shotgun barrel reblued?

[fatmatt1981]

Can anyone tell me where I could get my shotgun barrel refinished? I scratched it and dont want it to rust. Southeast IN. Thanks!

 

[1911ly]

Depending on who bad it is I thing I'd get some Cold Blueing and touch it up. I have used Birchwood Casey's before. Especially if you are prone to scratching it. You can touch it up easily. It's not as durable but it's a usable finish.

 

[Kentuckyblue]

+1 on touch up with the Birchwood Casey's, if you use your guns, they will not stay pristine. I really like mine to look nice, but some things just happen. Unless it is a really big ugly looking scratch, {like falling off the car roof while driving ugly} I would just do the touch up thing.

 

[PGRChaplain]

If your not comfortable with Cold Blue check down the page for the Havelins Firearms refinishing post.

 

[fatmatt1981]

I have seen the touch up pens...is it hard to match the color? Ive seen a blue touchup pen that dries a blue black, and a super black touchup pen...which one would be best for a somewhat matte finish shotgun? Its more of a charcoal color instead of jet black.

 

[Trigger Time]

Charcoal finish sounds like its parkerized? In that case go to radio shack and buy some etching solution and apply to the scratched area with a qtip. Leave on for a couple minutes and THOUROUGHLY wash with water to neutralize the acid. It should look the same as the surrounding.

 

[1911ly]

Charcoal finish sounds like its parkerized? In that case go to radio shack and buy some etching solution and apply to the scratched area with a qtip. Leave on for a couple minutes and THOUROUGHLY wash with water to neutralize the acid. It should look the same as the surrounding.

I etch my own circuit boards. I have lots of ferric chloride around. Hmm. I'm gonna have to try that!

 

[engineerpower]

Total thread hijack here...

Awesome instructable about a better alternative to Ferric Chloride: Stop using Ferric Chloride etchant! (A better etching solution.)

HCl + H2O2: much easier on Mother Nature, easier to procure, and gets stronger with use.

Back to the topic-at-hand: for small scratches, the cold-blue formulas are what you're looking for to touch up the finish. Won't be an exact match, but it will be closer than shiny bare metal, and you won't see it on a galloping horse. For rust prevention (or in the meantime), CLP or similiar is the way to go. If it's a field gun, it WILL get scratched, so don't worry too much about it. Well-used is an attractive look on machinery.

 

[1911ly]

Total thread hijack here...

Awesome instructable about a better alternative to Ferric Chloride: Stop using Ferric Chloride etchant! (A better etching solution.)

HCl + H2O2: much easier on Mother Nature, easier to procure, and gets stronger with use.

Back to the topic-at-hand: for small scratches, the cold-blue formulas are what you're looking for to touch up the finish. Won't be an exact match, but it will be closer than shiny bare metal, and you won't see it on a galloping horse. For rust prevention (or in the meantime), CLP or similiar is the way to go. If it's a field gun, it WILL get scratched, so don't worry too much about it. Well-used is an attractive look on machinerny.

I have tried that. The fumes are unreal. It corroded a couple of microphones that were near it. It does etch very well though. It also doesn't keep it's potency very long. You have to keep adding H2O2 to it every time you use it. I have Ferric Chloride I have had for 15 years. If I can't get my hands on the real stuff I will use it.