Good Touch Up Blue

kbm6893 · Jan 8, 2015

Got a model 10 ex cop gun. Has some decent blue loss. No rust or pitting. I know some are gonna say leave the character, and I might do that, but how is the birch wood Casey blue pen or Super Blue touch up? Most of the blue loss is along the barrel. I'll get pics up later.

Voyager28 · Jan 8, 2015

IMHO, I've never seen such a thing as a "good" touch up blue. Every attempt at a touch up I have ever seen looks like exactly that, a touch up.

Personally, I'd leave it alone. But, if it bothered me that much I'd have the gun re-blued.

Bob

Hapworth · Jan 8, 2015

I think Oxpho blue properly applied is best, but even the best won't perfectly blend and won't last, either.

chief38 · Jan 8, 2015

The only time that I've had success with touch-up cold blue is when I have totally stripped a specific part and re-blued the entire part from scratch. For example, I have a Colt 1903 Model M that was worn badly on the grip safety, but the rest of the gun was excellent. I removed it from the gun, stripped off all old bluing and re-blued it with 6 or 7 coats. That job has stood up quite well and matches the Colt almost perfectly. Just touching up a scratch or bare spot is next to impossible to get a good looking and long lasting finish - at least that has been my experience.

The two best cold blues I've found are Perma Blue by Birchwood Casey and Oxpho Blue from Brownells. Others I've tried over the years were not worth buying.

Gunhacker · Jan 8, 2015

I've found that Brownells Oxpho-Blue is more durable than most of the cold blue solutions with Birchwood Casey Perma Blue coming is second.

I bought a Ruger Blackhawk steel grip frame in the white and after fitting it to the gun, I used Oxpho-Blue to blue the grip frame using the same hot water technique used in rust bluing... it turn out fantastic and has proven to be very durable.

As for touch up and getting a good match/blend with the existing finish, older S&W guns are very problematic and I highly recommend that you don't attempt it... it will end up looking much worse and it will end up highlighting the flaws more than if you had just left them alone.

On firearms that are not as finely polished as the older S&W's and having a decidedly black hue, I've had great success with Oxpho-Blue on things such as Marlin magazine tubes and Ruger Blackhawk barrels, doing touch ups that blend with the existing finish.

But on S&W's... never.

kbm6893 · Jan 8, 2015

Figured as much. Will leave it alone unless I decide to do a total reblue. Not caring about originality. They made millions of these. Just like nice looking guns. This one was made in 1981.

DWalt · Jan 8, 2015

Different alloys seem to blue differently. I've done touch-up patching on some guns, and it works well. Others, not so well. If the metal is warmed a little and completely degreased, it seems to work better. I have used both Perma-Blue and Oxypho, and I don't see a lot of difference. I had a gunsmith friend once who really liked 44-40. I don't know if it is still available or not. I have a pump shotgun which was in really terrible condition when I bought it (for a song), stripped it and polished the metal with very fine sandpaper, and used Oxypho on the entire gun. It actually looks pretty good, and has held up for the past 10 years or so. Not like a factory blue job, but far better than it was. Go ahead and apply some cold blue. There's nothing to lose, and you may be happy with it. Very seldom is a professional re-blue worth the expense.

PS- Brownell's carries 44-40: http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...mula-44-40-reg-instant-gun-blue-prod1112.aspx

kbm6893 · Jan 8, 2015

DWalt said:
Different alloys seem to blue differently. I've done touch-up patching on some guns, and it works well. Others, not so well. If the metal is warmed a little and completely degreased, it seems to work better. I have used both Perma-Blue and Oxypho, and I don't see a lot of difference. I had a gunsmith friend once who really liked 44-40. I don't know if it is still available or not. I have a pump shotgun which was in really terrible condition when I bought it (for a song), stripped it and polished the metal with very fine sandpaper, and used Oxypho on the entire gun. It actually looks pretty good, and has held up for the past 10 years or so. Not like a factory blue job, but far better than it was. Go ahead and apply some cold blue. There's nothing to lose, and you may be happy with it. Very seldom is a professional re-blue worth the expense.

PS- Brownell's carries 44-40: http://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-t...mula-44-40-reg-instant-gun-blue-prod1112.aspx

Nah. Unless I reblue it right, and I don't mind the expense since I'm not gonna sell this and it ain't rare, I'll leave it be.

This is a Buds Model 10 Aussie gun, by the way. 10-8 heavy barrel.

zonker5 · Jan 8, 2015

I use the BC blue to touch up small spots on my shooters. It not as good as re-bluing the whole gun but it's $200 cheaper.

Good Touch Up Blue

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