How to Renew the Bluing on a Handgun
Handguns are a major investment, and their dark blue factory finish is their only protection from the elements. Chemicals, moisture and regular use will gradually wear off the bluing and expose your handguns to tarnish, rust and pitting, even if you keep them in a case . Manufacturers use a hot-bluing process for long-term protection by boiling gun parts in caustic salts at 285 to 310 degrees Fahrenheit. This process is dangerous and it requires specialized knowledge and equipment. The good news is that careful cold bluing can give you similar results and you can do it yourself.
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Things You'll Need
- Latex gloves
- Naval Jelly
- Bottle of rubbing alcohol
- Cloth rags
- 30 pieces of two-by-two inch flannel from an old shirt or sheet
- Roll of thick paper towels
- Several bottles of Birchwood Casey Super Blue
- Cotton ball sized pieces of 0000 steel wool
- Disposable alcohol wipes
- Compressed air
- Spray can of gun oil
Instructions
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Degrease the parts. Soak a rag in rubbing alcohol and thoroughly clean your gun's parts with it. When all the parts are free of oil, dirt and fingerprints, let them air dry on a clean table or workbench.
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2
Apply the first coat of bluing. Pour some Super Blue into the lid of its bottle. Put on a pair of latex gloves and soak a piece of flannel in the bluing solution. Wipe the gun parts with the flannel. Replace the flannel with a new piece whenever it gets contaminated by oxidized metal. Scrub the parts with your wet flannel as if you're polishing brass using a smooth, even pressure. Wipe the bluing on with one hand and dry it off with the other. You should do this step with your wet piece of flannel in one hand and a dry paper towel in the other by following your wet flannel with the dry paper towel. As you go back and forth between bluing and drying, hold the part down with your stationary hand. Make sure you replace the paper towel whenever it gets damp. When all your parts are coated with bluing, give them some time to dry.
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3
Apply the second coat of bluing. When the first coat of bluing is dry, dip a piece of 0000 steel wool in the bluing and repeat the entire process using steel wool instead of flannel and following with a paper towel just like you did on the first coat. Keep replacing your steel wool with a fresh piece to keep the oxidation process going. Never let your bluing air dry; always wipe it off with a paper towel. The goal of your second coat is to even out the bluing until it's smooth and streak-free.
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Touch up the bluing. After the second coat is dry, inspect it carefully for spots where the bluing didn't stick. Clean these spots with your disposable alcohol wipes and reapply the bluing with a fresh piece of steel wool. Try to blend it in with the bluing around it and double-check your work to make sure you didn't miss anything.
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Rinse off the parts. Once you're satisfied with the results, wipe off your parts with a damp cloth and blow out any trapped water with compressed air. Water will stop the oxidation process to keep the appearance of your parts from changing.
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Coat the parts with oil. To help preserve the finish, spray your parts with gun oil and wipe them off with a clean rag.
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Tips & Warnings
If a part isn't absorbing the bluing, heat it at 150 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit in your oven and apply the bluing while the part is hot. When the metal is hot, it absorbs bluing better.
Test the steel wool on a hidden part of your handgun before using it on the entire gun. It's unlikely that it will scratch the finish, but if it does, you'll catch it before there's a problem.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit gun image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
