Gray Steel

[Cvkotvkse]

As I once heard an elder relative complain to the trading post operator... "Condom mini-um too small..."

 

[Cvkotvkse]

And I'll end it there, before we hijack the whole thread.... I AM learning a lot on it!

 

[Pierre009]

You can always use sauerkraut but then one of my drunken friends would try to take a bite our of it.

 

[TDM]

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.

I eat too much Dukes to use it on metal.

 

[TDM]

You can also plug it and wrap it in urine soaked rags, that was reported done
But I’m not wanting to try it

That’s what I’ve read too. And just placing the barrel outside, muzzle down and urinating on it and let the weather do the rest. Who knows, don’t plan to try it.

 

[Pierre009]

I eat too much Dukes to use it on metal.

That’s what I’ve read too. And just placing the barrel outside, muzzle down and urinating on it and let the weather do the rest. Who knows, don’t plan to try it.

Wonder if Dukes would have helped with C-Rats???

 

[Steve Martin]

Historically, the vast majority of guns prior to the mid 1800's were simply left "in the white" mostly due to the added cost that was added by builders or gunsmiths to do a brown or blued finish. The wealthy and the officers probably would occasionally chose to spend the extra dollar or two for the custom finish but the working man or frontier's man didn't have extra money for such extras for their firearms which were after all, just viewed as necessary tools.

 

[Pierre009]

Historically, everything I read suggested to brown the metal to save it. Hey if pissing on it works go for it...I wish I would have kept those books.

 

[Whitworth]

That’s what I’ve read too. And just placing the barrel outside, muzzle down and urinating on it and let the weather do the rest. Who knows, don’t plan to try it.

It's been close to 60 years since I read it but the in the story of Remington Arms mention was made of Eliphalet Remington browning his barrel in a mixture of urine (source not mentioned) and iron filings. YMMV

 

[TDM]

It's been close to 60 years since I read it but the in the story of Remington Arms mention was made of Eliphalet Remington browning his barrel in a mixture of urine (source not mentioned) and iron filings. YMMV

So many unknowns. Would like to go back and see just how they did things.

 

[Whisper]

Is the NS-16 watered down cold blue?

I’m sure it’s not just watered down cold blue but it could be a variant with a slightly different chemical. They offer a variety of colors according to their website.