doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Removing cold blue from Damascus

I have aquired a D Parker that has had the Damascus barrels cold blued! Any sugestions on how to remove the blue?

Thanks, Harry Collins

Hello Harry. Nice gun. Did you purchase the other one to this subject #17,638 gun you picked up?

I await the responses you'll get from more knowledgeable readers. You'd think that with both processes being based on rust and probably each reacting to the other when the blue was applied, its going to be a bear.

Shouldn't hold you back for afternoon crows, however. Good Luck on this big D.

If you want to go back down to unfinished metal, removing all the color that is currently present, a mild acid should do the trick. Try vinegar, wipe it own and rinse it back off with warm water, then lightly oil. Also try Coca Cola, don't laugh, it contains phosphoric acid. A bit sticky with all that sugar, but it'll clean off easily. If these don't take it off you'll need a stronger acid, or try steel wool.

I use Birchwood Casey blue remover to take off rust blue all the time, should take cold blue off no sweat, weather you will still see any pattern on you're barrels is another question.

Hi, Harry,

Dblfever's recommendation should be fine. FWIW, Oscar used Brownell's rust and blue remover. It uses a weaker strength of the active agent in Naval Jelly, phosphoric acid. Naval Jelly works well but leaves lower polish (more frosted) surfact than Brownell's. Either will almost certainly leave you without any pattern.

I've used the Birchwood-Casey blue and rust remover also. It makes quick work out of removing all rust and blue. Should work for cold blue as well. The barrels will be a shiney silver when done. Redoing the damascus pattern is another thread altogether.

Try 220 wet or dry paper. You will be ready for the next step when it is clean.
bill

Thanks for all the comments, I may wait until the end of January to do anything. It is going to be my duck gun and I will appreciate the currently dark barrels. May send them off to Dale Edmonds after the season
outdoorlvr-I am confused about the serial number posted and the other gun? This Parker is 30651, a D grade on 4 frame with 32" barrels.

Harry

Harry - its due to me trying to bring into the discussion info you shared on the Parker forum. - What I had gathered by your post there was that you were comptemplating purchasing #30651 and were asking for input, but then introduced another "D" gun - - a 10 1/8 lb. 10 gauge with blued damascus barrels and with a picture that reported what I felt to be serial #17638.

What this all amounts to is me learning to keep my fingers quiet about something typed on another forum. But - - did you describe two guns on the Parker forum, or did I screw that matter up, too?

Regardless, best of luck, Harry. And may the clouds that you report occasionally shooting at out of your back door turn into crows within range of your Parkers. Bob

Bob,

I'm not to quick. I just realized that 17638 you refered to as another gun's serial number are the same as the order number on the barrel flats of 30651. Sorry, Harry