Cylinder restoration

bbates123 · November 15, 2014, 11:16:09 AM

I have a USFA .45 with a hot blue cylinder that doesn't quite match the rest of the gun. Any recommendations for somebody who I can send the cylinder off to for restoration to proper charcoal blue? I'd like it to have a nice mirror finish with no visible buff marks.

jphendren · November 15, 2014, 11:23:52 AM

Is it currently "hot blue," or "charcoal blue?" Two completely different things. If you have the original box, the end label will tell you.

AB = Armory Blue = charcoal blue

DB = Dome Blue = hot salts blue

If you charcoal blue the cylinder of a DB gun, it will not match.

Jared

bbates123 · November 15, 2014, 03:55:49 PM

I don't have the box but the cylinder is hot blue and the rest of the gun is charcoal blue. I want the cylinder to be charcoal blue.

jphendren · November 15, 2014, 09:10:43 PM

"I don't have the box but the cylinder is hot blue and the rest of the gun is charcoal blue. I want the cylinder to be charcoal blue."

Interesting, I wonder how that happened? If the cylinder does need to be charcoal blued, Turnbull is the obvious choice. Turnbull did the armory bluing on USFA's until USFA installed their own bluing furnace. From what I was told, Turnbull is also the one who installed the furnace and taught USFA how to do it. Ron's Gunshop also does charcoal bluing, he did the Colt 1911 WWI repro's. Classic Guns L.T.D also does it; I'm not sure of any others.

Jared

bbates123 · November 16, 2014, 08:06:06 AM

Thanks guys. I would have thought Turnbull would be the obvious choice as well, but I sent them a white cylinder for charcoal bluing before and it came back with heavy buff marks, not shiny/high polish like the rest of the gun. Perhaps this is how USFA did their finish at one time and they thought I was trying to match that. Probably a good idea to send along another part like the backstrap and ask them to match it.

Buckaroo Lou · November 16, 2014, 06:19:39 PM

What I notice most about the difference between Armory Blue and Dome Blue besides the color is that all my USFA guns that have the Armory Blue have a satin appearance and not a glossy appearance as do the Dome Blue guns. That is one of the reasons I really like the Armory Blue over the Dome Blue. It may be possible that over time as the guns are handled more the satin appearance may give way to a more glossy look due to handling (wiping and cleaning, etc.). I don't really know for sure.

bbates123 · November 16, 2014, 09:24:47 PM

Hey Lou. I think that's what Turnbull was going for when they did my white cylinder, more of a satin appearance...or a "military" finish as I've been told. I much prefer the glossy shine and that's what the rest of my gun is...I just need the cylinder to match. Sounds like Gary is going to help me out. Thanks again Gary and all the other kind folks on this forum!

russ1943 · November 21, 2014, 01:17:16 PM

Quote from: bbates123 on November 16, 2014, 09:24:47 PM
Hey Lou. I think that's what Turnbull was going for when they did my white cylinder, more of a satin appearance...or a "military" finish as I've been told. I much prefer the glossy shine and that's what the rest of my gun is...I just need the cylinder to match. Sounds like Gary is going to help me out. Thanks again Gary and all the other kind folks on this forum!

I am also looking for to have a white 44 special done in AB to match my USFA AB 44-40, if someone could forward Gary Granger, contact information, I would greatly appreciate it. My contact information is saber19@comcast.net.

Thanks,
RJS