Nitre bluing a few gun parts

A short video showing the process of using nitre bluing salts to color small steel gun parts.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• gun
• gunsmithing
• bluing
• blueing
• firearms
• pistol
• handgun
• steel
• metal

[dozzy000]

i've seen another recipe that uses water, caustic soda, and potassium nitrate..................will that work too?

[coltgraver]

That recipe is for hot caustic bluing which produces a black color. It is what most factories use on guns. It has it's own safety hazards as well.

[dozzy000]

hi!,thanks for the tip,can i sumerge my revolver in this recipe, but i mean, my whole revolver? only with the cylinder out the rest of the revolver wouldnt be disassembled, cant that be done?

[coltgraver]

I wouldn't reccomend it. First, the gun would need to be polished before going into the salts. It would be impossible to clean it without disassembling it. Second, the process offers very little protection against wear and corrossion. It is only decorative. Third, I wouldn't do a whole gun in nitre blue, only small parts to be used as accents.

[april231953]

I want to try this on some blued (oxynate, I think) screws. I can easily polish the face of the screws, but what effect will it have on the parts still blued? Must I bead blast the blueing off?

[coltgraver]

It won't affect the existing bluing.

[satan31337]

i have totally had a tub uf salts ex plode on me from a hot air bubble

[JJLN1988]

@dozzy000....no men, is a totallly lie, i used that method and doesn't work.

[jeremystube100]

Thanks for the Tips

[wootwoot409]

sire i want my hole barrel of that blue peacock color how will i go about that

[backyardsounds]

I have seen home made formulas that are mostly composed of Potassium Nitrate (KN03) or sodium nitrate (NaN03). If you drop some carbon of any sort (even sugar) while the solution is molten, it could erupt into a non extinguishable fire. You can see this effect in a small test tube with molten KNO3 and dropping in a gummy bear....quite the light show.

[mrnitro30103]

great job! what about bluing a barrel with the salts? is it possible without compromising the inside part? should it be sealed? thanks!

[wasanoix]

hello im new on this , but would like to try , where can i get the salts? thanks in advance!!!!!

[sclogse1]

Try a black sharpy.

[sclogse1]

I tell you what works super fast. A black wide tip sharpy pen. Let it dry, touch up a couple of times, buff down. Looks pretty damn good. really. I just did it on my Tagheur replica monaco watch that should have come in a graphite black metal finish...but come super shiny like chrome. (It's a steel case). It's my error, as the ad lighting gave the metal a gray black look. Anyway, I stayed off the back, but even did the knobs. Dries in five minutes. You can choose the type of buff to give it.

[1stMarineCapt]

@coltgraver Will this sort of bluing process affect on steel's toughness? I know this type of protection wouldn't last long, but between cold and hot bluing, which one last longer?