Indians For Guns

...Because a proper rust blue is a lot more work!

Sometimes the best approach is not the most practicable at the time.

Also, for all who read this there are 3 major types of blues-

Cold blues, which is a chemical usually applied at room temperature

Rust bluing, where the metal has a chemical applied to promote rusting, then the rust is carded off and the part boiled in water. This is done several times and pretty much gives the nicest looking blues.

Hot bluing, where the parts are suspended in a high temperature bath that usually has some sort of salts added to it to raise the temperature to around 400F. The main advantage of this method is how fast it is compared to the others.

Hot bluing is absolutely not recommended for double barrelled anythings that have soldered barrels! So that leaves cold and rust blues for doubles.

To make a boiling tank for rust bluing, purchase a section of roof gutter and 2 end caps. Use silicone caulk on the end caps and then secure them with sheet-metal screws so they absolutely will not come off. Costs very little. I have a nice stainless steel pan but it is too short for rifles, that I purchased at a hardware store catering to drywall installers. They call it a "mud pan". I found a larger one but they were all made out of plastic. If I could find a 30" SS mud pan I'd be in heaven! Anyway, I mention it in case they make such an item over on your side of the world.

Grumpy, I'm glad that I am not the only one who does not like the color of oxpho blue! Here is a pic of a hawken muzzle loader that I shortened for my eldest son last year, I used the 2 step method and it has held up well, even on the muzzle(sorry it's so big!) :

Guns used to be rust blued - best guns possibly still are - but plenty of doubles were/are blued in the hot tank. The solder has to be formulated to melt at a higher temperature though.
That mini-Hawken is cute......and definitely black.
I guess the dog was the only thing that No 1 son could find to shoot with his new gun ! Has he got the mask mounted on his bedroom wall ?
Is that Real Tree or Hardwoods Green ? - Neither is green enough to be of much use around here except during the winter.

Mark,

The young Nimrod looks really cute with the rifle in his hand. Thanks for the info on blueing.

Best-

Vikram

Is that Real Tree or Hardwoods Green ? - Neither is green enough to be of much use around here except during the winter.

Funny how that is, one of my pet peeves is too much green in the camo around here! Deer season is end of november-beginning of december so nothing is green except for the hunters running around! Anyway, I'll look to double check but I think the camo pattern is realtree

If you look closely at the dog, you'll see she's chewing on a deer leg

Brendan (Mark's eldest son) is an excellent shot and the one thing he enjoys is shooting water jugs or milk jugs filled with water. The younger ones are also learning to shoot and Mark's little girl (my wife's best friend) is also a very enthusiastic shot. I might have some pictures of her shooting. Will look for them and post tomorrow - today has been a bad day and I am ready to drop.

I have also shot Mark's 20 Tactical and it is a fantastic rifle. The very high velocity lifted a water filled milk jug as high into the air as my much more powerful 8mm. I can imagine how devastating the rifle must be on vermin!

Cheers!

Mehul

No need to check Mark - I think it`s Real Tree as well.
You can`t fool me - that`s a stick holding the head up to make for a better photograph !

You can`t fool me - that`s a stick holding the head up to make for a better photograph !

I've been found out!

I should have posted the one where I used the camera zoom and he sat about 5 feet behind! LOL