Browning vs bluing a barrel

[Dutch]

Pros/cons?

I like the look of browning, question is how difficult is it to do? And did traditional M/L builders ""blue" a barrel/lock etc. Or is that a more modern technique?

 

[frankwright]

https://www.laurelmountainforge.com/barrel_brown_inst.htm

I have browned several muzzle loaders with good results. The picture is of a Lyman Trade Rifle I stripped off the blue with vinegar and used the Laurel Mountain stuff to brown it.
I fogged up a bathroom with a hot shower running each time.
The finish held up very well and was easy to maintain with just some oil.
Good Luck!

 

[AugustaDawg]

Really easy with Mark Lee's Express Brown

 

[Dutch]

https://www.laurelmountainforge.com/barrel_brown_inst.htm

I have browned several muzzle loaders with good results. The picture is of a Lyman Trade Rifle I stripped off the blue with vinegar and used the Laurel Mountain stuff to brown it.
I fogged up a bathroom with a hot shower running each time.
The finish held up very well and was easy to maintain with just some oil.
Good Luck!

That looks outstanding!

 

[F.A.R.R.]

There are likely other methods , but I did once and it was easy and turned out good.

Don’t remember the name of it but had a small bottle of browning solution you just rub on with a rag, then let it work. The real key to it turning out right was taking a scouring pad and lighty rubbing it down between coats of the brown solution, if I remember right just one time down the barrel between coats. The more times the barrel is coated the deeper the brown

 

[flconch53]

Believe or not all you have to do to Brown a barrel in the Southeast with our humidity is to let a white barrel sit out in the shed. Rub it down with lemon juice or vinegar now and again to take the surface rust off and soon it will take on a nice patina. I have done 2 guns this way and they both came out good. Just
Make sure that the bore is well oiled. If you want quicker and more controlled any hot brown with work. You can do lock prices and hardware this way also.

 

[flconch53]

I have read that the reason British muskets were called Brown Bess was that the highly polished bright work tended to brown very easily

 

[Darkhorse]

It is thought that most original guns were left in the bright. The owner could either keep the metal bright by constant polishing or allow it to brown by ageing.
Fire blueing was also an option and was most likely chosen by those not wanting to deal with a bright unfinished barrel.
First references to browning a barrel begins towards the end of the American Revolution.
I did not fact check dates or anything, just going by memory so things may be a little off.
I like to brown my hardware on my rifles. I think it looks good and it seems to offer better protection than other methods. I protect my metal and wood with good coats of Johnson's paste wax.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

I like the looks of browning on muzzle loaders. I did a CVA way back in the early 80's when I was laid up with a broken leg. The finish has held up well. I just used the solution that came in the rifle kit from CVA, and rubbed it down between coats with 0000 steel wool, and when I got a nice smooth looking finish, I oiled her down real good.