treating chrome moly in white

chefpierre

New member
When it comes to treating a chrome moly barrel in the white does the inside of the barrel need to be treated as well? Can I choose a duracoat instead of bluing or does it need to be blued then painted. Are there any articles anyone knows of out there to read? Thanks for all the help in advance.

El Chefo
 
The inside of the barrel will be "in the white" even if it's blued or parkerized. You seal the bore and chamber when you finish it.
I'd run a slighly wet patch of CLP or light oil down the bore before storing it if there's any humidity, because it will rust.
It doesn't need to be blued before painting. Prime it and paint it, like anything else.
Duracoat's good, so is Norell's Moly-resin. D-Tech uses Norell's, so I'd give that a close look, I suspect he chose it for good reason.
 
Originally Posted By: Evil_LurkerThe inside of the barrel will be "in the white" even if it's blued or parkerized. You seal the bore and chamber when you finish it.


I'm not sure I'm reading this right, but if you're saying that the barrel and chamber are "plugged" before bluing you've obviously never done, or seen any bluing done.
I worked at a small gun factory when I first retired and I can tell you for positive that the bore and chamber aren't "plugged" and DO get blued right along with the rest of the barrel.
The temperature of the bluing tank is pretty high. Even if you could seal the barrel somehow, you'd have a pipe bomb on your hands. You don't want Janet Napolitano knocking at your door, now do you?
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Firing a few bullets down the barrel removes the bluing, hence the need for rust prevention inside the bore.

FYI,,, Bluing is simply controlled rust. Ceracoat, Norrels, and the like are an entirely different process.
I have no experience with these so I won't comment on them.

Edit; I have heard of Gun Restoration Experts pre-heating barrels and then plugging them before blueing, but it was second hand information, so it may or may not be true.
 
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I am planning on using a "cold blue" for a temporary finish. I think I'll make a pass through the barrel once or twice then oil it nicely till the barrel break in process begins. Thanks for the info guys. You all have helped me once again. Much appreciation from the Chef.
 
I've never worked in a barrel factory, so I'm going to take your word for it.
I've done some tank hot-bluing and parkerizing, though, and we plugged them so we didn't park the inside of the barrel. That didn't seem like it would be a very good idea, somehow.
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We never had a barrel blow up or had Janet Napolitano knocking at the door, since we used golf tees instead of welding the tube shut. Worked just fine.

Hot bluing the inside of a barrel wouldn't hurt it any, it's .0001" per surface so it's not going to cause any problems either way.


Quote:The temperature of the bluing tank is pretty high.

Boiling temperature. I wouldn't consider that "very high".
You can also use a bluing oven, but that's a major investment.

I'm no expert on it, but we got good jobs. Lucky probably.
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Originally Posted By: chefpierreI am planning on using a "cold blue" for a temporary finish. I think I'll make a pass through the barrel once or twice then oil it nicely till the barrel break in process begins. Thanks for the info guys. You all have helped me once again. Much appreciation from the Chef.

I've had good results with Birchwood Caseys cold blue on a few actions. The little swabs they send with the kit and the directions are about worthless though. It has worked the best for me soaking a rag with the blueing agent and keeping a 5 gallon pail or dipping tank on hand. I rub the blueing soaked rag over the part for a minute+/-, dunk it in the water, dry it off quick and repeat..a bunch.
 
I saw a demo at a gun show and the guy was using Blue Wonder. Looked pretty good when he got done. I use the gun cleaner and it works great. If the blueing works as good, you should have a nice finish.
 
Hot salts blueing (with Oxynate 7) requires a constant "boil" at nearly 292 degrees. That is darn hot and 80 degrees hotter than required to boil water. I never plugged the bores on anything I did either. Mine all came out looking perfect but I suppose I was luck in that respect as well.
 
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Anyone who has had the pleasure of a hot salts burn can attest that the heat used is plenty hot enough. That one leaves me shaking my head.

If your anal, remember that any finish makes the surface of the treated metal grow. A brand spankin new high dollar target barrel? Id take extensive measures to leave it unfinished.
 
Compared to a bluing oven, 292 degrees isn't "hot". You don't want to stick your hand in it, but it's not as hot as the barrel would get in sustained fire mode, either.

I'm used to heat treating, "hot" means you're around 1300F and up.

If you're going to cold blue, talk to Old Turtle, he really liked the Brownell's Oxpho-Blue. See if he thinks it would work for you.

Oxpho-Blue

I've tried Birchwood-Casey before on raw steel parts, and it's blotchy and low-luster (or maybe I screwed it up).
 
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I have used Birchwood Casey Perma blue when I refinished my dads remington 760. I found the finish to not last, it would rub off. I think I would like to try the oxpho-blue to see if I can obtain a better finish. Thanks for the input guys.
 
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Evil
I made the pipe bomb comment in jest in an attempt to keep this civil.
The bottom line is that you obviously don't know a thing about blueing.
A golf tee is just laughable. It wouldn't last more than a minute in a blueing tank. The barrel or any other parts need to be in there well over an hour.
I suggest you or anyone else on this site, call a gunsmith that actually has a blueing tank, or Remchester, and ask them if they plug their barrels when bluing them.

It's your story though, so by all means, keep on telling it.
 
Well, you go ahead and park the inside of your barrel, then. I sent you a link to where you can get some stoppers if you decide not to etch the beejesus out of it.
As far as a golf tee in a park tank, these guys seem to say it will stand up fine, as long as it will tolerate 200 degrees.

Parkerizing tips
Can you dissolve a golf tee in boiling water?

I can't.

Cool story though, bro!
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He "said" this, and she "said" that.

I only post about things I've actually done.
You obviously know alot more about searching (read surfing) the internet, than you do about blueing a rifle barrel.
Simply doing a search and repeating the words of a total stranger doesn't make you an expert.

Carry on, Mr Know It All.
 
Well, let's analyze what your major malfuntion is.

Quote:Hot bluing the inside of a barrel wouldn't hurt it any, it's .0001" per surface so it's not going to cause any problems either way.


Is that what's got you all hopping up and down?

Or was it this:

Quote:The inside of the barrel will be "in the white" even if it's blued or parkerized.

even though you admitted:

Quote:Firing a few bullets down the barrel removes the bluing, hence the need for rust prevention inside the bore.


Or are you upset I found barrel and chamber stoppers specifically made to keep parkerizing out of the bore and prevent etching?

Or do you still believe a golf tee will vaporize in 290 degree salt baths (and some might, I didn't do a comprehensive golf tee test).

Or is it something else entirely?
 
Try and keep up here genius..

You said that barrels are plugged when Blued or Parkerized.
I stated that barrels are not plugged when blued. Period.
Not once did I mention Parkerizing.

Then you surfed around and found some internet expert that talked about Parkerizing.
Good job Google Boy...

You're still talking about Parkerizing, or repeating what someone else said about the subject.

I have blued a few thousand barrels.
You did a search...

Again,,, I only post about things I've actually done.
Not stuff I've gleened second hand on the internet..

I assure you,, those golf tees would pop out due to the trapped air in the barrel expanding.
Oh yea,,,, your comment implying that blueing salts are somehow just salt (like Mortons) shows that you really don't have any real expierence with the process..
 
Okay, don't plug a barrel when you blue it.
I humbly stand corrected.
You are absolutely right and I'm a clueless idiot.

Now the guy can have his thread back.
 
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