Unblueing an enfield rifle?

[privstull]

Hello all,

Lately some of my pards and I were talking over how accurate taking off the blueing of an 1853 enfield was. I have looked through photos and documents but have found little information, for whether or not the enfields were unblued. I would like some opinions or advice from some of you guys out there for how accurate unblueing or keeping it blued would be. I was not sure if anyone had any sources of information I did not know of. I have seen a number of reenactors with their blueing removed, but just wasn't sure for their exact reason why. Thanks ahead for those who will answer.

[NY Pvt]

You New Hampshire boys correct me if I am wrong, but I thought Col. Cross made his brigade de-blue their Enfields to make sure they were keeping them clean.

[major]

The question as to how Enfields should be finished is actually a long running debate, with the metal blued or in the bright? There are several theories, the first being that the officers made the men remove the bluing in order to make them look more like Springfields. This also gave the men something to do to keep busy in order to keep up with the rust that would quickly develop if the muskets were not taken care of. Second that the bluing was just so poorly done that it wore off all by itself. The last argument is that the bluing wasn’t taken off at all and many of the pictures of the muskets in the bright are tricks of light on the tintypes. Take your pick but all the Federal units and most of the Confederate re-enacting units that I am aware of require the bluing be removed. If you want your musket to be in the blue you could have it reblued after the defarb job is completed.

For more detailed information checkout the article by Walden at the following address.
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/1864/enf/enfblue.htm


Terry

[Jeffrey Przewozniak]

Hi there,

This is a good article to read...

http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/Quarters/1864/enf/bluepics.htm

and from another thread a while back...

http://www.oldsouthantiques.com/os565p1.htm

...some shots of a blued enfield. I am in earnest,

[Jeffrey Przewozniak]

Ha!

You were one minute ahead of me, Terry! :)

[flattop32355]

Before the last crash, debate was held (again, apparently) on the predominance of bright vs blued. The evidence available seemed to indicate that there were lots of both, but that most if not all of a given unit's muskets would be one or the other, not mixed.

[JCbluegrassrifles]

To my understanding, some boys on both sides were told to de-blue their Enfields in order to disguise them during battle as U.S. Springfields. The Yanks would do it as a way to blend in with the rest of the army that would carry Springfields and some with '42 Smoothbores. The main reason to de-blue for living history is to remove the modern markings and maker stamps. Since Euroarms and Armi Sport are overseas, their weapons cannot be sent here without certain modern marks by law. I have seen Confederate portrayals were boys have taken the marks off and then had the barrel re-blued. This unfortunately does not turn out too well unless you know a very good gunsmith. Most of the re-blued rifles I have seen rust more easily for some odd reason and have to be continually re-blued. It's an interesting query, but in the end the best thing to do is de-blue and take good care of the rifle from too much rust. Rust WILL occur under circumstances, but a little bit I'm sure is not inaccurate. But weapon care is a primary concern. Don't let your rifle lay in the trunk of your car between events, please take care of it. The only thing that a soldier had in battle was his rifle. His life depenede on it, and your portrayal should echo that same thought.

[Clark Badgett]

Blued is no more incorreect than bright. I've seen both ways on both sides.

[dusty27]

Blued is no more incorreect than bright. I've seen both ways on both sides.
Clark, what is this statement based on? When you say you've "...seen both ways on both sides", are you referring to period pictures (if so, please reference them) or are you referring to seeing both ways at reenactments? If it is the latter, that observation doesn't prove anything.

Please clarify.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Leave it Blue. Bright Enfields are way overdone, and the documentation for bright Enfields is minimal at best. The only reason to burnish your musket is if you can document the unit you protray had bright Enfields. Otherwise buy a Springfield.

[Curt Schmidt]

Hallo Kameraden!

Indeed...

As manufactured, the Pattern 1853 Second and Third Model "Enfield" were rust-blued (a durable blackish finish).

1. The issue is whether one's unit impression is documented as having "unaltered" Enfields or whether they were either armoury "struck bright" or ordered by a commander to be field "struck bright."
2. Failing that, the PEC is "unstruck bright." ;-)
and..

3. "This unfortunately does not turn out too well unless you know a very good gunsmith. Most of the re-blued rifles I have seen rust more easily for some odd reason and have to be continually re-blued."

