I have never used vinegar on blued steel. But I have submerged old rusted wrenches, hammers..whatever, in a tub of white vinegar. After 48 hours there is not a spwck of rust...or anything else...on the steel.
So i really doubt it wouldnt eat through the bluing too. Im not SAYING that...Id just want to test it carefully first. With tools it leaves the metal a light gray.
NDG
Rust bluing on gun parts is a form of controlled red oxide rusting which is boiled in water to convert the red oxide to black oxide. This is why you want to keep vinegar away from the blued surfaces of any shotgun with rust blued barrels & parts. Your experiences with rusted tools & white vinegar proves the point.
