Boil and Card. Rust bluing the 1851 Colt Navy pt. 6

Last time we grew a good layer of rust on the old Colt. Today we boil the parts to convert that rust into bluing. Then we card off the excess to reveal what's underneath.

[@abeljimenez594]

You forgot to add some onions, garlic black pepper and salt

[@mattvaughn4414]

A watched pot boils

[@jamespollard1670]

Good stuff . I just did a 1911 with this process .

[@maxKingsley-zm3tk]

Just watched your 1851 Navy restoration series. Where do you find someone to magnaflux a firearm parts? Thanks. I’ve been shooting muzzle loaders and Colt and Remington BP revolvers for years. I’ve only 2 originals but never fired them.

[@1917Enfield]

Most automotive machine shops will have a magnaflux set-up. The hard part is finding one that will do firearms. I had to call a few until I found a shop willing to do them.

[@NazNazan-u9z]

Good job, Sir Do you boil that to be clean or bluing?

[@1917Enfield]

The boiling water converts red rust into bluing.

[@guylewis7418]

Aren’t you worried that the inside of the barrel will rust? How do you prevent that?

[@1917Enfield]

When the parts come out of the pan, they are over 200 degrees. Any water inside the barrel will evaporate. Having said that, I do run a brush through the bore and clean any residue out of the barrel. After I'm done bluing, I oil the parts to end the rusting process.

[@guylewis7418]

@@1917Enfield thank you! Now that you mention that, it should have been obvious to me!

[@garyanderson2720]

Toby, I have an old Armi San Paolo, 1851, which seems to be a silver color...I don't like it. Can I use your methods and turn it blue/ black, anything but silver?

[@1917Enfield]

It depends on what you mean by a silver color. If the silver color is just bare metal because the original finish is worn off, then, yes, it can be reblued. If it's silver because somebody has plated it, or chromed it, then no, it cannot be blued until the plating has been stripped off.

[@garyanderson2720]

I think it was made and sold this way. I have seen a couple of old CVAs that looked identical to mine, but I would rather have it antiqued or dark blue if that is possible.

[@1917Enfield]

@@garyanderson2720 If it isn't plated, I'd give bluing a shot. Make sure your parts are as clean and oil free as you can get them before you start rusting them. You can hang your parts over a humidifier to get them to rust. You want an even coat of rust. Then boil and card them. You don't have to have the carding wheel, you can get the same results with 0000 steel wool that has been rinsed with acetone.

[@blackbyrd72]

What is the boiling solution? you never mentioned it

[@1917Enfield]

It's roughly a gallon of distilled water. Nothing more.

[@stevenbaker9327]

15 grs. of 3fff and a .375 round ball is what I shoot out of mine

[@1917Enfield]

It passed a Magna Flux to check for cracks, but, the first time I shoot it, we are going to use 9 grains of powder. There is quite a bit of pitting on the cylinder and I don't quite trust it yet.

[@stevenbaker9327]

@@1917Enfield be neat to know the history on that one!