doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com bluing old SxS receiver

I have an old SxS made by Utica Fire Arms CO. and I have cleaned and cold reblued all the metal. The receiver will not take the blue very well at all. It turns more of a brownish blue. Everything else came out great. It is very noticable when you put the floor plate and barrel release lever on. I used Birchwood Casey cold bluing kit with the cleaner, rust and blue remocer and heavy duty blue. Can anyone tell me how to cure this problem? Also looking for a few parts for the same gun. Appears to be same as Hopkins & Allen SxS.

The receiver is surely a different kind of steel than the barrels. Cold bluing never looks very good, IMO. The receiver was likely case colored, originally, so you're probably stuck with an odd looking combination any way you go.

I can't answer that specifically, but just spoke with a gunsmith who is in the process of refinishing a Perazzi MX-8 for me which was imported by Ithaca in the '70's. All the case color was gone, right down to gray metal, which would not look too swift next to a total re-blue on the rest of the gun. He got me to agree to let him blue it as well. I don't know the composition of the steel in that receiver, but last time I spoke with him he said it was soaking in an acid bath. If I have opportunity I will ask him what he used to do this, and what blue.

If your receiver was case colored it should be aneiled then recolored either blue or cased. You will never get a good rich color with out softening the receiver.

Thanks for the replys. I think the trick is to use acid to do a pickle wash from all that I have been reading. Would be interested in what type of acid your gunsmith is using as I have read that there are several types. Thanks.

Using a acid will remove the bluing but won't touch the cas color.
Diluted, 20% acid 80% water, muraic acid will remove the blue rinse throughly and start your prep, as the metal will be free of any oil and rust will start reoil when the polishing is done or start the reblue

There is no case coloring on the receiver. When it was cleaned and sanded to 800 grit it looked just like the other parts but when I started to apply bluing it never did get the deep blue color of the other parts. After curing for 4 dayd with oil on it, it looked brown and as I carded it, it just got a dull washed out brown color to it. It looks like it was cleaned and then stain put on it. I am going to clend, strip and start over but thought the acid bath might inprove.

Stan, if you are not going to recase your Perazzi, why not skip the bluing and try a French Gray on the frame? Should wear better than a blued frame.

I don't belive you will ever get the desired finish you want with cold blue.

Would you please tell us how to do a French Gray?
Jim