I have a question for somebody to answer for me. My husband has a Brown Bess. It is polished steel, no blue or no brown. It is such a pain to keep it cleaned and keep the rust off of it. What do you do about that if anything. Or do ya just keep takin it out and checkin for rust and clean it. Thank you for any info that can be helpful.
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brown bess polish or not
- Thread starter dweeble
- Start date
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A product called "Flitz" will keep it nice and shiny (most hardware or cutlery shops carry it). Lightly wiping it with a synthetic metal brightening pad (hardware stores) will also keep it shiny. Or, you/he can try for a patina finish. I hit upon wiping the barrel (mine was a Getz) with a cloth damp with Chlorox and then wiping the barrel with a slice of apple (no kidding). The effect was a slivery, coin metal type finish. If it turned out blotchy, I would clean it away with Flitz and try again.
Once you get it clean, melt some beeswax and rub it on over all the barrel metal and then buff it in. It will stay shiny for months without needing attention.
Once you get it clean, melt some beeswax and rub it on over all the barrel metal and then buff it in. It will stay shiny for months without needing attention.
No word was said about the brass parts, so I will add that...
Any standard brass polish will serve well in keeping the hardware nice and shiny...
Rub it on with a soft cloth, allow to dull and then buff off with a soft cloth to a high luster...
Any standard brass polish will serve well in keeping the hardware nice and shiny...
Rub it on with a soft cloth, allow to dull and then buff off with a soft cloth to a high luster...
Rat
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But...why do you want to keep it shiney?? Muskets are very pretty as they age, and the steel becomes a very nice grey if you don't mess with it. I also prefer to let my brass take on a patina too.
It's taken three years for my Bess to age naturally...and it's really getting good, looking good, I think. Bright steel, brass trimmed rifles or muskets look great when they naturally age. (I "helped" my brass along by wiping it with dirty patches)
Keep the barrel oiled when out in the field, and try not to actually let it rust, but don't polish it. Handle it a lot at home, with the barrel un-oiled. If you do get some light rusting, just very GENTLY work it over with an oily piece of steel wool. The more patina it takes on, the more it will become rust resistant.
Just something to consider...also had to be contrary to everyone else as usual.
:curse:
Rat
It's taken three years for my Bess to age naturally...and it's really getting good, looking good, I think. Bright steel, brass trimmed rifles or muskets look great when they naturally age. (I "helped" my brass along by wiping it with dirty patches)
Keep the barrel oiled when out in the field, and try not to actually let it rust, but don't polish it. Handle it a lot at home, with the barrel un-oiled. If you do get some light rusting, just very GENTLY work it over with an oily piece of steel wool. The more patina it takes on, the more it will become rust resistant.
Just something to consider...also had to be contrary to everyone else as usual.
:curse:
Rat
To Stumpkiller I was told many years ago about using apple and peach to color rifle barrels. Don't remember but one did turn a nice gray and the other light brown I think. It was supposed to be almost rust free after several treatments then oiled. Glad to see someone mention using fruit to color metal as with all the new chemicals we have now we sometimes forget about the available materials that were on hand many years ago.
Fox
Fox
For years I have wondered if that was where the original idea for "plum brown" came from?
If you've carried a carbon steel pocketknife for long time, you will learn many food items produce semi-permanent stains.
If you've carried a carbon steel pocketknife for long time, you will learn many food items produce semi-permanent stains.
As a grenadier in the First of Foote, I keep my King's Land Pattern (Brown Bess) musket brightly polished. Its a bit of maintenance to keep the gun polished. Mainly its steel wool, various rubbing compounds and elbow grease. A highly polished musket is necessary for my presentation.
Guest
In the old days it was a source of pride among foot soldiers to keep their Tower's shining pretty...so much so that the British government had to issue orders sometime around 1810--if i remember correctly--for the soldiers to stop polish their barrels with their steel ramrods. It seems that the fellows were spending so much time shining them up with the steel rammers that it actually thinned the tubes and caused the occasional explosion when fired.