This is because they are not properly rust-blued, which is a durable metal treatment designed to reatard or prevent rust. Instead, many lads use a low-quality "liquid or paste gun blue" (like Birchwood Casey) which produces a fragile, uneven, thin, and somewhat transparent finish. In addition, because the main ingredient is an acid, unless residual acid is neutralized, it continues the reaction and promotes rust.

I will look for my files, as I had previously posted a step-by-step "how to" in the now unavailable ARCHIVES on how to achieve a true rust-blued barrel, at home, for under $15-20.

If any pard who used it, and saved it, an e-mailo might save me a lot of searching?

Danke.

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

[JACKSONVC]

Not living to far from the Museum at Gettysburg and having looked at numberous Enfields over the years at many other museums, I have seen weapons that were obviously deblued, those that were not and those that the blueing was worn off the weapon. As stated above, military necessity and commanders desire for unifomity would have dictated any alteration to issued weapons. Has anyone found in diarys or letters any evidence that soldiers or certian regiments being ordered to deblue their weapons?

[10TnVI]

Here you go Heinrich-so if the format looks weird.

Rust Bluing Enfield Barrels

Howdy, Comrades!

As promised....
Different gunsmiths, and different lads will all have their own personal
favorites and methods. This is just once that is affordable, easy, and
reduces many of the problems associated with the first-time user.
There is a great deal of misinformation concerning the period Enfield
factory "rust blued" barrel finish. Most of it is due to "reenacting lore"
where lads have removed the modern spurious Italian markings from their
barrels and reblued the barrel with liquid or past bluing. Both liquid and
paste bluing is a poor, thin, and easily worn off surface finish which has
given rise to the lore that original Enfield "blue" was thin and easily worn
off. The second is partly due to looking at once "Arsenal" of "field bright"
original Enfields that have taken on a brown age patina (rust brown) over
the past 150+ years, or, were factory blue where the "black" has naturally
changed to brown over the years as well.
My technique can be done for about $20, if you have to buy all the
"chemicals," depending upon prices where one lives. A bottle of browning
will do 2 or 3 barrels, so it gets cheaper if one goes in with a pard or two
and split the costs. It generally takes 4-6 "treatments" that each take less
than five (5) minutes, once every 12 hours. Depending upon the time of
year and humidity inside, I have stretched the 12 to once every 24 hours
with the same results.
The process entails using a liquid, "cold acid" browning solution but
modifying the atomic reaction to produce a black rust-blue (so-called
"blue" in America) instead of a a rust-brown finish.
The finish is deep, durable, and long lasting as was the original.

1. There are many acid browning liquids on the market that will work. For
beginners, I recommend Laurel Mountain Forge's "Barrel Brown &
Degreaser." The reason why is that a good finish is highly dependent upon
degreasing the
barrel. Laurel Mountain is self-degreasing, which eliminates any traces of oil
or grease one may have missed!
2. The barrel needs to be stripped of its modern bluing. Birchwood Casey
makes a good rust and bluing remover. Brush it on, let it set, steel wool
and/or Scotch-Brite it off. It usually takes 5-6 times to fully strip the old
bluing. A
buffing wheel with emory grit is faster, but takes more time being sure all
traces of grit residue is removed as it will interfere with the process and
leave spots and streaks. Warning: steel wool tends to be oily as well.
3. The barrel needs to be removed from the stock, the nipple and muzzle
plugged. I use my daughter's Play-Doh. One does not want acid to get
inside the bore.
4. Wearing latex surgical gloves, or clean work gloves, wipe the barrel
down with a soft cloth and a solution such as paint thinner, paint remover,
acetone, automotive carburetor degreaser, etc. When done, wipe it down
with rubbing alcohol .
5. Take a 48 inch section of white 2.5" PVC "plumbing" and two end caps.
Measure in about 2 inches from the end caps, and then cut a 2 inch wide
section from mark to mark with a saber saw. This makes a scalding trough.
Some
lads with no tools use the PVC with only one end cap. Others can use their
bathtub when their wife is out shopping. A "trough" is not required, it just
makes it easer.
6. Never touch the degreased barrel with your hands (fingerprints are oil-
wear gloves or use a cloth or clean rag). Lay the barrel up on top of a
piece of wood at either end.
7. Pour a little Laurel Mountain solution into a Dixie cup, lid, or even a small
bowl (this keeps the main bottle uncontaminated.
8. Using a wool swab, or just a little folded square of lint-free cloth, apply
a light coating of solution to the barrel being sure to cover uniformly and
evenly.
9. Return in 12 hours. The barrel will have turned orange and yellow in
places. The places you missed will be silver still.
10. Repeat Step 8 and Step 9. (putting a little extra on where you missed.)

