Dangler's Browning Solution

Instructions:

The barrel should be draw filed to remove milling marks. Sand barrel with fine sandpaper to remove filing scratches. 180 grit or finer silicone carbide works well depending on smoothness desired. Oil the bore of the barrel well and seal with tightly fitting wood plugs at the muzzle and breech. Wipe the surface of the barrel with a clean dry cloth to remove sanding dust. 

 Degrease the barrel.

 To apply the browning solution use a piece of clean cloth folded into a pad about 1” square. Moisten pad thoroughly with browning solution and apply the barrel, being careful to apply brown in a long even coat from muzzle to breech. Do not rub the surface of the barrel with the solution. Apply  the solution as evenly as you can with a single coat if possible. Rubbing the surface with the solution can cause a metallic copper colored film to form. After applying the first coat of browning, set aside to work for 3 hours. After 3 hours apply a second coat of solution to the barrel. The second coat, and all subsequent cats, is applied very sparingly to the barrel surface. Only enough solution should be applied to dampen the surface. This will minimize the chances of pitting.Too heavy an application of solution can also remove the existing browning, lengthening the process. After letting the second coat work for 3 hours, rub the surface of the barrel with a piece of coarse cloth dipped in hot tap water.This step removes the surface scale that has built up and evens the brown. After scrubbing the barrel, flood the surface with hot tap water and dry. Repeat the cycle of applying the browning, letting work 3 hours, and scaling the barrel, 4 to 5 times or more until the desired color has been achieved. 

Note: if you cannot get back to the barrel within 3 hours of applying a coat of brown, do not apply another coat after scaling. Just scale the barrel and set aside until you are ready to resume browning. 

To stop further action after browning has been completed, scrub the surface using a saturated solution of hot tap water and baking soda.Rinse the barrel with clear warm water and then dry. Finally, heat the barrel with a hair dryer to remove residual moisture, then apply wax or gun oil as a final finish.

For a rougher “antique” brown, apply heavier coats of the browning solution at 12-hour intervals. 2 to 4 coats will be sufficient, depending on weather conditions. To maximize roughness, do not scale the surface between coats. After the desired depth of color has been obtained, wash with water and baking soda in the normal manner to stop further browning. This method works especially well on actions and small parts.

If a rust blue is desired, the part being finished should be boiled in distilled water prior to each scaling. Boil parts for about 5 minutes until the finish darkens, then scale in the normal manner. Repeat the process until desired depth of color is reached.