Origins of hot salt blueing?
 

I have read that Mauser invented hot salt blueing in 1937. But then I've read that some broomhandles were hot salt blued a decade earlier. Then I read somewhere the technique was actually invented by the Chinese a thousand years ago and just re-discovered.

Mauser did change the blueing technique on the broomhandle in the mid-600,000 s/n range but I don't know what the change was or if that change was done on other Mauser produced arms.

I have Angier's book on blueing which has no mention of hot salt blueing - this book was originally published in 1936.

So did Mauser actually invent this in 1937? Could there be any C&R arms hot salt blued before that time?

Thx

-- Dan

I think the Swiss switched from rust bluing to hot salt
dip" bluing around the 1928-1929 time frame in Bern with their M1906 W+F luger production...

I don't know about Mauser INVENTING hot salt bluing in 1937, but that is the year of the transition from rust bluing to hot salt in Luger production. Probably due to high demands of war.

I think US arms makers were hot salt bluing before the turn of the century, not sure and would be real interested to find out....