Options on finish

[lbothell]

Hello! So I actually have two simple kit guns coming in one is a CVA squirrel and the other is a Barn style smoothbore. Both are in the white so really not to much is going to need done other then the finish. Now Iv refinished gun in the past and they came out fine but, these are going to be hunting pieces it doesn’t need to be a show piece but I still want it to look nice. What are some options of stain and finish that you guys would suggest. Are we against stain from Lowe’s or the such? Also for the barrels I was considering using mustard, don’t laugh, bc it works well on creating a patina on my carbon steel knives. Has anyone tried this? Again please don’t rip me apart haha I’m just asking bc I want it to be a decent finish is all. Like I said it doesn’t have to be perfect bc I’ll carry these guns all the time. But what works and what just doesn’t seem to work for you guys?

 

[TDM]

Laurel Mountain has a nice selection of stains and browning solutions that are top notch. But your mustard, Lowe’s stain and polyurethane will work too if you want the go that path. Just depends on what you’re looking for.

 

[lbothell]

Laurel Mountain has a nice selection of stains and browning solutions that are top notch. But your mustard, Lowe’s stain and polyurethane will work too if you want the go that path. Just depends on what you’re looking for.

Well I am a little on a budget so I will definitely check the pricing on the laurel mountain stains bc if they are around the same price it’s a no brainer. The mustard thing just interested me bc I know what it will do on knife blades and I can always lightin it up a little if need be, it’s very easy to worth with. But again yes it works well on knives but never did it on a gun barrel before

 

[deerstalkert]

I second the laurel mountain products. am browning a barrel with the browning solution right now.
i did a fowler barrel a week ago and it beats anything pedersoli puts on their barrels.

 

[64Springer]

Birchwood Casey's Plum Brown will work fine for the steel.

Boiled Linseed Oil will work fine for the wood.

Six million M1 Garand stocks can't be wrong.

All dirt cheap too.

 

[lbothell]

I second the laurel mountain products. am browning a barrel with the browning solution right now.
i did a fowler barrel a week ago and it beats anything pedersoli puts on their barrels.

That barrel looks great!

 

[deerstalkert]

That barrel looks great!

easy to follow instructions on their web site also.
follow them and it really turns out nice. don't sand over 220 grit . the smoother sanded ones i have done were not as even.
i am on the third coat with this smr barrel.it needs another hour then carded with hot water , Before the first coat it was shiny steel. next it gets carded with denim cloth and hot water four more times.when i have that done it is coated with motor oil for 24 hours and then Rennaissance wax for a finish. if you want the barrel blue black boil it in water converts the rust . one bottle of the agent does 4-5 barrels depending on length.

 

[Col. Batguano]

The US arsenals used RAW Linseed oil, not boiled.

 

[Pete G]

Oil based stains do not work well on hardwood. Go with alcohol based such as Laurel Mountain or leather dye.

 

[64Springer]

Or Trans-Tint alcohol base stain.

 

[akroguy]

Tried and True varnish oil, thinned with turpentine. Add some drops of LMF stain dropped in to add some color....the Maple or Cherry is nice. Experiment in the barrel channel to get what you want. Several applications over a week of just a few drops rubbed in by hand vigorously then finish with paste wax.

BC Plum Brown for the most awesome barrel finish, oiled when done with motor oil.

Mustard is for weenies!

 

[Greg_E]

Old nails and vinegar, test to make sure you like the color, and it takes a long time to create the iron acetate. Ferric nitrate crystals are pretty cheap, mix with distilled water. Heat either and you should get a decent brown, then cover with oil or other top coat.

 

[tenngun]

Cheap India knifes. They came past stainless steel bright. Much too bright for me. I colored them with mustard

 

[pacanis]

I've used mustard on knives. But I prefer cold bluing.
I think on a barrel that mustard might be a little too psychedelic (I guess that's the word). It would look like those fiberglass bench rest shooter stocks that are flecked. Too busy IMO.

Laurel Mtn is good stuff. I've rust blued several 1911's with it. Shortly I'll be browning a pistol barrel with it, so we'll see how that comes out. First time browning anything. I'm glad I'm going small and not a long arm.

I highly recommend LM with the others.

 

[tenngun]

I too like LM products. The brown is over the top.
It’s just you can do other things and get a good looking finish
Most guns of old were in the white or blued until the nineteenth century when browning became popular
We associate brown with guns because most old guns now have a brown finish, but they didn’t start that way

 

[lbothell]

Thank you guys I’m really appreciating all this ideas and options! I’m starting to think I might have a direction but keep the ideas coming!

 

[lbothell]

I too like LM products. The brown is over the top.
It’s just you can do other things and get a good looking finish
Most guns of old were in the white or blued until the nineteenth century when browning became popular
We associate brown with guns because most old guns now have a brown finish, but they didn’t start that way

I was thinking about that, we make these guns look old bc we see what the old guns look like now but when they were new they didn’t look like that! It took 200 years to get that way haha

 

[pacanis]

I too like LM products. The brown is over the top.
It’s just you can do other things and get a good looking finish
Most guns of old were in the white or blued until the nineteenth century when browning became popular
We associate brown with guns because most old guns now have a brown finish, but they didn’t start that way

That's really interesting. I'm glad I read this.

To tell the truth my new Pedersoli BB barrel looks more like cerakote than browning.
It might be something to play with, to strip it and make it more period correct.

 

[lbothell]

Also I need to mention the stock on the barn gun has some nice worm holes on it going to be a neat piece of wood for sure. Would that change ideas on finish?

 

[SPQR70AD]

Cheap India knifes. They came past stainless steel bright. Much too bright for me. I colored them with mustard View attachment 189034

do you sharpen them with a chainsaw lol