11. When you return, the barrel should be orangery "brownishish."
12. Boil a tea kettle or pot of water.
13. NEVER TOUCHING THE BARREL WITH BARE HANDS, put the barrel in the
scalding trough, or bath tub, and pour the boiling water over it to scald it.
14. When cool enough to hold with gloves or a cloth, rub a cloth briskly
over the barrel to remove build up and "rust scale."
15. Repeat Step 8, 9, 12, and 13 applying LM solution, letting it work for
12 hours, then scalding, de-scaling, and repeating Step 15.
16. The barrel should have turned black. When a deep, dark, uniform black,
you are almost done. You can go back and repeat the process for spots
that did not take.
17. Rub the barrel with baking soda to "kill" the acid.
18. "Paint" the barrel with oil (car oil works well) and let set overnight to
soak into the pores of the steel.
19. Wipe off the oil. Clean out the semi-stiff Play-Doh.
20. Wax the barrel inside and out with beeswax/tallow.
21. Enjoy your correct "rust-blue" barrel. With a little care, it will last
longer than you. (If after many years, it does not, simply REDO it...)

Again, this is one way of many, but it works well. If it doesn't, strip it and
start over... ;-)
And, if 2 or 3 pards pitch in, the "share" can drop down to about less than
$8 or $10.

I am rusty (no pun intended) on the atomic/chemical process at work. If I
remember high school chemistry well enough, the acid solution accelerates
the oxidation (rusting) of the iron in the steel by adding oxygen atoms to
the iron atom (which makes ferrous oxide, or "rust"). The scalding adds an
extra oxygen atom, making ferric oxide, or "black"). Over time, the extra
oxygen atom is lost to the environment, which changes the ferric to
ferrous, and black to brown (brown patina). At any rate, high school
chemistry teachers out there can correct that...

Laurel Mountain Forge Barrel Brown & Degreaser is available from most
muzzleloading or blackpowder shops and mail order businesses. Around
here, it sells for $7 a bottle.

For my own expierence, I've examined 6 original enfields in various places. Of these 5 were blued and the only bright one was in the Charleston citymuseum, so I'm leaving mine blued now(besides-my historical unit was equipped with Lorenze's anyway)

[ephraim_zook]

For what it's worth, the following comes from Butterfield's Camp & Outpost Duty for Infantry, 1862. In the chapter entitled "Extracts from the Revised Regulations for the Army, 1862, that should be known by every soldier", I quote:

"105. All arms in the hands of the troops, whether browned or bright, will be kept in the state in which the are issued by the Ordnance Department. Arms will not be taken to pieces without permission of a commissioned officer. Bright barrels will be kept clean and free from rust without polishing them; care should be taken in rubbing not to bruise or bend the barrel..." (italics mine)

Does that mean that the regs were always followed? Not likely, but it is an official guideline for us.

Ron Myzie

[Yellowhammer]

"Leave it Blue. Bright Enfields are way overdone, and the documentation for bright Enfields is minimal at best."

Ummm... documentation please.

[JCbluegrassrifles]

Dusty,
This is an authentic discussion board. If Clark has seen both blued and de-blued Enfields at authentic events, surely those that have chosen how to carry their rifle asked the same questions and made their decision based on research. So why question his response? As the AC NCO, you of all people should know that being cynical helps no one. Clark was merely putting his two cents in.

[Bill Cross]

The Laurel Mountain Forge self-degreasing bluing agent is the way to go. I tried the Brownell's version and it's too damn much work. You have to degrease all the time, especially if you acidentally touch the barrel with your fingers (easy when using latex gloves that often shred from friction or possibly because of the corrosives in the materials). I stripped off the bluing on mine after the first session produced an inferior look, then reblued with the LMF product and am very pleased with the results.

[GrumpyDave]

http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/1864/enf/enfblue.htm

I was pleasently suprised the link still worked. Good information there.

[Curt Schmidt]

Hallo Kameraden!

