,

The man asked about "rust" bluing. I do not believe that 416 stainless, which is what most stainless guns are made of, will "rust" blue. Admittedly, I could be wrong.

ASS_CLOWN

I was looking for the rust blue look (love it on the Gold Label pics I have seen in the mags) - trying to make her look like an expensive G&H or english type of rifle from a distance - eventualy when I get decent at stock making a nice piece of walnut is gonna go on her. Looks good from a distance till someone notices the rings as not being typical.

Don't know why I am bothering - I don't think it will have irons on her - would be an immediate tip off.

Just looking to do something different than the typical Rem 700 in a McMillian route.

Ruger was free as a gift from my father so another action is out of the question- its this one or none.

I aslo see the irony in asking if ss can be "rust" blued but I aslo know that not all things (processes) are named correctly - look at JUMBO shrimp, CIVIL war ect.

Yeah...but then are other things are named VERY CORRECTLY...Like ASS CLOWN!

Now...if I want to know about being an idiot...or drinking Jack Daniels...I might consider consulting this guy.

Rick

It seems to me that several years ago Remington came out with a BDL that had a SS barrel that was blued. I am not sure if it was a rust blue process or not. Hell, for that matter it could have been a Winchester





Yeah...but then are other things are named VERY CORRECTLY...Like ASS CLOWN!

Well - if I can't find what I want - I will just have her regular blued - or go CM. I still need a guy to do the job.

You will have to go with the hot dipped blue. Rust bluing stainless is not possible.

Thanks - Scrollcutter - I just sent an e-mail to turnbull restorations on prices for a rustblue job - CM in the white and such.