The blued barrel..... Inside!

John Y Cannuck

John Y Cannuck

RichPoorMan<br>Super Moderator
Moderating Team
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
Location
The Conservative part of Ontario
That's right Last weekend I got busy with the home brewed hot tank and blued the barrel and action of my '92 Winchester. The plug came out and the barrel is now 'blued' inside and out!
Should shoot out in a few rounds I thought.
50 rounds and several cleanings later, it's still shiny black. Kinda cool. :cool:
I really don't care as long as it shoots, and it's getting better all the time.
 
Most barrels ARE blued on the inside until they wear out (happen faster with jacketed bullets and long soaks in nitro solvent ;) )

I wouldn't sweat it!!!
 
Am I understanding you correctly, that you plugged your barrel and then put it in a hot tank??? Please tell me I am misunderstanding you. Because , that is a VERY dangerous thing to do.
To have inside of the barrel blued is totally normal, and will NOT effect the rifles accuracy in any way, it will be gone in a few rounds anyway.
 
alberta tactical rifle said:
Am I understanding you correctly, that you plugged your barrel and then put it in a hot tank??? Please tell me I am misunderstanding you. Because , that is a VERY dangerous thing to do.
To have inside of the barrel blued is totally normal, and will NOT effect the rifles accuracy in any way, it will be gone in a few rounds anyway.
Click to expand...

Plugged barrel was put in while the solution was still cold to equalize pressure.
Dangerous? The whole proceedure is dangerous. {This is not my first effort} The solution must be raised to about 300 degrees, bubles and froths to the point of near boil over at the criticle phase, and releases ammonia fumes in terrific quantities whilst doing so.
As to the bluing, I'm not at all concerned. But 'shoot out in a few rounds' makes me laugh. Define 'few'.
The plugs were in there to hopefully reduce the after tank cleaning time. It comes out with the barrel full of what looks like wet mud, not fun to clean.
However, this time, I had help. Wife out of the house, the automatic dishwasher did a marvelous job of removing the salts from both the barrel, and the action. Of course you couldn't do that with anything much longer than a carbine.
 
No. Parkerizing etches the surface. You do not want to Parkerize the bore. Bob - the air trapped inside a plugged barrel will expand as the barrel solution is heated. If it pops the plugs, the boiling solution could get splashed around. There is a safe way to plug a barrel for hot bluing. Pass a threaded rod through the barrel, with washers and seals at each end that will seal the barrel when the nuts are tightened. The rod displaces much of the air that would be trapped, and the seals are kept firmly in place.
 
Thanks tiriaq. The plugs have never stayed in for me. Never noticed them pop out either. I figured the heat and pressure combined was just too much for my wooden plugs.

Just for fun, I left the action of the '92 completely assembled. and open!
It did a marvelous job on all components, and nearly welded the action open.
I new I'd have to strip it, and I expected it to be sticky getting it to move, (we are doing a chemical rusting job) but was totally unprepared for just how welded it really was. I did it, because I could not find my small parts container for the tank. NEVER AGAIN!
I of course did a detailed strip of the action, found the salts had penetrated every possible orifice. Truely amazing. Even the tiniest spring is blued.
 
I've heard of this being done, but have never tried it. Not surprised the salts got eveywhere - look at the way they can bleed out from barrel/receiver junctions. With respect to the threaded rod idea - avoid anything that is plated or coated with something that could contaminate your bath.
 
John Y,

Every 'smith I know or have known who does hot blueing, with out exception does it without plugging the barrels.

I would not want to be too close to the tank when the plug popped. Not a good idea having hot caustic flying out of the tank.

Why would you want to plug the barrel? We have all seen some incredibly high polish blueing on rifles, and the blueing doesn't mar, etch or damage the polishing job at all.

The blueing on the inside won't be any different than that on the outside, so no fear of damaging the bore.:cool:

Ted
 
Last edited:
John Y Cannuck said:
Wife out of the house, the automatic dishwasher did a marvelous job of removing the salts from both the barrel, and the action.
Click to expand...

Johnny, I love that!

You had better hope your better half isn't like Mrs SIgnguy and logged on here surruptitiously. You'll be in big poop!
 
Why not? said:
John Y,

Every 'smith I know or have known who does hot blueing, with out exception does it without plugging the barrels.

I would not want to be too close to the tank when the plug popped. Not a good idea having hot caustic flying out of the tank.

Why would you want to plug the barrel? We have all seen some incredibly high polish blueing on rifles, and the blueing doesn't mar, etch or damage the polishing job at all.

The blueing on the inside won't be any different than that on the outside, so no fear of damaging the bore.:cool:

Ted
Click to expand...

why? Because the friggin book said to :p
There has never been a pop, or any other indication of a popping plug. They were wood plugs, my guess is they came out gradually. And, as they came out from both ends, not just one, I suspect there may have been a lot of swelling and softning of the plug.
I never really figured they'd stay in. I don't know how the writer did it, with his plugs. Maybe he wired them?
I really don't care, it shoots fine, and the bluing will eventually get worn off. I figured like 'alberta tactical rifle' in a few rounds. I was shocked when fifty jacketted rounds barely did anything. Tough blue job!
 
Johnny I think your saving grace on the plug issue was putting the barrel into solution when it was still cold. I learned the hard way NOT to put plugs in, when I put a barrel into solution when up to heat, within seconds I had a nasty POP and was burned to the bone in a flash, not only is the blueing #### HOT but caustic as hell on skin.
Last year I blackened a stainless barrel for a guy, and he freaked that his bore was also black, about 6 passes with the JB compound made it shiny silver inside, so don't worry, it will not be on the inside for long.
Blueing is 1 job I despise, in this trade, but it is all part of the job.
 
Joe, I have my son's video camera here today, so stills are not great, but here goes:
Shown with a '94 of the 1947 era, in original finnish for comparison.

388083.JPG

388085.JPG

388081.jpg
 
alberta tactical rifle said:
Johnny I think your saving grace on the plug issue was putting the barrel into solution when it was still cold. I learned the hard way NOT to put plugs in, when I put a barrel into solution when up to heat, within seconds I had a nasty POP and was burned to the bone in a flash, not only is the blueing #### HOT but caustic as hell on skin.
Last year I blackened a stainless barrel for a guy, and he freaked that his bore was also black, about 6 passes with the JB compound made it shiny silver inside, so don't worry, it will not be on the inside for long.
Blueing is 1 job I despise, in this trade, but it is all part of the job.
Click to expand...

I guess you missed the post of the first time I tried this some years back. The mixture does a wonderful job of stripping stain from decks. Found out you don't put aluminum screen in too. (tried to make a small parts bag, thought it was steel screen, should have checked) That's what precipitated the major boil over, instant reaction with aluminum.
 
Nice job Bob!

I see your using those peep sights huh? The old eye's find it easier these days?

Check out this puppy, it's a 2 1/4X Boone scope with a side mount for a 94, still trying to find an 1899 base for the scope though.

Copy%20of%20HPIM0177.JPG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom