On the general subject of cold blue, below is a picture of my 1911 with a .22-caliber top end. I built the bottom assembly up from parts and finished the frame in Birchwood-Casey paste-type cold blue (comes in a tube). The stuff does work, but it took several trials to get it right. No particular tricks-just persistence. Naturally, it isn't as durable as hot blue. On the other hand, it takes normal handling well enough and I would say appearance is adequate. When new, the cold blue looks about like hot blue which has aged and been handled for a while. Durability is acceptable given the ease with which the finish can be touched up or renewed. The blue does have a sulfurous odor when you apply it, but now, six years later, the pistol just smells like Sheath and gun oil to me.
