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Were there any Enfields that had browned barrels? I know most were blued and some polished bright.
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Collin McNeill -
Re: 1853 Enfield Finishes
Hallo!
In brief....
As they left the factories, barrels were rust-blued (blackened).
Many seem to be brown or browned now because the rust-blue oxidizes and turns plum then brown with age and exposure over the decades.
CurtCurt Schmidt
In gleichem Schritt und Tritt, Curt Schmidt
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Re: 1853 Enfield Finishes
Possible source of confusion...this part of the manufacturing process in the English gun trade was called barrel browning, but the result was a deep black/blue finish. Suppliers to the Confederacy p 58 has a detailed description of the process including the recipe for the acid wash they used, which varied with the quality of the iron barrel although I'm not sure how that determination was made.
And ironically, like Curt says, as the blued barrel finish ages over time it turns brownish in color due to oxidation.Last edited by Craig L Barry; 05-28-2017, 10:28 AM.Craig L Barry
Editor, The Watchdog, a non-profit 501[c]3
Co-author (with David Burt) Suppliers to the Confederacy
Author, The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy
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