From Geoff Walden's website:

"Oct. 21, 1861, muskets were delivered to the men and this furnished another excuse for a hearty growl from the 1st Mainers. ‘Had we not been
promised a new blue uniform and Springfield muskets?’ To be sure we had the blue uniform and a good outfit in every way, ‘but look at these
Enfield muskets.’ said they, ‘with their blued barrels and wood that no man can name!’ They were not a bad weapon, however, differing little
from the Springfield, in actual efficiency, weight, length, and caliber, but far behind in point of workmanship. For a while we kept them blued,
then orders were issued to rub them bright and we kept them so ever after.'

via David Fournier, from "History of the First-Tenth-Twenty-ninth Maine Regiment," by Maj. John M. Gould; Portland, Stephen Berry, 1871, page 89. The 1st Maine had originally been issued M1855 Springfields; this reissue of Enfields occurred when it was reorganized into the 10th Maine. Gould's original journal entry covering this can be found in "The Civil War Journals of John Mead Gould, 1861-1866," edited by William B. Jordan, Jr.; Butternut and Blue, 1997, page 71; the original entry does not mention rubbing the rifles bright, which apparently happened later."

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

[hireddutchcutthroat]

"Leave it Blue. Bright Enfields are way overdone, and the documentation for bright Enfields is minimal at best."

Ummm... documentation please.

Winslow Homers Prisoners to the Front, granted this is a painting, but Homer was an eye witness.
Note all three Enfields in this painting retain there original finish:

http://img16.photobucket.com/albums/v48/hireddutchcutthroat/homer_prisoners.jpg
From Mr.Walden´s Website:


Here is a list of original identified Enfields, used by Confederate and Federal soldiers, that still have a dark barrel finish (never struck bright):

Federal: 25th Michigan Infantry - Pvt. Thomas Starr, Co. F. An 1862 London Armoury Co. Ltd. 3rd Model P53. Upon his discharge in 1865, Starr bought his musket and accoutrements for $6.00. The Enfield retains a deep dark patina on the iron parts. (private collection in Michigan)

7th Indiana Infantry - unknown soldier in Co. I. 1861 TOWER 3rd Model P53 by an unknown Birmingham maker. The barrel and bands have a patina of rust, with some blue extant. (private collection in Ohio)
Confederate: 3rd Model P53 made by Barnett of London - known to have been carried by a Confederate, but unidentified. Barrel shows original blue in good shape. (Museum of the Confederacy)

1861 TOWER 3rd Model P53 made by an unknown Birmingham maker - carried by a Confederate soldier named R.B. Green. Barrel shows original blue in good shape. (Museum of the Confederacy)

2nd/15th Kentucky Cavalry (Woodward's) - Pvt. G.W. Grasty. 1863 TOWER 3rd Model P53 by Thomas Turner of Birmingham. Barrel is age brown on the top surface, still blued below. (private collection in Kentucky)
(private collection in Kentucky)
38th Virginia Infantry - Pvt. George W. Newcon, Co. D. 1861 TOWER 3rd Model P53 by an unknown Birmingham maker. Exposed portion of the barrel is age brown, but the bluing remains underneath. (private collection in Virginia)(private collection in Virginia)
In addition to these, I have examined a couple of P56 Rifles with all the accepted Confederate markings (JS-anchor and engraved "lot numbers"), but with no specific soldier identification, that retained blued barrels

The Enfield with this dead Confederate, altough it may be the photographers prop, retains its blueing.

http://img16.photobucket.com/albums/v48/hireddutchcutthroat/TWO/01185r.jpg

Here is a soldier from the 4th Vermont with an Enfield rifle, if you look closely at the top you can see its original finnish.

http://img16.photobucket.com/albums/v48/hireddutchcutthroat/TWO/4a40880r.jpg

I feel untouched Enfields are very under represented in our hobby.

[Clark Badgett]

Dusty, I will never use what is seen at a reenactment as a basis of opinion. There are many images of soldiers from both sides armed with examples of both. For Christ's sake open a book, they are everywhere.

Robert, too bad I don't have a scanner, as I have a rather nice image of a Kentucky federal private hold an obviously blued Enfield, and the picture was from 1863. I need to get back over to Frankfort and get copies of pictures I once had, but have been destroyed.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

"Leave it Blue. Bright Enfields are way overdone, and the documentation for bright Enfields is minimal at best."

Ummm... documentation please.

How can I document something that I feel is overdone?

