Gray Steel

There is one builder on Facebook who does almost everything metal in Gray. I'm in the process of acquiring a 40-caliber Vincent Rifle made by Neil Fileds, which has a Gray Barrel.

I have always seen references to Bluing and Browning. This is the first time I've heard of this. Can anyone shed some light on the historical significance of this process? Where it originated? How it's done?

I did a search first but didn't find much. I didn't want to duplicate something that's already been covered.

Thanks!

Walt

Naval jelly will produce a gray finish..

I always called this a "patina", which normally is found on century-old guns. Never knew there was a way to artificially produce it.

You can put on a few coats of cold blue, then steel wool it back to the shade you want.

Dilute cold blue with water until you arrive at the gray you like.

Not sure, but I have heard of 'french grey'. It is a process using a variety of techniques like a liquid bluing, rubbed back and then naval jelly, repeatedly till color is achieved, there are many variations.
Robby

Most old guns came with plain iron barrels, not blued or brown
Many old guns brown today started out blue. And tge exposed areas browned over the years.

BP Addict said:

There is one builder on Facebook who does almost everything metal in Gray. I'm in the process of acquiring a 40-caliber Vincent Rifle made by Neil Fileds, which has a Gray Barrel.

I have always seen references to Bluing and Browning. This is the first time I've heard of this. Can anyone shed some light on the historical significance of this process? Where it originated? How it's done?

I did a search first but didn't find much. I didn't want to duplicate something that's already been covered.

Thanks!

Walt

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I have seen a good number of original Vincent rifles, many appear to have had barrels left in the white.

I'm building a 40 cake vincent now. I've got that same gray patina using a little bleach dabbed all over the metal ,,let set a day and di it again,, let set a day and mix a little bleach and cold blue for the last coat. Looks really neat.

Ok caliber not cake

Several ways too skin this cat…
I’ve used vinegar, mustard and Naval Jelky..
They all seem too give a light gray finish & hold up well..



This Trapper was done with mustard & wrapped with a terry cloth rag and plastic wrap overnite…

It has gotten darker over the years , but once looked almost like old, dull galvanized tin…

The cock & lock plate got the same treatment..

Buffed, wiped with Tracks cold brown then naval jelly

I put a grey finish on my Kibler Colonial. This product works quite well with a simple wash-down, and enables one to vary the grey coloration from light to dark by working it back with a fine steel wool or applying additional coats.

That's a nice finish BUT that wood grain/finish is a killer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!/Ed

I really like the gray achieved with the Eagle One Chrome Wheel Cleaner, which you can find at most any auto parts store. I haven't used it for a final finish, just used it to strip off bluing and faux case color from parts. Easiest method to strip clean or etch gray steel parts. It will flash rust fairly quickly if you don't flush with water to kill the action. If I decide to finish in gray in the future, I'm going to use it for the final finish. If you use it, I would draw file, sand, or bead blast, for whatever your final metal prep was going to be prior to applying any type of finish. This is a Pedersoli Trade Gun Barrel which has the protective bluing and still had machine marks that had to be removed. The final finish should be more even with proper barrel or part prep; however, it will rust fairly quickly if you don't apply oil or grease. It is one of the better tones of gray that I have seen.

Anybody ever tried grey Duracoat or Ceracoat?

Dale Allen Raby said:

Anybody ever tried grey Duracoat or Ceracoat?

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I haven't, but the rust brown Cerakoat finish that Pedersoli uses looks good, but too good. I bought one of the Pedersoli Frontier rifles which has the brown Cerakote finish, and when I got it in, I handed it to my 26 y.o. son who in the past has worked on the paint line where they finish John Deere products, and the first words out of his mouth was "Why did they paint the barrel. He's not savvy as far as finishes for muzzleloaders go, but the finish caught his eye immediately. It is one of the most durable finishes available, but it just doesn't quite look right on period weapons, and is a real bit@h to remove. Easiest way to remove is to have the barrel or parts bead blasted.

Try coating the metal with mustard. The vinegar greys the metal and has enough body to allow painting it on.

Duracoat and cerakote are epoxy ceramic coatings you put on top of the metal.( in a sense a much improved version of paint.) All the other finished mentioned are just variations on rust.

If your going to use condiments to gray steel, a good mayonnaise has almost twice the acid as mustard. If using mayonnaise, Duke's is the best and has a better flavor than Hellman's.