Bluing winchester 94

CalKid6

CalKid6

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Calgary, AB
I just picked up a 1971 Winchester 94 for $370! It is in very good condition other than there is a little rust on the bottom of the receiver, and was thinking of bluing the whole receiver! Would i be better off taking it to a gun smith or would one of the do it yourself kits do a decent job??
 
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Take the rust off with a bit of oil and some 0000 steel wool and leave it be. Having it blued will likely cost more than the rifle is worth.
Any bluing job is only as good as the prep polishing. All of that prep work is done by hand and requires an experienced touch. That's why few places do it. Nobody wants to pay for the prep work.
Cold bluing isn't for whole firearms. It's touch up stuff.
 
94's do not take hot bath bluing... they will take some cold bluing, but that is little better than paint... to be frank, a post-64 is just not worth spending money on... you paid fair market value on a gun that is simply a shooter... as said above... take some 0000 steel wool to it and lube it down and leave it... it will be a good bush gun for a few more decades.
 
Ditto to post 5.

The steel in post 64 94 actions does not blue. The factory lightly iron plates the actions and then blues them. This plating is so thin, re blues after the factory do not work. Period.
 
Yes, just listen to the voices of wisdom. As a side issue, without seeing it, I think you already have a bit more invested in it than you can get out of it, but that's a nothing.
 
I have a 77 model 94 that had the receiver chromed by gunsmith who wanted the practice. I'm sure it would be cost prohibitive to have done if you had to pay for it.

Like was already said, steel wool, oil, shoot.
 
The receivers of those rifles were made using Sintered Metal Technology and as such, did not take regular blue
treatments well, if at all. The best way to re-do the job on one of these SMT made receivers is to take a fully
stripped and clean receiver to a good plating shop for an electro-chemical strip & re-application of black anodizing.

Of course, a careful bead blast and re-coat with Arma Coat or Dura Coat is an option as well.:)
 
From what I understand, the sintered metal was plated with steel and once the finish is gone, so is the plating.

That's why mine got replated and chromed. Pretty spendy from what I understand.
 
I used to sandblast the receiver and barrel bands have them electrolysis nickle plated and then blue all the rest of the parts... the contrast looked good. It was about $350 20 years ago...
 
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