The question has been asked here many times: Can you blue stainless steel?

Well, I took the time to test the answer once & for all.

The short anwer is: yes, you can.

For the whole story: http://www.americanhunter.org/...ing-stainless-steel/

Actually, Brownells have sold Oxynate #84 bluing salts for years, which are formulated specifically for bluing stainless steels and cast iron.

Has this really been a mystery until now?

quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Nelson:
Has this really been a mystery until now?

To some Yes.

And that article is Fraught with misinformation

There is no Tricking the salts into believing it's carbon steel.

It either blues or it don't. Yes it's more complicated. but there is no Alchemy involved.
I love how they make a relatively simple process sound like rocket science

Do a search on the topic and you'll find that it is a mystery.

More than one well-known finishing shop told me that it couldn't be done.

Well maybe in the Gun industry But not in tool making or in machine shops.
Blackening of stainless has been going on for a very long time.
And just because one Gun shop or gunsmith says it can't be done doesn't make it so. There are more then a few guys on this board that have done things that other smiths have claimed to be impossible and continue to do things that will amaze the most discerning person.

Around 1985 I had my hunting rifle rebarreled using a Hart stainless blank turned to sporter-weight contour. My goal was to end up with just a little better hunting rifle in terms of weather resistance. Like so many, I had heard that Stainless couldn't be blued however a tool shop told me that they often "blacked" Stainless and I should try their source which was a company called Heatbath (Ohio I think). It turned out wonderfully and had an appearance like rust blue. I might add that after 25 hunts it still looks nice. FYI...

You have to consider that our target audience is not gunsmiths, we assume that you know what you're talking about.

Our target audience is the average gun owner who gets told "it can't be done". I posted this in the Gunsmithing forum because it's a place that laypersons often come for information such as this- I know I did.

My perception has been that it is possible to "blue" stainless, but it seemed impossible to find someone to do it on a rifle. Most shops that coat, anodize, or heat treat for industry don't have the FFL's to handle customer's guns and don't want the hassle for such small volumes.

How many shops other than this one are bluing SS firearms? I asked a couple years ago and came up blank.

Well lets just say that there are more then a few plating shops in my area that do not have an FFL but anodize, Blue, or blue stainless on firearms all the time. Yes they know it's illegal but they just don't seem to care. Enforcement is non existent around here well until I typed this it was. The plating shops will be getting a visit soon I feel.

It's amazing that the ATF would not allow an exemption to something like this or a more simplified FFL just for outside contractors.
No that would mean they actually had some sense.

IIRC Winchester had some factory barrels that were blued SS - probably in the 60s.

Anyone know of this?

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
IIRC Winchester had some factory barrels that were blued SS - probably in the 60s.

Anyone know of this?

I believe those barrel were, I think, iron(?) plated and then the plating was blued.

Why is it illegal to change the color of a barrel?

quote:

Originally posted by jpl:
Why is it illegal to change the color of a barrel?

Not the barrel but the whole action.
It's being in possession of a firearm that does not belong to you for repairs that is illegal.

For the most part: To work on a firearm that does not belong to you a FFL is required to receive any firearm made after 1898 using conventional ammunition. There are more stipulations to the rules but that is the gist of it.