Cold Bluing = I did a Shotgun tonight
 

Want to share a new experience I had tonight.

My neighbor gave me a Mossberg 500 shotgun on Friday.....his fathers basement flooded from a broken pipe sometime in the last week....his father is in Fla and he checks on his Mich home about once per week....

Well...this shotgun suffered some water damege.....a pretty fair amount of surface rust from a soaked gun case ...but the internals of the gun and barrel looked to be fine.

The surface of the barrel and the magazine tube were so rusted ...it was hard to cycle the pump action where the forearm rides on the mag tube.....the neighbor knew I was a gun guy and can repair most anyting... so he gave it to me....said he was going to trash it....my cost = zero.....

I lubed it up and got it to cycle ....then took it all apart.....I got out the Scotch Bright and steel wool and started to sand/polish off all the old rusted bluing on the barrel and magazine tube.....it has an aluminum receiver.....

I've done small spot bluing repairs on guns before - but this was the first time I attacked a big piece of metal.....entire barrel/mag tube...

Made all the steel parts shiny clean raw steel.....but still had a lot of dark spots/stains from the rust - despite the shiny raw steel.

Purchased a small $6 bottle of Birchwood-Casey cold bluing......turned the kitchen and sink into a bluing operation......put on 4 coats of cold bluing with lots of steel wool polishing between....degrease between coats using isopropyl alcohol.

Use a cotton ball and a small dish to pick up the bluing liquid onto the cotton ball. Wipe it on fast....it turns instant blue on the first coat......let it set for 30 seconds to one minute......wash it off in the sink to stop the bluing salts action. It will look like a chalky uneven blue at first....but after you dry it and start using the fine steel wool....it takes on an even uniform blue.

In the end, I refinished the barrel and mag tube.....

I must say.....they turned out just like new but not quite as dark as the original factory bluing....

Amazing how nice it looks....all for $6 and about 3 hours of effort...lots of elbow grease.

Looks like a new gun!!!!

Re: Cold Bluing = I did a Shotgun tonight
 

Thanks for sharing that Ruprick. I wouldn't mind learning more about the bluing processes myself. Things being what they are more of us should be learning how to do more than clean and shoot.

Repair and build are handy and probably going to become more so that way.

Re: Cold Bluing = I did a Shotgun tonight
 

btw it's a shame about the aluminum... I hate aluminum on guns. Do you have the equipment and expertise to mill a new receiver piece?

Good practice and would enhance the gun quality.

Re: Cold Bluing = I did a Shotgun tonight
 

Re: Cold Bluing = I did a Shotgun tonight
 

BTW: Here is a nice trick.....

The steel magazine tube was threaded into the aluminum receiver....could not get it out by hand or several strap wrenches.....

Did not want to butcher up the tube by using pliers/channel locks......even tried a pipe wrench and a piece of leather - not enough bite...still slipped.....

Fired up a the propane torch and heated the receiver....don't go crazy....move the torch around a lot...try the touch test a few times with your wetted finger....when you think you are going to burn your finger it is done.......try to get it hot as quickly as possible .....and act fast as to not transfer much heat into the tube.

This expanded the heated receiver just enough......turned out and removed the mag tube by hand.

I've also edited my OP to add some instructions on how you apply the bluing.

I was lucky in that the gun looked pretty rough prior to the refinish and I had no cost into it and really nothing to lose...so I went after the mag tube fisrt as I could probably buy a new one for $10 from the manufacturer if it did not turn out.....otherwise.....I would have probably been reluctant to start sanding the finish off of one of my other guns with a small bluing issue.

Like I said.....it is not as dark as factory hot bluing ......this homemade jobs give a grey/blue finish.....when i post some pics you can compare to the slide action bars that have a factory blue.

HAVE NO FEAR - it really turned out well.

Re: Cold Bluing = I did a Shotgun tonight
 

OK - here is my attempt at first pics I've ever posted....sorry = flash photos kind of stink.....I should have tried natural light photo.

BTW: I just loaded to the "photo album" feature located in the "User CP" = user control panel.....is that how most post pics here?

It is actually a "lower cost" Mossberg derivative of the Model 500....Mossberg has a division called "Maverick" where they assemble their guns in Texas from mostly Mexican made parts.....this is the Model 88 and can use all model 500 external hardware....including barrels/stocks. The major difference from the 500 is in the trigger group design - it has a safety in front of the trigger group and not on the top of the receiver.

I think they can be had for a little over $200 new....a super value.

I'm probably going to get an 18.5" barrel on the cheap....as is this will be my loaner gun for friends I take shooting.... I might even take the hacksaw to this one and reblue the end of the barrel....drill and tap and reinstall the front bead....

http://goldismoney.info/forums/pictu...&pictureid=543

I like the black synthetic stock.

http://goldismoney.info/forums/pictu...&pictureid=544

You'll notice - the bluing of the barrel and mag tube is about the same as the slide action bars going back from the forearm. The anodized aluminum receiver is super black....no way the factory blue could even be this dark.

http://goldismoney.info/forums/pictu...&pictureid=545

Some of the pics have dust from the paper towel I used to apply some oil....

Just yesterday I could not even slide the forearm back on the mag tube due to the amount of surface rust on the mag tube....so a big improvement.

Re: Cold Bluing = I did a Shotgun tonight
 

Mag tubes (field expedient)
drill hole clean through near threads. insert screwdriver or similar and torque it off. Did opposite to mate 870 extension to mod 11 (auto5) unit. Bang x 8
note---i don't tend to care about asthetics. "works like greased snot" is what hardens my glue......

Re: Cold Bluing = I did a Shotgun tonight
 

Ruprick,
Great job! I love DIY firearm projects. I refinished a rough imported K98k Mauser in 1990. No, the new finish on the metal and wood doesn't look like the original military finish, but who cares - it's a shooter, not a safe queen. I sanded and used Birchwood Casey products on the wood and the metal was polished by hand and finished with Brownells Oxpho Blue. Lots of elbow grease as well. A good shooter in 8 mm! Happy shooting to you, sir!
Take care,
Mod1

Re: Cold Bluing = I did a Shotgun tonight
 

Nice job Ruprick.

Re: Cold Bluing = I did a Shotgun tonight
 

Perfect color for a tactical pump gun. When your neighbor sees it, he's going to want it back!