[James Brenner]

Thanks for the account, Curt. Does anyone else know of other accounts where soldiers were ordered to take the blueing off their Enfields? It seems like it should be one of those events that soldiers would write about: an opportunity to mock the military.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

"And that is the whole crux of the matter -- there is plenty of period evidence to show that Enfields were carried by soldiers in the field in both original blued and struck bright conditions, and no real strong evidence to show that either way was a big majority (except, of course, in certain units). Unless you are portraying one of those units, you can either leave your repro Enfield blued, or burnish it, BUT NEITHER CHOICE IS MORE AUTHENTIC THAN THE OTHER!"

Geoff Walden

[Curt Schmidt]

Hallo Kameraden!

No, that is the only reference I have ever seen.

I have my own historical and research evidence, as well bias here, as there are "some" accounts that do speak to the striking bright of the factory-as-made and as-issued."

But, IMHO (beyond that documented to particular units), we should expect NOT just a handful of verbal accounts and a handful of photographs but more examples.
And, I reminded that the C.S. Ordnance Manual prohibits the practice of burnishing (yes, that is longer discussion as how Manuals are followed versus ignored).

I am also reminded of having period images of "as issued Enfields" presented to me as being "struck bright," when, in fact, it was just sunlight or bright ambient light reflecting off of the top surfaces only (when one looks at the undersides of, say, barrel bands, they are dark. Common in period exposures.)

Anyhow, I would expect to find more accounts of "armory struck bright" or "field struck bright" than what we have.

I tend to shy away from surviving "bright" originals that cannot be dismantled and checked for "color" in under areas, because there is way to know whether they were polished bright by some antique dealer or gun dealer in 1995, 1965, 1935, etc., who saw color case hardening now black and shadowy looking, and rust-blued and heat blued barrel bands now patined to brown and rust looking), and thought that making things bright would increase his profits.
I have had only six originals, and they were bright (and bright underneath). I cannot tell if that was done in 1863 or 2003.

IMHO, and harsh view, I believe there are proportionately more "bright Enfields" in the field today than were proportionately in the field during the CW.
Not because of research, documentation, or surveys from enough accounts and images to make a case for the validity and reliability of the findings for "bright." But rather because removing the Italian markings requires a "re-bluing," (and recoloring of the lock) and liquid or paste blue is both wrong and poor looking- so it is better to leave one's semi-defarbed gun bright than smuck it up with costly color case hardening, and rust-bluing, and heat bluing.
And that a "bright Enfield" looks more like a "Springfield" in units that do not specify, and allow both weapons.
And both have become part of our CW reenacting and living history culture, and entrenched.

Some even argue, "Show me the oppposite, that Enfields were blued in large numbers?"
Gott im Himmel!
They were made that way...

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Others' mileage will vary.

:-)

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

[Clark Badgett]

Ok now to help some out there that haven't either developed the skill to discern differences in old B&W photos, or haven't quite reached a data base of info to help in that matter. On the subject of firearms finishes there is a good method to use for determining the finish. Contrast. Look at all the pictures of Springfields, and known brightened Enfields (USCT regiments), and the contrast between wood and the metal is very noticeable. The metal is white and the wood is nearly black. This is something that is very noticeable on all muskets that were finished in "National Armory Bright." It also seems that most units kept their arms in very clean condition. Now go out and look at most Enfields. the difference between the wood and metal is not very different. Another thing that well know for fact is that Enfield bayonet sockets were blued to the base of the blade. With that in mind I will now list a very short list of some blued Enfields in period photos.

Civil War Cartridge Boxes of the Union Infantryman, Paul D. Johnson

Pg 12. 2 US soldiers with P.53 R/M. Soldier on right has barrel to the camera, and the metal is just sightly lighter than the wood. Bayonet blade is very bright in comparison to the socket and other metal.

Pg 167 barrel bands darker than bayonet blade, barrel not visable. lockplate not bright

pg 170 no musket but bayonet socket is very blued

pg 260 barrel not visable. Bayonet socket and one visable barrelband blued

pg 274 figure 160 again socket dark, and 2 band dark

pg 282 figure 165 very obviously blued

Echos of Glory CS Time/life books

pg 138 Pvt John T. Davis, blued Enfield

pg 152 James H. Parker, same

pg 203 Kennedy Palmer, 13th VA, same

Echos of Glory US Tmie/life books

pg 198 Soldier with blued enfield

pg 203 same

A Southern Boy In Blue, A Memoir of Marcus Woodcock, 9th KY Inf (USA) Kenneth W. Noe, Editor

Pg 31 Walther M. Clark circa 1863, with a very blued Enfield

I would not call this exhaustive by any stretch of the imagination, in fact only 4 books were used in about 20 minutes.