D'oh!
I guess it depends on your portrayal: A soldier would keep it beautiful, a militiaman would probably care less if it was shiny and more likely let it go gray, and a woodsman of any kind would want it to dull as soon as possible because who wants to go toting any shiny object through the woods where the glint might give you away?
:results:
Being English,,, I'll have to admit that the British are a proud bunch,,,, even to the point of being A** holes. Back then they fought in a "dignified fashion" abeit fools(?). The proper battle was fought out in the open,, elbow to elbow, Brave as fools in a bright red (target) uniform.
Many of the Colonials borrowed(?), begged or stole their weapons and since they were only "tools" treated them as such. Being more concerned about "effectivness" than pride they often didn't keep up on the English version of maintenance of just plain were smatrt enough to realize that "bright and shiney" was a good target. Also meant to the British that them with brown barrels were not "British soldgers of Pride" and were recognized at variouse "check points.
The high polish in 1760's indicated if you were a "loyalist" or a "Patriot" (somewhat).
By the "War of 1812" even the British declared "Browning" was mandatory. (lesson learned from the Sons of Liberty?)
British finally realized that the glare coming off a mirrored finish barrel didn't help the aiming process much.
H
When barrels became (fashionably) acceptable browned, it didn't mean rusty. Still browned but shiny brown. (thence cane a new "ordinance" in 1870's) and it's anouther story.
Basicly. a browned Bess spoke about what side you were on. Actually, anything but "mirrored" meant you were non- King (pride) oriented or you were very "green" and needed a a$$whooping to get your act together.
At least that's the way I'm seeing the story.
Many of the Colonials borrowed(?), begged or stole their weapons and since they were only "tools" treated them as such. Being more concerned about "effectivness" than pride they often didn't keep up on the English version of maintenance of just plain were smatrt enough to realize that "bright and shiney" was a good target. Also meant to the British that them with brown barrels were not "British soldgers of Pride" and were recognized at variouse "check points.
The high polish in 1760's indicated if you were a "loyalist" or a "Patriot" (somewhat).
By the "War of 1812" even the British declared "Browning" was mandatory. (lesson learned from the Sons of Liberty?)
British finally realized that the glare coming off a mirrored finish barrel didn't help the aiming process much.
H
When barrels became (fashionably) acceptable browned, it didn't mean rusty. Still browned but shiny brown. (thence cane a new "ordinance" in 1870's) and it's anouther story.
Basicly. a browned Bess spoke about what side you were on. Actually, anything but "mirrored" meant you were non- King (pride) oriented or you were very "green" and needed a a$$whooping to get your act together.
At least that's the way I'm seeing the story.
Rat
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For those who keep the King's musket, I've often wondered why no one makes a Bess with a mirror polished stainless steel barrel?
Same thing with the 1861 Springfield, for those who like the shiney look...?? Who would know, as long as the barrel was not stamped: "STAINLESS STEEL"??? (which they might do)
:hmm:
Rat
Same thing with the 1861 Springfield, for those who like the shiney look...?? Who would know, as long as the barrel was not stamped: "STAINLESS STEEL"??? (which they might do)
:hmm:
Rat
Rig Gun Grease my dear woman. Apply it and buff it and repeat several times.
My friend did that to a modern breechloader firearm (Ruger 10/22)that had the bluing removed from the barrel. He applied a coat, buffed it and did this about three more times. That was over a decade ago and there's still no rust. Furthermore, he lives in a salt air environment.
My friend did that to a modern breechloader firearm (Ruger 10/22)that had the bluing removed from the barrel. He applied a coat, buffed it and did this about three more times. That was over a decade ago and there's still no rust. Furthermore, he lives in a salt air environment.
