Ah, Choctaw, Oklahoma........used to play those folks in basketball in high school years 50 years ago. At 6'5" I was a center back then. Today my size is a smallish guard. Things change over the years huh?
One thing about rust blue is that it is very durable. Not much support is needed in some procedures. Lots of sub-colors, bluish, blackish, in between. True slow rust blue has to be clean, does not appreciate any oils from the hands etc. Can be fussy stuff, shelf life, but a marvelous medium.
If you like the finish, say on the Ruger No.1; which tends to be more black than blue; then I might recommend the Laurel Mountain product for browning. Pretty easy to use, boiling followed by carding makes it into a blue/black(more black to me) rust blue. This product tolerates miscues by the user from oils, as it has a detergent in it. Usually colors nicely in 3-4 boiling coats. Some plug the barrel, some do not; the acid solution is put on sparingly, and tis boiled afterwards; just run a patch then the barrel to dry each time.
One has to watch the application(read the directions), too hard an application will bring on an off color which will not go away with subsequent coats. The solution, like all rust blues, will color steels; but also will remove blue.........so touch in coats is important. Not a big deal, just have to have some time in grade. True in anything.
Will you do it perfect the first time, well..........no, probably not. But just get out the vinegar and try again. I would not go over 400 grit in finish prep.
When they say, boiling point of water temperature; they mean it. Pure water, reverse osmosis, distilled is good. Some tap water has ingredients that will mess you up. One can use a steam tube if one is around as well to convert from 3 to 4.. One can scald or boil or steam, but has to be up to temp or the conversion will be brownish. Fume bluing is possible with some blues, but that is another process completely, one never touches the steel parts or acid.
A fine soft carding wheel from Brownell's is a real ticket in carding the soft off after boiling conversion.
This LM product does not have the fine blue characteristic of the early Lugers, but was not intended to really.
Just an easy going product to learn with.......for other rust blue solutions later on if so interested.
Lots of solutions for rust blue, homebrew to ots; lots have to be really clean............but the LM detergent helps the first timer in my opinion..........lots of other opinions out there you know.
Best of luck, it will be a fun deal..........done a couple myself......... :-)...........take heart, you can too.
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