Cleaning or polishing the brass receiver

[JayCarver]

Never dull works great on brass.

 

[HKNova6]

Or, handle the crap out of it and give it a nice patina. Thats what I did on my yellow boy. Looks way more authentic.

Dis es de wey

 

[icdbko32]

If Henry suggest nevrdull I would use that. It's relatively soft. From my experience polishing brass, those blemishes should be able to take off with a little bit of effort using Nevrdull. I fear abrasive polishes may make the shine look uneven so I would use a softer polish with less or no abraison like nevrdull. a note when rubbing the polish in and off use a fair amount of pressure, it'll bring the shine out a lot better. Learned this on highly shined silver the hardway as just rubbing it wasn't getting the job done and stripping the small amount of tarnish very well but applied pressure and shine came out within seconds.

 

[vultr]

I have a couple brass Henry's and have used Brasso and also tooth past (there are many light abrasive pasts you can buy from a auto place for polishing and cut polishing paint), brass blems and scratched very easy and quickly but is easy to bring back, I acctualy used cold blue on my big boy becuse I hunt with it (wanted the steel version at the time but non to be had) its essy enought to buff out also if I every decide to go back to the brass look.
My 38-55 had the same oil weepage around the screws also, cleanded up very easy.

What does cold blue on brass look like?

 

[Bigmedcin]

What does cold blue on brass look like?

Turned it a nice black not high gloss or real deep black, but looks good. Will wear off after alot of use, but easy to touch up, if you want to go back to the original high shine brass, it don't take long to polish out.

 

[Chumlee Bumsnag]

The brass might have a coating applied on top of it. Sometimes it's like a clear plastic coating or varnish. I'd try polishing on an inconspicuous area before going whole hog on the sides with an abrasive polish.

 

[ndallyn]

Do not use ammonia or windex on brass.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Season_cracking

Peek is good stuff but is mildly abrasive so I would avoid getting it into any of the moving parts.
https://media.nisbets.com/asset/en/media/msds y048.pdf

I still have most of a tube I bought at Canadian Tire years ago - it doesn’t take much.
View attachment 455925

 

[Chumlee Bumsnag]

I found some pics of brass with a coating on it. These parts are from a 1980 Browning Mountain Rifle. I tried to polish the tarnish out and my most abrasive cream polish wouldn't do anything. On closer inspection, I found that it had a clear coating on it and looked like ass. I sanded it off with a very fine foam sanding block then polished with polish applied to a microfiber rag taped to the same foam block.

 

[Nibe]

I found some pics of brass with a coating on it. These parts are from a 1980 Browning Mountain Rifle. I tried to polish the tarnish out and my most abrasive cream polish wouldn't do anything. On closer inspection, I found that it had a clear coating on it and looked like ass. I sanded it off with a very fine foam sanding block then polished with polish applied to a microfiber rag taped to the same foam block.
View attachment 455934
View attachment 455935

That’s impressive!

 

[Chumlee Bumsnag]

That's a nice looking receiver on your rifle. Hopefully it doesn't have a coating on it.

 

[Duramax6.6]

Flitz, been working for decades.

 

[vultr]

Turned it a nice black not high gloss or real deep black, but looks good. Will wear off after alot of use, but easy to touch up, if you want to go back to the original high shine brass, it don't take long to polish out.

I would be super interested to see pictures (if possible). Might try it it in on one of my big boys.

 

[Manners]

Remember that a polish is abrasive. Any paste will get stuck in the cracks and crevices and be hard to remove.
I use a jewelers cloth - Sunshine cloths - for polishing as it just removes tarnish and not much more (https://www.amazon.ca/Sunshine-Polishing-Cloths-Sterling-Silver/dp/B004ILV1B4) .
The marks look like oil - try wiping with a soft cloth.

 

[Nibe]

Thanks everyone. Came up beautifully and perfectly with Nevr-Dull.

 

[1ABNDT]

I've had great results with AUTOSOL

Developed in 1929 for the German auto industry, this metal polish is effective on a wide range of materials including steel, stainless steel, brass, chrome and copper (not recommended for silver or anodized aluminum). Applied with a soft cloth and wiped away, it uses a fast-acting chemical reaction to remove rust and tarnish, leaving an invisible film that inhibits oxidation for months.

75ml tube. A little goes a long way.



https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/sho...Vlt7ICh0VPQX-EAAYASAAEgJZMfD_BwE&item=54Z1510

 

[Zastava]

Brasso works well

 

[BEC958]

AUTOSOL metal polish. Go easy around the screw heads with any metal polish as they are all mildly abrasive and will eventually take the blue off the screw heads. Also be sure that the brass has not been coated with some kind of protective film (similar to diamond coat on a vehicle).

 

[Nibe]

FWiW received this response back from Henry regarding brass cleaning. Interesting what they say about the butt plate.

Thank you for owning a Henry firearm.

Brass will naturally tarnish over time and with exposure to various substances (skin oils and salts, acids, various chemicals, etc.) and environmental conditions. To clean and polish the brass receivers and barrel bands on the Big Boy rifles (H006-series), the brass 30/30s (H009B-series), brass .45-70s (H010B), brass Side-Gates (H024-series), and the Original Henry rifle (H011-series), we recommend milder polishes such as Nevr-Dull, Flitz, Otis, Peek Metal Polish, Lucas Metal Polish.

These may be found at various hardware, firearms, and some automotive retailers. Follow the product directions for best results.

Do NOT use polish on the brass buttplates of any models; they have a clear coating on them that will be ruined by polishing. We use a proprietary lacquer clearcoat on the brass buttplates.

Do not use harsh or aggressive polishes like Brasso, Noxon or Naval Jelly. These may dull, scratch or haze the finish.

 

[Jäger1]

Thanks everyone. Came up beautifully and perfectly with Nevr-Dull.

How dare you disrespect the thread you started by not posting the "after" photos.

 

[Nibe]

How dare you disrespect the thread you started by not posting the "after" photos.

Good point. Crappy pic as I'm a bit pushed this morning. But those marks are basically gone. I'll do the final touches tonight. Good quick response from Henry. as well.