Bluing... how was it done... how is it done today...

[JimmieDee]

Chaps. How did the likes of Webley blue their guns in say the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s etc up to current day? I know hot bluing/blacking? salt baths are today’s method, but how was it done in the early / mid and late 20th century? Same method? When was the use of bluing salts and hot baths introduced?

[Troubledshooter]

Chaps. How did the likes of Webley blue their guns in say the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s etc up to current day? I know hot bluing/blacking? salt baths are today’s method, but how was it done in the early / mid and late 20th century? Same method? When was the use of bluing salts and hot baths introduced?

As far as I am aware Webley used the same method of hot blueing all the way through, although the earlier 20's air pistols seem to have more of a blue to the finish than the later blacked pistols and rifles, which, presumably, is down to the different salts used.

[RichardH]

Have a read here

It’s a complex subject but most of this is good information

http://www.rustbluing.com/files/rustbluing_web.docx

[evert]

I only have post-war webleys, but I'm pretty sure they are all hot caustic blued.
What gives them the great finish is probably time spent by experienced polishers before the bluing process.

[45flint]

I only have post-war webleys, but I'm pretty sure they are all hot caustic blued.
What gives them the great finish is probably time spent by experienced polishers before the bluing process.

I agree, they say with Colt firearms it was the fine polish that made them blue great.