Records for the Formula for Bluing a Revolver as it was Done in the 1840-1860's?

[a34]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if any records exist of the process and formula different manufacturer's used for bluing their revolvers n the 1840-1860's? I have some old Italian clones, I'd like to strip and see if I can replicate the process for a closer to original finish. I'm especially interested in the Confederate processes as I'm guessing it was very primitive when compared to Colt or Remington. Could someone point me to where I might find such documentation? Has anyone here tried to replicate it?

Thanks!

[Big Sarge]

Re: Records for the formula for bluing a revolver as it was done in the 1840-1860's?

Cold rust bluing was used on many firearms of that period. You'll have to mix your own bluing formula which is 3 parts nitric acid, 2 parts muriatic acid, as much reagent grade iron powder that can be dissolved. When it stops fuming, dilute 1:25 parts distilled water. This will need to be stored in glass chemical bottles with glass stoppers. Use a respirator and thick rubber protective gloves. Also, you'll need to mix this outdoors.

I have gotten good results with the rust bluing solutions from Brownell. While not quite authentic, I think it gives an acceptable finish on revolvers that you process for a "worn finish".

[a34]

Re: Records for the formula for bluing a revolver as it was done in the 1840-1860's?

Thanks Big Sarge.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Records for the formula for bluing a revolver as it was done in the 1840-1860's?

Do you know of any period revolvers that were rust blued? Colt and Remington used deep fire-blued finishes over expertly prepared metal. You see the same blue on Manhattans, Starrs, Kerrs, etc. I would imagine some of the Confederate revolvers could have been crudely blued, or not blued at all.

The only military pistol to have a rust-blued finish that I know of was the US M1911 pistol manufactured by the National Armory in Springfield Mass (Colt, Rem-UMC, and others used the high-polished blue).

What particular pistol are you looking to blue?

[Big Sarge]

Re: Records for the formula for bluing a revolver as it was done in the 1840-1860's?

During the war, Colt finished the arms supplied to the Army low-lustre blue which some collectors call, "military finish". This contrasted with civilian weapons which were usually finely polished and finished with a high-lustre "inky-blue/black blue". For Confederate arms, I believe the cold rust blue that was referred to as browning in the US 1862 Ordnance Manual and in descriptions from British arms manufacturers would be the most fitting. I don't think it would be practical for Confederate war time production to use Nitre Blue or Carbona Blue. I'm attaching a link to Geoff Walden's work on Enfield bluing citing the use of a cold rust blue on the barrel of enfields. http://authentic-campaigner.com/arti...en/enfblue.htm

The US 1862 Ordnance Manual states barrels of rifles will be browned (cold rust blued) at the armories before being received for service. The cold rust blue formula specified was:

1 1/2 oz spirits of wine
1 1/2 oz tincture of steel
1/2 oz corrozive sublimate
1 1/2 oz sweet spirits of wine
1 oz blue vitrol
3/4 oz nitric acid

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Records for the formula for bluing a revolver as it was done in the 1840-1860's?

Hallo!

The Ordnance Dept. had experimented with browned muskets on the M1822 between 1822 and 1831. (AKA M1816 Type II), but it was dropped in 1831 to go back to armory bright.

However, there were two later exceptions. One, the M1841 Rifle which had a browned barrel. And, the first two production types of the new brass mounted M1855 Rifle that came out in 1857/1858 which carried brown barrels. The third M1855 Rifle type went to iron, and bright in 1859.

Where it is confusing is that somehow, someone did NOT edit ,amend, or otherwise update teh new Ordnance Manual for 1861. Even though rifles had bright barrels, the Manual still called for them to be browned (brown).

There were two basic ways to brown a barrel brown. a wet and an air method. The wet method involved a several process using a high humidity "sweat box." The other, used by the Ordnance Dept, used a acid in the recipe and the humidity in the air. (The process was similar for rust-blue except the barrel was scalded with boiling water which, if i remember my high school chemistry added one electron to the iron making it black instead of brown. But, over time and exposure the electron is given up, and teh black turns brown (aka "plum brown" to "rust brown")

Also, do not get confused with the boiling water rinse to kill after rusting as it sounds similar to the rust-blue process but is a one time rinse not part of the repeated process to form black iron oxide.

In brief... to keep costs low and make the government happy they are not wasting money on more expensive heat-blue aka charcoal blue which requires more time in fine polishing and furnace work.. military contractors used chemical baths. These were proprietary, and apparently highly secret. It is believed teh actual recipes died out with the last of the workers and none have survived other than as substitutes that give the same or similar look but differently.

NOTE: These blues are a bluish-black with a sheen, and not the wet black ink look of modern Italian revolver repro's.

And the costlier heat-blue blues are typically found on custom orders, presentation pieces like cased sets, or on teh blades of presentation grade swords. The nice medium blues complimented the look of gold and silver inlays, and silver Tiffany grips or carved ivory grips.

Page 193 of the 3rd Ed. Ordnance Manual:



Curt

[a34]

Re: Records for the formula for bluing a revolver as it was done in the 1840-1860's?

Do you know of any period revolvers that were rust blued? Colt and Remington used deep fire-blued finishes over expertly prepared metal. You see the same blue on Manhattans, Starrs, Kerrs, etc. I would imagine some of the Confederate revolvers could have been crudely blued, or not blued at all.

The only military pistol to have a rust-blued finish that I know of was the US M1911 pistol manufactured by the National Armory in Springfield Mass (Colt, Rem-UMC, and others used the high-polished blue).

What particular pistol are you looking to blue?

1851 Navy
Griswold and Gunnison
Spiller and Burr

[a34]

Re: Records for the formula for bluing a revolver as it was done in the 1840-1860's?

During the war, Colt finished the arms supplied to the Army low-lustre blue which some collectors call, "military finish". This contrasted with civilian weapons which were usually finely polished and finished with a high-lustre "inky-blue/black blue". For Confederate arms, I believe the cold rust blue that was referred to as browning in the US 1862 Ordnance Manual and in descriptions from British arms manufacturers would be the most fitting. I don't think it would be practical for Confederate war time production to use Nitre Blue or Carbona Blue. I'm attaching a link to Geoff Walden's work on Enfield bluing citing the use of a cold rust blue on the barrel of enfields. http://authentic-campaigner.com/arti...en/enfblue.htm

The US 1862 Ordnance Manual states barrels of rifles will be browned (cold rust blued) at the armories before being received for service. The cold rust blue formula specified was:

1 1/2 oz spirits of wine
1 1/2 oz tincture of steel
1/2 oz corrozive sublimate
1 1/2 oz sweet spirits of wine
1 oz blue vitrol
3/4 oz nitric acid

Wine and sweet spirits of wine? Is that like MD 20/20 or something else? LOL.

[NMVolunteer]

Re: Records for the formula for bluing a revolver as it was done in the 1840-1860's?

Archaic way of saying "ethanol". Although I would not be surprised if the Civil War era had plenty of mad dogs, especially in rural areas and towns in the West.