Militia patent restoration / tetra gun liquid blue

[Graemevw]

Not been on the forums for a couple of years and coming back with what will no doubt be a controversial post.

I have a couple of guns that need some repair to the blueing. I bought some tetra gun liquid blue from a local shop today.
I also have a millita patent that needed restoration. It's a right mess, and I figured no loss to strip and try to refinish. If there was any kind of original finish left, I wouldn't. But it's rusty, dented, and been painted.

Had a go at the barrel today and it's come out ok. Kitchen tablecloth has sacrificed itself to the cause though!



I've probably done the finish about 6 times now and it doesn't want to get any darker. It looks great when the liquid blue is wetting the surface. Still looks great when dry, but it's so shiny, it looks dark grey.
Finish is very even though.
Over all the liquid blue seems to have done a good job.

I assume it won't get any darker if I continue coating. Worth doing it again tomorrow when its cured? Will it look any darker when its oiled?

I mirror polished the steel, might have been better if I'd left it a bit duller?

The action will be next, that's nickle plated. Not done anybplating for a couple of years so will be interesting to have another go at it.

Stock is split and needs some repairs. It's a nice bit of wood though. Bit of a shame to remove the patina from that, but it's not good enough, or stable enough, to leave as is really.

I know restoring guns is controversial, but I felt this needed it.

Any tips on making a breach seal for this?

[Swissairgun]

I've made my own leather breech seals our of an old belt. As leather moulds itself to the confines of the space, you can even cut them out with a scalpel and drill a hole for the centre if you don't have the right size leather punches.

I don't think you have to worry about your restoration being untrue to the gun given its condition. You're saving a gun and putting it back into a condition that will keep it going for another century. Repair and even renovation are in my view all part of a gun's history, no matter when it was done. If someone crudely fixed a split stock with a rusty screw 80 years ago, or you fix it nicely tomorrow with epoxy makes no difference: both are part of the gun's history. Sure, some people might not want it in their gun rack because of that, but who cares when it's in your gun rack!

[costalotpanther]

I think you are doing a great job!
Can't wait to see it finished.

[isobar]

I think the blue will darken with oil and as you say "it's even" so that's a good job.I have a very rough one that's beyond restoration which is a shame as I really like them.

[ptdunk]

Worth restoring as they are great f
Rifles.
My Milita with the same barrel release is one of my most accurate vintage rifles

Vintage HFT shot with 100yr old Millita Air rifle by Fredrick Langenham & Martin Pulverman
https://youtu.be/qgBp0hVuNHU

Cheers,
Matt

[Graemevw]

Thanks for the replies, glad the consensus is I'm doing a good thing.

I'll put more progress pics here as I go.
I had a go at the main action tube today. Lots of filing, every strip, sanding and a first polish to see how it is. Few bits that could be improved, but no doubt better than it was originally already.
Just polished, not plated yet.



This was pretty bad. Lots of dents I hammered flat, reformed the cocking link slot, lots of rust putting and LOADS of monkey wrench marks!!

It's looking like it might all cone out quite nice though. Means I'll have to sort a better rear sight as the home made one is rubbish.

The stock was also broken and badly glued. Pulled it apart, but I'll do the stock once the action is finished.



On the plus side, the internals all look very good, no rear wear either.

[Graemevw]

Nickle plated hardware

temporary image hosting

Main body is in now, lots to potentially go wrong with this. Big stuff is harder to plate. If this goes well, the rest of the project is plain sailing.

[Graemevw]

Main tube went a bit wrong, one anode was too close. Sanded it back, repolished, plated again, much better.

[magicesperanto]

I know restoring guns is controversial, but I felt this needed it.

I don't think there is any controversy here, your results look stunning!

Turning a scrapper into a looker and a user is most satisfying, and to be applauded.

Does anyone know how durable the Tetra gun liquid blue finish is?

I ask because I once tried G96 Gun Blue cream on an old meteor barrel and it quickly wore off.

[Graemevw]

I don't think there is any controversy here, your results look stunning!

Turning a scrapper into a looker and a user is most satisfying, and to be applauded.

Does anyone know how durable the Tetra gun liquid blue finish is?

I ask because I once tried G96 Gun Blue cream on an old meteor barrel and it quickly wore off.

Thanks.

Durability on the blue is a concern, I guess ill find out. The plan was always to rust blue this. Not tried that before. If this doesn't hold up I'll try that instead.

[ccdjg]

I don't think there is any controversy here, your results look stunning!

Turning a scrapper into a looker and a user is most satisfying, and to be applauded.

Does anyone know how durable the Tetra gun liquid blue finish is?

I ask because I once tried G96 Gun Blue cream on an old meteor barrel and it quickly wore off.

All cold blues work by depositing a thin film of black copper selenide on the steel surface. It is thin (repeated applications do not increase the thickness) and not acid stable, and it will wear off much more quickly than true iron oxide blueing (rust bluing or hot alkali bluing). However, if you wax the cold blued surface it will last a lot longer (probably forever if you keep waxing).

[Graemevw]

All cold blues work by depositing a thin film of black copper selenide on the steel surface. It is thin (repeated applications do not increase the thickness) and not acid stable, and it will wear off much more quickly than true iron oxide blueing (rust bluing or hot alkali bluing). However, if you wax the cold blued surface it will last a lot longer (probably forever if you keep waxing).

If repeated application doesn't increase the thickness, why do repeated applications darken the finish?

I think the darkness topped out at about 5 goes. But I left it 24 hours and did another coat last night and it seems to have darkened it a little more.
I don't know if I'm wasting my time carrying on repeating it, might just call it quits now and oil it.
If it wears off, I'll try my have at the rust process

[isobar]

If repeated application doesn't increase the thickness, why do repeated applications darken the finish?

I think the darkness topped out at about 5 goes. But I left it 24 hours and did another coat last night and it seems to have darkened it a little more.
I don't know if I'm wasting my time carrying on repeating it, might just call it quits now and oil it.
If it wears off, I'll try my have at the rust process

rust bluing is fairly easy and gives a great finish,your plated cylinder looks fantastic,lovely little plinker on it's way.

[Graemevw]

Thanks isobar


Does anyone have a rear sight for this? Or pics of one?
I know various types have been fitted.

Might end up making a simple fixed blade

[ccdjg]

If repeated application doesn't increase the thickness, why do repeated applications darken the finish?

I think the darkness topped out at about 5 goes. But I left it 24 hours and did another coat last night and it seems to have darkened it a little more.
I don't know if I'm wasting my time carrying on repeating it, might just call it quits now and oil it.
If it wears off, I'll try my have at the rust process

Sorry, I meant once the colour has maxd out you can't increase the thickness any more. The chemistry involved requires iron metal to be in contact with copper salt solution, so once the you have a complete layer of copper selenide covering the surface, the chemistry stops.