Barrel Browning or Blueing?

[Mick MacAnselan]

What would be the period correct way to 'rustproof' the steel barrel on a flintlock pistol? Browning or blueing? I know browning makes metal look older, but it wouldn't have looked older when it was new, and I've also heard that the older 'browning' recipes actually decribed a process that creates more of a blueing effect. So what's right? TIA.

[HarborMaster]

In my experience., you will not ever rust proof steel..,especially around a salt water enviroment. Myself I dont blue or browm., I shoot clean and oil., letting nature take its course., this'll brown and dull a bit just fine in time.,If you really must rust proof., I am having 4 cannons machined for me as we speak from a man in Idaho., small caliber cannons for my vessle., I could not afford bronze., but I wanted a raw metal without paint., My new cannons are being turned from stainless.,Surgical quality culverines., If you want to truly avoid rust., youll have to go custom from the best of metals., thats all there is in real rust proofing.

[Bully MacGraw]

Check Track of the Wolf. They have browning that is actually rust. My custome guns were browned this way.

Cheers

Ed

[blackjohn]

black japanning

[Red Dog]

Bluing is a fine period choice for rust abatement, it was used back as early the middle ages to slow rust on armor and weapons alike (hence the term "Black Knight". I have a 1911 colt that was browned and this was done by oil-quenching the metal rather than water-quenching during the bluing process. My personal prefrence is to blue and let wear and tear take its toll.

[Tall Paul]

As BlackJohn says, If you want to be authentic, you should Japan the whole gun.

Many Navy service guns were protected from the decaying effects of the salt air by covering wood and metal alike with a black, asphaltum based paint. (Presumably the moving parts of the lock were left clear.)

The Process is mentioned in William Gilkerson's Boarders Away II.

Loyalist Arms offer Jappaning as an option with a number of their sea service guns.

"Tall Paul" Adams

[Patrick Hand]

I don't know if this story is true or not..... and I have a lot of it messed up....

But I heard that Kit Ravenshare (or Curly Gundsky) ..... one of them..... both of them Realy know early period trade guns......

Anyway... one of them made a musket, and japaned, and tarred the whole thing...... from what I heard.... it looked UGLY AS SNOT....... but it was period.....

[Tall Paul]

..... from what I heard.... it looked UGLY AS SNOT....... but it was period.....

That is why very few weapons still survive with the origional Japanning.

to quote Gilkerson.

"The reason becomes apparent to anyone viewing one of the exceedingly rare specimens extant still retaining all of its old blacking, for it is a flat, lifeless finish to the eye."

When the Admiralty dictated that sea service muskets should be capable of accomodating a socket beyonet, the Japanning created a problem since the coating on the barrels was too thick to acomodate the socket.

As a result, from the mid 1750's half of the muskets were issued "black" and the rest were issued "bright".

"Tall Paul" Adams

[capnwilliam]

Check Track of the Wolf. They have browning that is actually rust. My custome guns were browned this way.

Cheers

Ed

I believe that "browning" IS actually a controlled rusting process. :)

Capt. William

[MadJack]

I read somewhere that some pistol stock were painted black for use at sea. Any truth to that. Am reworking a pistol and too lazy to totally strip and restain stock. But will If I have to. Thanks

[Hawkyns]

I read somewhere that some pistol stock were painted black for use at sea. Any truth to that. Am reworking a pistol and too lazy to totally strip and restain stock. But will If I have to. Thanks

They used all kinds of finishes. Black iron oxide stain, acid burn stain, and paints. I've seen black painted and red painted (looked like redwood deck paint). I wonder if the sea service could be one that I saw that was actually painted with some kind of weak tar, for moisture protection. I know they coated barrels with tar for that purpose.

What I've used for black painted stocks was sand the gloss seal off so that the wood would take the stain, and then liberally coat with black leather dye. Fiebings black oil dye works real well. Don't need to take it all the way down to bare wood, just enough so the dye will penetrate.

Hawkyns

[Iron Hand]

I read somewhere that some pistol stock were painted black for use at sea. Any truth to that. Am reworking a pistol and too lazy to totally strip and restain stock. But will If I have to. Thanks

Popular explanations of the use of the word "Brown" include that it was a reference to either the colour of the walnut stocks, or to the characteristic brown color that was produced by russeting, an early form of metal treatment. Others argue that mass-produced weapons of the time were coated in brown varnish on metal parts as a rust preventative and on wood as a sealer (or in the case of unscrupulous contractors, to disguise inferior or non-regulation types of wood). However, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) notes that "browning" was only introduced in the early 19th century, well after the term had come into general use.

[callenish gunner]

What was used, according to most of the text I have, was a thinned black lacquer or asphaltum; the process was known as Japanning. It would cover both the wood and metal barrel and lock except the moving parts (cock, frizzen and springs). It kept the wood from drawing water and the metal from corrosion. They would keep a tompion (plug) in the muzzle to keep moisture from inside when not in use

Edited March 15, 2010 by callenish gunner

[Capt Thighbiter]

Ah so, honorable gunner... 'Japanning'