Quote:
Originally Posted by mrerick
Actually, Bluing is a transformation / electrochemical conversion of the surface layer of steel molecules. It's not really the addition of anything but oxygen.
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Salt bluing and rust bluing are indeed oxidation processes. What I call "a different material" is the oxide, as it has a different chemical structure and different properties than the steel. Anodizing is also an oxidation process, it adds nothing more than oxygen to the aluminum, but it does also change the characteristics of the surface. It protects it from further oxidation, but the oxidation also changes other properties. In the case of aluminum, the oxide is harder than the aluminum (not sure about the lubricity though) so anodizing actually prevents galling.
Anyway, my point is that any oxide layer can change more than the resistance to corrosion, and the question is if bluing will increase or decrease the lubricity. It may not even be the lubricity of the oxide layer that matters, it could also be its ability to retain lubricants.
If this really mattered on salt blued Lugers is another story, but knowing the anal nature of German engineers, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they actually did study this.