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Browning a barrel question

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I've browned several barrels. The best is to use one of the cold browns. Laurel Hill and Wahkon Bay are good. You live in Arizona and if you have room in your car or van to create a mini oven in the sun, you have an ideal browning oven. Make a small rack to lift the barrel free of the floor. Follow the instructions. Be sure that all oils are removed from the metal. Wear latex gloves. You don't want any fingerprints. Apply several coats of the solution, carding or wiping away light rust between applications. This may make a darker brown (almost black) than using the heat and humidity of your shower as a browning oven. It's not really that much of a pain and you have control of the results.

Here you see the results of the browning of my Harper's Ferry Rifle with Track's browning solution. The Derringer was left in the white.

View attachment 222442

The Harper's Ferry was browned in the back of my minivan. It got to about 150 degrees F and really did the job.
Very nice. I went ahead and ordered a bottle from LMF.
 
The sights don't have to come off unless they are copper. Best to take them off to brown the steel sights and eliminate the possibility of rusting the sights in place.
Nuts!
I haven't done that in decades and recall it was a pain to do. Guess I should regard it as "reacquiring lost skills" or something like that.
 
I tore down my Pedersoli Kentucky to do some work on it. I want to remove the factory bluing and have it browned. I could do it my self I suppose, but I think I would be happier with it if it were done professionally. That said, have any of you had your barrel browned and can you recommend them to me. If anyone can tell me who to avoid, that would be helpful also. Lastly, if someone can give me an idea of how much of a pain doing it myself could be, I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
I did two brownings and they are OK by me. I don't have enough experience to give someone else tips on how to do it, but just read up on it first! You will learn!
 
Recently used LMF browning on my first attempt to brown a barrel. I followed the instructions from their web site and the process went just as they said it would. Whole process was a piece of cake. Outcome was better than I had hoped for. I was trying to replicate the finish on an original SMR I was lucky enough to own many years ago. I will be using LMF to complete my next Kibler kit. It is the part of the process i am least worried about.
 
Ok, I will look into it. Probably a video on YT about it. Another person mentioned using vinegar to remove the blue. What are your thoughts about this?
Birchwood Casey Blue and Rust Remover. As far a bluing or browning without degreasing. Not going to get good results. Degrease everything as good as you can get it. I use acetone. Dries immediately. I use Track of the Wolf browning solution. very good results. When carding between coats of solution be gentle.
 
I degrease with no chlorine break cleaner and then TSP in boiling water.
And +1 on LM.

I've never done a barrel, but I imagine there is some kind of plugging that goes on at the bore end and the flash hole.
 
I was taught to coat the bore with lacquer before rust bluing or browning. Use lacquer thinner to remove lacquer coating when done.
What a great Idea ! I have been using pasted wax to coat the bore, it seems to work okay, but I like your idea better.
 
I take a round ball a few calibers larger than my barrel bore and drive it half into the bore. plugs the bore water tight. remove with pliers.
all of my stored unused bores are plugged this way. i drip a drop of wax into the vent. seals effectively.

I like this method. No chance of introducing anything to the areas you just took time to degrease.
 
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