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Posted: 3/24/2015 3:27:08 AM EDT
| Is it possible for a skilled gunsmith to remove bluing from a highly polished gun not do any additional polishing in order to retain the original look of markings and stamps and reblue to attain a finish close to the original finish of the gun? Or is polishing of some degree always required? |
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Yes and maybe. I would have it polished again after bluing is removed and before re-bluing to get an even sheen and color. Usually when something needs to be re-blued, it's been pretty well used and should contain scratches, which would make the new bluing looks cheap and crappy. |
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Quoted:
Yes and maybe. I would have it polished again after bluing is removed and before re-bluing to get an even sheen and color. Usually when something needs to be re-blued, it's been pretty well used and should contain scratches, which would make the new bluing looks cheap and crappy. The gun is 80% with the remaining 20% being worn and also cold blued which is why I want it re done. |
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Cold blue doesn't take wear good. No it doesn't it looks like crap. I'm going to have the gun, a manurhin PP done in a style reminiscent of a Colt Mk IV series 80 where the front strap, back strap and top of the slide are bead blasted and the rest of the gun is finished in a polished blue. |
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Remove bluing completely. Polish Bead blast areas that are to be blasted. Blue Rust blue looks really good, but is more expensive and time consuming. Also not sure how carding off the rust will effect the bead blasted areas. Salt/ hot salt bluing will be more economical and still produce a nice finish. |
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Quoted:
Remove bluing completely. Polish Bead blast areas that are to be blasted. Blue Rust blue looks really good, but is more expensive and time consuming. Also not sure how carding off the rust will effect the bead blasted areas. Salt/ hot salt bluing will be more economical and still produce a nice finish. Well I guess that's for Fogles blueing to figure out. 40 years of experience tells me they will probably get it right 
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Yes, most likely & most likely.
Blueing gone..easy. Polish and leave all original markings legible. Depends on condation of metal. If you see a blemish now you will see it later ! Or it has to be polished out. Original bluing color. Not likely to be 100% perfect to original but pretty close. Meaning if you place side by side with original the shade may be off slightly. Only real hicup that could rear its ugly head is the fact that heat treat back in those days was not nearly as uniform as it is today. Salt bath chemicals are not exactly the same. They could pull it out of the tank and find the blueing did not take very well to the slide while the frame looks good. This issue is most common with firearms made before about 1975...And any firearms manufactured during times of war. I think you have a better than 75% chance it will come out as you want. Depending on current condation ? |
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Quoted:
Yes, most likely & most likely. Blueing gone..easy. Polish and leave all original markings legible. Depends on condation of metal. If you see a blemish now you will see it later ! Or it has to be polished out. Original bluing color. Not likely to be 100% perfect to original but pretty close. Meaning if you place side by side with original the shade may be off slightly. Only real hicup that could rear its ugly head is the fact that heat treat back in those days was not nearly as uniform as it is today. Salt bath chemicals are not exactly the same. They could pull it out of the tank and find the blueing did not take very well to the slide while the frame looks good. This issue is most common with firearms made before about 1975...And any firearms manufactured during times of war. I think you have a better than 75% chance it will come out as you want. Depending on current condation ? Its about 80% but the 20% that's missing has also been cold blued so not only does it look bad but it smells bad too. |
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