Well, as of right now it is for show but husband would like to take it out huntin when he gets everything that he needs for it. The main reason i put out this question is because when he took it out of the gun cabinet it had rust on it, he is wantin to try to avoid that or age it (if that is what you call it) to the barrel. I am just the messenger and the one who knows how to use the comp. lol
Thank you for all the info. it has been helpful and we are lookin forward to some of the ideals given in here.
dweeble
Thank you for all the info. it has been helpful and we are lookin forward to some of the ideals given in here.
dweeble
You got a gun cabinet that will fit a bess?
Do any of the other guns in the cabinet have rust on them, maybe the gun cabinet is holding moisture...
If so, you can put a few of those little bags of desacant in there to keep it dry...
Rat
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I would still vote to let it age, but when you put it in the cabinet, you should rub some oil on the barrel and lock, either with a small oily piece of cloth, or rub some in with a finger-tip or two. Keeping the barrel lightly oiled will still let it age...but it will just take a while. It's taken mine about three years to really take on that nice grey color, and I kind of help it along by handling it a lot.
Well he should enjoy hunting with it. I've been hunting bear, deer, elk and grouse with mine. Only got the grouse though.
Rat
Well he should enjoy hunting with it. I've been hunting bear, deer, elk and grouse with mine. Only got the grouse though.
Rat
Guest
[url] Militaryheritage.com[/url] and loyalistarms both have shiny shiny barrels...
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For whatever it's worth:
The British Army used brick dust to keep musket barrels shiny. There were some times when the polished barrels weren't kept up. Howe ordered musket barrels "blackened" before the attempt to capture Ticonderoga. Some "ranger" units did the same, though there's some argument about what "blackened" actually meant, though a type of browning is the probable answer. It wasn't until the issue of the "New Land Pattern for Light Infantry" in October 1811, that what could be called a factory "browned barrel" musket was issued. This was the variant of the "India Pattern" musket with a special curled trigger guard, fixed rear sight and "browned" barrel specially designed for the Light Infantry Regiments shipping out for Wellington's army in Spain. The rear sight was of unknown value since the musket were smooth bored and shooting a .690" ball in a .775" bore.
The British Army used brick dust to keep musket barrels shiny. There were some times when the polished barrels weren't kept up. Howe ordered musket barrels "blackened" before the attempt to capture Ticonderoga. Some "ranger" units did the same, though there's some argument about what "blackened" actually meant, though a type of browning is the probable answer. It wasn't until the issue of the "New Land Pattern for Light Infantry" in October 1811, that what could be called a factory "browned barrel" musket was issued. This was the variant of the "India Pattern" musket with a special curled trigger guard, fixed rear sight and "browned" barrel specially designed for the Light Infantry Regiments shipping out for Wellington's army in Spain. The rear sight was of unknown value since the musket were smooth bored and shooting a .690" ball in a .775" bore.
davidthered
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I have 2 Pedersoli Bess's and I have a canvas gun bag for one of them. When I bought this gun it had the bag, and had sat unused for over a year. I took it out and it was showroom shiny! Not a speck of rust.
Now after I've cleaned and oiled it after use, I return it to the canvas bag and forget it. Stays rust free.
My other Bess will start to get spots if I don't occasionally (once a month at least) take a 3M pad to it and re-oil the barrel.
So I would advise making a canvas gun bag to store it in.
Being a loyal subject of King George III, I keep my barrels bright. The glint in the sun also helps throw off the rebels aim, God willing!
:redthumb:
Now after I've cleaned and oiled it after use, I return it to the canvas bag and forget it. Stays rust free.
My other Bess will start to get spots if I don't occasionally (once a month at least) take a 3M pad to it and re-oil the barrel.
So I would advise making a canvas gun bag to store it in.
Being a loyal subject of King George III, I keep my barrels bright. The glint in the sun also helps throw off the rebels aim, God willing!
:redthumb:
In fact I read that keeping the metal polished brightly was the duty of the good Redcoat (if there is such a thing). They went so far as to burnish the barrels with their ramrods, which were iron, to such an extent as to remove the proof markings and "King's Mark" from the barrel. Early in the 1800's, polished barrels ceased to be part of the regulations, with brown being the order of the day.
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