I have a pre model 10 that was reblued in the past. The hammer is replaced so its not blue anymore. How Should I go about removing the bluing from the trigger? Could it still have color finish under the blue? If it doesnt have the case color left, what would you suggest ? I could tape off and glass bead the outside of the trigger to make it dull and oil it. Whats your thoughts on it? Thanks

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Bobby SWCA #4067
SWHF #1144

Vinegar soak.....Works every time......Not that white ****.....Real apple cider vinegar......

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S&W Accumulator

Vinegar soak, but you do not need apple cider, that is nonsense. White distilled does just fine.

Yeap. White vinegar bath. I've removed bluing from entire handguns many times over the years when starting a new "project". The 5% stuff from Wal-Mart. I buy it in the gallon jugs.

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John

Anything slightly acidic will remove bluing. Hot blue comes off the easiest,,rust blue resists more but will break down and come off.

I use Muriadic Acid (hydrochloric acid), commonly sold in DIY stores for concrete/masonry cleaning and etching. Also swimming pool acid is muriatic.

You only use a couple tablespoons in a gallon of water,,room temp. Don't heat it up to make it work faster.

Dunk the part in it on a wire and leave it. Check it after 5min or so. Should be cleared or at least start to show signs of blue being removed.
Degrease the part first as acid won't cut through grease & oil very well.

I keep a plastic bucket of the stuff as I use it a lot. It's great for removing heat scale from hard soldered pieces too. But the latter takes longer,,couple hours. But no pitting or damage to the metal underneath.
Just don't leave it in the stuff over your weekend vacation get-a-way.

Vinegar works well too,,acetic acid is the working ingredient. Very weak acid but more than enough for the job.
Ketchup will work, kind of,,,has vinegar in it. Messy but if that's all you got!

Any of the Naval Jelly type rust removes work well too, They have phosphoric acid in them.
So do many Cola soft drinks and that's why they'll remove bluing if it's on your fingers and you leave prints on the gun.

Most any of these leave a light gray color on the metal but that shines right back up again with nothing but scotchbrite or even steelwool. No need for heavy polishing unless you need to remove scratches and pitting that were there before.

Most anything acidic will do the job. I have used both Naval Jelly and dilute hydrochloric acid. Maybe even lemon juice could work.

Blood works great at removing bluing...just ask any deer hunter that did not know this!

re: vinegar.......I don't use that ****** white stuff for anything....Give me the REAL deal.........

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S&W Accumulator

Hammers and triggers were not blued from the factory, but color case hardened. Also, bluing is not a coating, but a chemical treatment that changes the color of the surface of the steel. If a CCH part has been blued, there is no restoring it, short of a complete color case hardening treatment. The vinegar soak is a good way to strip bluing, but requires some kind of protective finish afterward (there are many choices), as it leaves literally naked steel. Please do keep us posted, we love to follow projects !

Larry

What we commonly refer to as bluing is really nothing more than oxidation (more commonly known as rust). Bluing can be accomplished by several methods, such as heat bluing (heating a steel part to near red heat, then quenching in oil), rust bluing (application of a caustic corrosive resulting in rapid oxidation, then "carding" off the surface oxidation and oiling the metal to stop the process), or the most common chemical bluing (immersion of steel parts in a chemical bath at controlled temperatures and at controlled times to achieve specific blue-black results).

Anything that will remove rust will remove bluing. Naval Jelly is a common alternative. Any of the common acids (see above comments regarding ascetic acid, muriatic acid, etc) will do the job, but may also cause deep etching of the metal beyond the surface bluing.

Sanding, polishing, or grinding will certainly remove bluing. However the resulting removal of metal may not leave a part in proper condition for re-use.

My point is that bluing is simply oxidation of the surface. How you treat it, maintain it, or alter it will have serious effects on the final project.

Best regards.

There are three different forms of Iron Oxides collectively known as rust. The one which constitutes bluing is called Magnetite, Fe3O4.

Thank you all for the help. I have decided to leave it as is. I know the trigger isnt supposed to be blue but Im just going back to the old "if it aint brke dont fix it". It functions. I can live with it, it shoots great. Im afraid it would be more work than its worth just for cosmetic flaw. I replaced the hammer because it was bobbed. I bought it that way so no biggie. Id strip the bluing off but then Id have to protect it somehow. Case hardening would be to costly I think, and anything else wont be correct anyway. Ill carry it, and shoot it and love it and hug it and call it ...... Thanks again for all the replies. Greatly appreciate it.

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Bobby SWCA #4067
SWHF #1144

Lend it to my wife for a week! She seems to be able to remove a finish from anything...... ESPECIALLY her front Bumper!