doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Rust Bluing

I do quite a bit of rust bluing and would not consider rust bluing an action and barrel together, for the reasons previously stated�.. Weeping of oils/lubes.

Getting rusting solution and water between the receiver threads and barrel threads is a great recipe for rusting, as it would be very difficult to get all the water out. After a few months I suspect that the barrel and receiver may become rust welded together.

I highly recommend a lube on the threads when installing the barrel; to help with installation and to keep rust from forming. Since I work primarily on antiques, in lieu of anti-seize, I use a more traditional mixture of 50/50 cosmoline and yellow axle grease.

I always test fit/test fire complete assemblies prior to final finishing.

Tom,
Since you already have witness marks(if not, no problem to make anyway), you will not have headspace problem, as long as you line them up at final assy.Actually, it would take a good bit of misalignment between the witness marks to hurt,it would show up on the sights first(for 06, the difference between "go" and "no go"qauge is 6 thousanths).I use aluminum blocks in my barrel vise, and clean both the barrel and blocks with acetone(every time).If the blocks are pulled up tight, they won't slip.If they happen to slip because not tight,the few aluminum smears are easily removed with WD40 and 0000 steel wool.I have tried hardwood,lead,abrasive cloth,rosin, and other methods;for me nothing worked better.I also remove the barrel when rust blueing.
Mike

Headspace is something you have to establish during fitting if you're putting up the bbl yourself.
Or you should check the specs of if it's a rifle already assembled and you're just the new owner and doing some extra work to it.

Either way make sure it's right and/or make it right before getting into the pretty work.
That's the idea behind the test firing/function firing while still in the white with a new custom build. Get all the kinks out first if there are any. You may have to do some minor adj to things, disassembly, reassembly,ect. It's just easier to do while in the white.

It's nice to have the rifle or shotgun look all nice a pretty, but if it doesn't work right it isn't worth a damn. Taking it back a part repeatedly while in the finished condition to tweak trigger mechanisms, bedding, feeding and any manner of things is a pain.

..and you shouldn't need a 4 ft cheater bar to put a bbl onto an action. Most Military rifles are put on with great torque and it seems that is the standard by which many go by. But it really isn't needed. A decent fit on those large dia threads ,a nice square shoulder and face,, all that simply tightened down with the wrench is sufficient.

Hot bluing,, it's a very good idea to remove the bbl as the bluing salts gets into the tiny voids in between the threads. Then the water evaporates leaving the salt itself in there and you get that white 'bloom' growing out of the joint.
It's just the salt absorbing water from the air. It'll cause rust of course but also destroy any bluing it grows onto.
Oil won't kill it. Plain hot water will disolve it (that's what the after- bluing rinse should have done) but it can't effectively get down into the threads to get everything out.

With rust blue it's the oil or grease that's already on the threads,,especially grease applied to the threads when assembled, that liquifies duing the heat of boiling and seeps back out over the rust blue coatings to spoil them.
Usually shows up as unblued metal areas right at the bbl to recv'r joint.
Sometimes you get it where bbl band swivels and/or front band sights are installed too.Depends how they were done.
You'll see it around a screw 'plug' repair often too as there a tiny amt of oil down in the threads of the plug. The oil weeps to the surface ruining the bluing in a perfect circle to reveal what was an almost invisable repair.

Sometimes it'll appear to blue OK, but will rub right off when you're done and are coating the piece with oil afterwards.
It's just that the area is contaminated and the blue won't adhere well.
It can also get onto the carding wheel if you card over those spots and pick it up.
It doesn't take much to contaminate the carding wheel and then you're laying it on allover the piece.
It contaminates the tank water each time too w/an oil slick on top.

Tom,
Kutter's is the voice of experience. All good and accurate. This is not something to learn by reading, it is all quite doable but there is no substitute for the doing!
Best, Steve

Thanks to all for taking the time to share your experience! I will be separating the barrel for bluing. Although, it may be a year or two before I get there and I would rather have a better chance to get it right the first time. Between wife, kids, work, hunting seasons(archery, bird hunting with my gsp, muzzleloader, and rifle), and lately, shoveling snow, it has taken me the better part of 6 months to inlet the trigger guard in the practice blank. So no rush. I am enjoying the process and gaining more and more appreciation and respect for those of you practice this craft.

Steve, your seminars look fantastic. Someday I hope to be ready to attend! In the meantime, the photos you post on your site are very educational-thanks!

-Tom