It does. The higher degree of contrast you achieve, the greater the muting effect. That's why I don't usually use it, unless requested by the owner. I do like it on the other parts of the gun, Joe's application method work's really well. Same with Watco Danish Oil. Same with most other products. That's the dilemma, finding a true clear coating that will stand up to regular use.
I'm still leaning towards the lacquer & wax method, but the cleaning procedure is different than fluid steel barrels, which are simply rubbed and oiled after use. With L&W, the point is to avoid repeated rubbing on the tubes in order to maintain the coating.
Here's my cleaning method, as all my guns have L&W. First I wipe/lightly buff the tubes with a soft cotton cloth. Then, I clean the bores first with a bore swab, then with a Tico Tool, both of which are lightly moistened (slightly moist only) with rust inhibitor. The bore swab provides the initial cleaning. The inhibitor works as a bore cleaner. I make sure no excess gets on the outside of the barrel. It's the slopping of regular bore cleaners on the outside of the tubes that causes the problems. I then use a bore brush if I think necessary. Once the bores are clean, I use the TT again so inhibitor is in the bores. The last thing I do is lightly apply fresh RenWax, letting the tubes set while I clean the rest of the gun. Lastly, I buff the wax, reassemble the gun, and it's ready for the rack.
It's a little more involved, but the few extra minutes is time well spent to maintain the coating and pattern.
Regards
Ken
Last edited by Ken61; 09/20/17 09:00 AM.