[Bill Shea]

In the Fifth New Hampshire Regimental history on page 24 there is a reference to "burnishing arms". The passage is for November 2, 1861.

It reads, "During the whole night the men and officers were active in making preparations in the rain and mud. They cooked, and packed rations, cleaned and burnished arms and equipments."

Whether Cross issue the order or not I don't know. A fellow 5th NH member dug up the reference as I don't have a copy of the Regimental. But it has been documented that Cross considered the Enfield an inferior weapon to the Springfield. Cross went as far as to journey to Washington to get the Springfield issued to the 5th NH. In the aftermath of the Antietam action Cross resupplied the 5th from the battlefield with the Springfield.

Bill Shea

[CSA Engineer]

There was a good post on this subject before the crash (sorry don't recall who posted it) Any how that post documented both bright and Blued Enfields. (If my memory is correct) that post doumented shipments of Enfields from England, and showed that some were Blued, and others Bright, possibly to save time in production. Although there is much speculation as to why the blueing was removed from blued Enfields, the fact remains that there are existing examples of both. And in my opinion I don't see how anyone can say that one way is "Authentic" while the other is not.


Pvt. Michael Moffett
Co. E 3rd Regiment
Confederate Engineers

[Tim Prince]

Well here are my 2 cents. Of the two CW era P-53 that I own, one has a dark patina on the top of the barrel and very nice blue underneath. The other has a very nice OLD patina on the top and is very bright underneath. Whenever that gun was struck bright, it was a long, long time ago, although it could well have been post war.

In the ledgers of Schuyler, Hartley & Graham they list lots of Enfields being sold off after the war to other countries, like Japan. It is interesting to note that many of the entries note that the Enfields are "bright". Every lot is differentiated between being bright or blued. Now whether the guns were struck bright after the war as part of a refurbishment process by the seller or was done during the war we don't know. However, it was important enough a feature that the ledgers mention it and the guns were sorted into matching lots for sale.

[Drygoods]

I'd vote to unblue. The blueing found on pristine examples of mid 19th century firearms was always a bright sapphire blue. No one to my knowledge, and certainly not Euroarms, replicates this.

At least bright is bright.

JP - you need to sign all of your posts with your full name - Mike Chapman

[Clark Badgett]

Cold rust bluing is actually black, not really blue. Of the blued enfields I've seen none were "saffire blue" which actually indicates charcoal bluing job, which would lead me to think it had been reblued after the fact, due to the fact that most firearms that exhibit this finish were done well after the war.

[privstull]

In the book "Uniforms, Weapons, and Equipment of this Civil War" on page 242-243 there is a great picture of an original 1853 Enfield longarm that is unblued. If anyone has this book then let me know what you think of the musket. I know many have probably already seen original unblued enfields and pics but for those of you who are still unconvinced this should help.

[Clark Badgett]

Ryan, unconvinced of what? Everybody that has devoted many hours of study to Enfields know they are to be found both bright and blued, and even somewhere in between. It's the folks that say they were all one way or the other that I wonder about.

[privstull]

I was refering the picture toward those who thought that unbluing was "out of the question" and those who might have thought there would have been no unblued enfields.

[skunkboy]

Howdy folks,

Just a quick thanks to Curt for his well done recipe. Also thanks to Leland for finding Curts recipe. I'm going to give it a try. Also to anyone who's interested, Dixie Gun Works is selling Laurel Mountain Forge's Barrel Brown and Degreaser for $7.50 for 2.5 oz.

Sincerely and with best regards
Pat O'Melia
Poison Oak Mess

[Southern Cal]

An authentic way to remove bluing and keep up the shine on bright gun metal is to use a thick piece of buckskin and elbow grease. Keeps the troops busy too, idle hands...etc.

Using modern but authentic to the period materials one can also remove bluing. 1/2 pure turpentine to 1/2 boiled linseed oil solution used as a carrier for a fine abrasive like 'rottenstone', all found at a good paint store. Take a cotton cleaning patch, dip in the solution, then into some poured out rottenstone, then rub the metal in one direction. Blue will soon come off. Polish with buckskin (a little horseless carriage polishing compound on the non visible side of the buckskin will make polishing go faster.

