Is Blueing a thing of the past?

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Now I like traditional stuff, don't get me wrong, but with all the firearms coatings that are out there blueing seems to be falling by the wayside. Duracoat, gunkote, cerakote, powder coat, this coat that coat - options are almost endless. You can even clear cerakote over blueing so it has the traditional appeal but is tough as nails.

The advantages in a working rife are very attractive. Again a pretty rifle that is rust blued in fine walnut is another topic completely ;) But for a rifle that will see hard use I'm beginning to feel some of these coatings have merrit thats worth looking into.

I'm starting to think about cerakote as an option for an upcomming project. Does anyone in Canada do this sort of thing? Anyone have experience with this product?
 
A huge part of the reason you see so many coatings is sheer cost effectiveness.
For a manufacturer it is simple and cheap. They parts are bead blasted and basically spray painted.
Blueing on the other hand requires a decent finish in the meatl to begin with as there is no added thickness like a coating adds, and blueing is time consuming, therefore expensive.
Some of todays coatings are in fact more durable than blueing, but nothing says class like deeeeeeep high lustre blueing like found on the older Colts, S&Ws Brownings and Sakos.
I guess same can be said for fiberglass stocks, very rugged but not near as pretty as wood.
KK
 
knockknock said:
Some of todays coatings are in fact more durable than blueing, but nothing says class like deeeeeeep high lustre blueing like found on the older Colts, S&Ws Brownings and Sakos.
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Not to mention that that kind of blueing is becoming [or has become] as lost art.... :(
 
I was looking at the Empire Rifles website and even their $8,000 guns are ceracoated - not blued. For a company to charge such a premium for a rifle you'd expect no corners to be cut. They obviously see value in a coating vs blueing and wouldn't get away with a "short cut". Customer demand must be towards the coatings.
 
I am no expert on the newest coatings but it seems to me with the exeption of powder coating bluing is much more durable. The worst is when someone coats the bolt black and the finish comes off after working the bolt about 5 times.

The crappy finish on my Mossberg 500 marine is a joke.

The teflon finish on one of my hunting rifles is ok at best.
 
I too prefer a blued/walnut finish (laminate is also nice). A nice damascus steel or case-hardened finish is also tres classy, although I do concede that coated & stainless rifles in synthetic stocks are the ultimate in durability.

But it's like comparing a Toyota Corolla to a Jaguar - durability and practicality aren't the ONLY considerations out there.
 
My rifle is a "new" for 2006 model it has very nice bluing IMO with a traditional Monte Carlo walnut stock. Apparently Weatherby still thinks bluing is marketable.

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Cheers
Timo
 
Grouse Man said:
Blued steel and wood. Chrome and plastic leave me cold.
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Amen to that! The only coated/synthetic/stainless firearms that visit my gun safe are ones of my friends getting fixed.
It is a dying art that I hope to help keep alive.
Long live blued steel and fine walnut!:cool:

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I'm not to sure if it's the lost art of blueing or the loss of good steel to blue!

I tryed to blue a Win 94 (1971)and the reciever was made of something other than real good steel.

I reblued a 1935 Reminton sportsman took it down to base metal,then cold blued it 12 times(blue on rinse ,blue on .ect)then after final rinse lots of gun oil with cotton swab.

After gun had set with oil on,it returned to it's patena like fininish!

You would never suspect it had been rusted so bad you couldn't see that it had Pheasants and ducks on both sides of the reciever!!

I got it for 100.00 so I suspect the steel is the reason why some guns are easier to matt finnish than to blue!

Bob
 
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