Who here has done their own parkerizing jobs?
Thinking about De Horning my CZ52.
{Taking all the sharp corners off the grip frame}
So I'll be wanting to refinish those areas afterwards.
And the frame is Parked so....
Really what is going on is that I have a certain spot at the base of my thumb that the corner of the frame hits and causes me trouble.
It isn't just this CZ52 but I would sure like to shoot mine more.

Can somebody steer me with this parking idea?
Too much trouble?
Bad idea?
What?

I'll start by saying you should do it!
There are lots of videos on YouTube and talk on many forums. Just search for home parkerizing.

I have more experience with rust blueing but I've parked some small parts and they turned out well.
You might have to strip the frame and park as I'm not sure if just a dehorn and repark would match or blend in.
Hopefully someone could chime in on that.

Phosphoric acid (Kleen Strip 1 gal. Concrete Etch & Metal Prep + Rust Inhibitor)$18. I love this product!

The guts of a Eveready Super Heavy Duty Lantern Battery 6 Volt $11.

The battery has both zinc for gray and manganese for black. Once you open the battery the zinc and manganese are like sticks of chalk, break it up into small chunks. You will not need much and there will be leftover.
Alkaline batteries are no good.

Or you can buy a parkerizing kit.

Sorry I don't have any pics but it is super easy and once you are ready it is a quick process.

You are boiling acid, be careful!

Thank you.
Been busy and haven't checked back.

Attached File


I did these. Super easy.

I got the manganese parking kit from Alleghany Arsenal

Bead blasted with 220grit white aluminum oxide. Degreased using the degreaser that comes in the kit.

I mixed the parking solution at about 25:1 -- half gallon of distilled water, 2.5oz of solution by volume (the 16oz bottle of solution weighs like 26oz).

Put it on my grill side burner in a random non-stick pan I got at Goodwill. I didn't do any funky suspending of the parts or anything, literally just dumped everything in the pan. Kept it at about 180° F for somewhere around half an hour. I just kind of kept an eye on it and took the stuff out when the bubbles stopped. Rinsed it really good with regular water, then sprayed it down with the neutralizer/oil the kit came with.

The one in the back came out better -- I regulated the temperature better on the solution that day. On the gun in the front, I walked away for a minute and came back to find the bath boiling, so I turned the burner off and it took about 10 minutes to drop back down to 180°. The one that experienced the hotter temperature is a slightly more flat dark dark grey compared to the other one which is really a nice black.

Shit there isn't anything wrong with the way those came out.
I just got to thinking, I have or did have a black oxide kit that I did a few ak clones with some years ago.  

I am still in the fence about messing with that cz.
It would completely make that thing more shootable.
That squared edge hits me right at the base of the thumb and it doesn't matter the caliber or make if it does that I can't shoot it.

Thankfully I am on days off so I have time to think about it more thoroughly.