The same solution using ground pumice takes the dirt and accumulated grime from old gun stocks without damaging the original 'patina'. Rub with the grain, changing patches when dirty, until the whole stock receives equal treatment. Repeat until the desired result is acheived. For a little sheen, follow with rottenstone. The oil/turpentine is actually good for the wood. V/R

L.J. Bach

[markj]

Greetings,

For whatever it's worth:

"United States Army and Navy Journal," 4 August 1866

BURNISHED GUN-BARRELS.‎

To the Editor of the Army and Navy Journal:‎

SIR : --Wise men will learn even from enemies. And an opportunity is now afforded us to profit ‎by the experience of Confederates as well as our own. Many ex-Rebel officers now bear witness ‎to the fact, that the movements of our Federal forces were often made known to them by the ‎sheen from our burnished gun-barrels. A captain in the Sixteenth Virginia infantry, which lay ‎behind the famous stone wall on the heights of Fredericksburg, assured the writer of this letter ‎that they (the Confederates) discovered the positions occupied by our troops the night before the ‎attack on the 15th of December [1862] by the light which was reflected in the moonshine from our ‎muskets. Their leaders surmised at once where the assault would be made, and their precautions ‎were taken accordingly. At the Second Bull Run a movement of our troops from our centre to left ‎was seen through all the smoke and dust of battle by the glittering of our guns. Confederates ‎who were in the trenches here at Petersburg, say they were often made aware of our movements ‎to the left by the light that played above our moving columns, when they could not see the troops ‎at all. But why multiply instances?‎
Who that has had any field experience in the late contest will not recall instances where ‎he has seen our picket line clearly defined through woods and meadows by the gleam of our ‎polished weapons?‎
What better mark could possibly be desired than blue uniforms and burnished gun-‎barrels?‎
Why would it not, then, be better to have a bronzed or blued barrel, with a strip of ‎polished metal, say one-fourth of an inch in width, extending from the guide-sight to the muzzle ‎of the gun?‎ CENTURION.‎

PETERSBURG, VA. July 24, 1866.‎

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[jmbyrnes]

Sir,

After reading many of the other posts it seems as though people have pretty much covered all the possibilities for both blued and bright. I heard from some pards in a sister unit that a decent reason for deblueing your enfield is because todays blueing is not very authentic to 19th century standards. I must warn you now I don't have nor have I seen documentation to backup his accusation. However, he claimed that in many cases the repo guns are too black when it came to the blueing. I purchased an enfield 3 years ago and he pointed out a shade of blueing on my lockplate that was far more blue than the barrel seemed to be. Just something to think about.

Best regards,

Pvt. J. Byrnes

[Michael McComas]

>he pointed out a shade of blueing on my lockplate that was
>far more blue than the barrel seemed to be

The blue color on your lockplate is from color casehardening, a process by which the metal part is heated and quenched to produce a harder surface layer. The color is secondary. It's in no way related to the 'bluing' on the barrel, which is a form of controlled oxidation which keeps the barrel from further rusting.

As for the type of bluing or 'browning' as the British called it, yes, it is different. The old method was called 'cold rust bluing', and consisted of painting on browning solution (which was mostly acid and other less friendly substances) and letting the barrel stand overnight, to be repeated several times until the barrel had a deep finish. The modern method is called 'hot acid bluing', and the barrel is dipped once into a bath of hot acid, which causes the nearly the same chemical reaction in the steel, more quickly because the hot acid speeds up the reaction. But the hot acid blue is not as deep, because the process is not repeated. It's a matter of expedience. In either case, your barrel should not actually be blue.

[Curt Schmidt]

Hallo Kameraden!

"The blue color on your lockplate is from color casehardening, a process by which the metal part is heated and quenched to produce a harder surface layer."

Actually no...

The process used involved packing the part(s), in this case lockplate(s), in animal bone charcoal in a crucible and then heating it in a controlled temperature furnace to the proper temperatures.
This imparts the "nice" mottled or wavy blue, grays, and golds to the thin layer of hardened steel on the surface.

Older Parker-Hale "Enfields" used this process.

The Italians usually use an inferior cyandide gas process, although recently (on some of the revolvers I have seen) they have been applying chemicals that produces what looks like dried blue water-color or poster paint. This is worse than cyanide coloring, as soap has been known to remove it- let alone mild cleaning agents.

I have seen some originals "restored" using an acetylene torch to create wavy areas of blue... :-(
Curt-Heinrich Schmidt