Historical Question "browning v. blueing"

[Notremor]

When did folks quit "browning" barrels and start "blueing" them? and where is the best place to find browning solution? Thanks.

 

[Zonie]

I'm sure to hear some disagreement from others but IMO Blueing became popular during the Civil War when people noticed that most of the long guns and pistols were blued. In the public mind it became the look of a NEW MODERN gun and the industry never went back to browning. (From a production standpoint, it is a lot faster to blue a gun than to brown it so this coupled with the publics idea of what they wanted led to browning almost dieing out.)
By the way, Blueing was popular in Europe back in the late 1500s thru the 1700s. IMO Browning really became the more common method (in America) when American Gunsmiths started making their guns in the good ol' USA.

Any place selling "kits" and components will have Browning solutions. Try Dixie, Track of the Wolf, Muzzle Loader Builders Supply, Tenn Valley Muzzleloaders, Vernon C Davis (I see this is for sale), Pecatonica Rifle, and many more places.

 

[Haggis]

Some trade guns from England were "blued" as it could be done by heating the barrel until it reached the blue color and then quenching. This was done fairly early.

 

[tg]

Polished or charcoal bluing was the common method of barrel finishing untill about 1780 or there abouts then browning was used, and later blueing came back into style but I don't think by the earlier method, all the rev war and earlier guns with browned barrels you see are a bit at odds with history.

 

Weren't many of the muskets from the 1700's left "in the white" too? Or is this just another myth? Curious minds want to know.....

Vic

 

[tg]

Many rifle barrels were also left in the white this is also known as a polished finish.

 

[Zonie]

quote:Quote by tg:Many rifle barrels were also left in the white this is also known as a polished finish. Hence the many discriptions of the "crimson coats and the gleaming barrels" used to describe the Redcoats in many stories.

You gotta admit seeing a army of 3000+ men dressed in red carrying polished muskets marching towards you in the afternoon sun would be an impressive sight.

 

[tg]

yes it would be quite a sight ...one which would be getting smaller and smaller when viewed from looking back over my shoulder with legs rapidly carrying me in the opposite direction.

 

so barrels left "in the white" weren't just a myth?

Vic

 

[tg]

No there are plenty of period records of polished barrels. a highly polished barrle is surprisingly resistant to rust compared to raw metal that has not been polished.

 

[Zonie]

tg s answer is the reason I mentioned you don't want to polish the metal when you want to Brown it.

tg: As for the running from the British, WE would not have been alone during both the Rev. War and the War of 1812.
Sorry to say, the militia regiments were notorious for it and using that notoriety to suck the British into traps often worked very well.