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Cold blueing a Lone Wolf barrel?

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 10:52 pm
by DSLAM
I bought a LWD conversion barrel for my Glock 23 (.40sw) allowing it to shoot 9mm. I thought I would be a smart boy and order the regular ss/silver variety at only $109 instead of the black oxide version at $139 and just cold blue the thing. I thought wrong. I tried the Casey Birch cold blueing kit and it did absolutely nothing. :wall: I guess there is some sort of treatment done to the barrel or perhaps the type of metal is not able to be cold blued. Obviously I dont know anything. They dont take returns on barrels and I hate the bright look, I want it to be dark, like the original.
Other than using a black sharpie, how can I get this thing black or at least darker?

Re: Cold blueing a Lone Wolf barrel?

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 4:02 pm
by shinzen
DSLAM wrote:I bought a LWD conversion barrel for my Glock 23 (.40sw) allowing it to shoot 9mm. I thought I would be a smart boy and order the regular ss/silver variety at only $109 instead of the black oxide version at $139 and just cold blue the thing. I thought wrong. I tried the Casey Birch cold blueing kit and it did absolutely nothing. :wall: I guess there is some sort of treatment done to the barrel or perhaps the type of metal is not able to be cold blued. Obviously I dont know anything. They dont take returns on barrels and I hate the bright look, I want it to be dark, like the original.
Other than using a black sharpie, how can I get this thing black or at least darker?
I'd try one of the regular bluing kits that you put in the oven- here's a link to one guy's shot at it:
http://www.realguns.com/Commentary/comar48.htm

Re: Cold blueing a Lone Wolf barrel?

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 4:17 pm
by Fukshot
You cannot blue a stainless barrel. Other coatings may work.

Re: Cold blueing a Lone Wolf barrel?

Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:09 pm
by DSLAM
Yes, that's what I found out. Stainless steel (416) will not blue. Their are some bake-on types that would work as well as home parkerizing or hot blueing, but in the end I decided to just sent it back to LWD for their black oxide process for $25. I figured that it would be easier than trying to invest in all the chemicals and stinking up the house oven for one little barrel.
I did use the cold blueing kit to do my little mosin ammo clips for fun.