Browning - Cold Blue first?

[Flinch Morningwood]

I have been following several threads, both on this forum and others, that deal with browning pistols.  Many have mentioned cold bluing before applying the brown.

My plan is to use the Laurel Mountain Cold brown method for both of my 1858 Remmingtons...given what I have read about the "longevity" of the old bluing AND that I will be shooting these with conversion cylinders, I figured the brown look would have been earned.

My questions are:

1) What is the purpose of bluing before browning?  Does the cold blue improve the "depth" of the brown finish?  If so, any recommendations on a cold blue solutiuon?  Will the browning go right thru the blue?

2) Any one have any experience with the Laurel Mountain product and/or any tips to share?

3) I plan on not browning the inside of the barrel, cyclinder chambers, cylinder pin, springs and hammer...anything else I should avoid?  ...especially on the conversion cylinder?

Thanks in advance for helping this tenderfoot thru the process!

[St. George]

'Browning' was what happened 'after' the piece had been blued and the elements, age and poor care did to it.

All that bluing 'is' - is a controlled rusting.

As chemical solutions differed over time - some were found to be less than durable.

This finish would continue to be susceptible to finish loss until the twentieth century

Original Remingtons were blued - even the ones with converted cylinders - since that was a part of the process.

Take a look at these two references for excellent photography of original pieces:

'A Study of Colt Conversions and Other Percussion Revolvers' - by McDowell

'Metallic Cartridge Conversions' - by Adler

Cold Blue/Cold Browning - will 'color' the piece - but neither are durable, and will rub away with use - leaving gray steel.

In actuality - your revolver would have a fairly heavy blued finish - with finish loss on wear and high points - from hands and holstering - that would give a 'silvered-out' finish.

Today - collectors refer to that as 'traces of original finish in protected areas' when the piece has browned itself over time, as its finish fades.


Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Guns Garrett]

Laurel Mountain has a good reputation for two basic reasons - It works cold, and one does not have to be quite so careful degreasing.  Most browning solutions require the metal to be ABSOLUTELY clean and degreased.  This means handling the metal with clean gloves or using something to hold it - no fingerprints!  Laurel Mountain works through any residual oils, and has the added advantage that if you don't like the "browned" look, you can change it to blue by boiling in water.  This is the same as the old-time "rust blue" process.  The boiling water actually changes the color of the oxide - ferrous oxide to ferric oxide, or the other way around, I can't remember.