HI-Power Reblue help

[CETME]

I recently bought an Argentine Hi-Power, and the blueing is quite thin, i didnt pay much for the handgun, so i really cant afford to pay alot to reblue it, can i do it myself with the Perma Blue stuff that you can buy at walmart? or will that give me less than satisfactory results. any recommendations or advice? like i said, im on a budget... thanks guys!

[BILL]

If you are on a budget don't waste your time with the cold bluing solutions. They might get by for a little touch up but are totally inadequate for rebluing a pistol. The pistol is better left the way it is. The two types of bluing commonly seen are rust bluing and hot salt bluing. These are the only good options for rebluing. I would use touch up bluing (Perma-blue) possibly on a site blade but no where else (and I wouldn't even recommend that). Basically, cold bluing solutions really suck! I have never seen anyone happy with it. Rust bluing is something that can be mastered but, again, only if you can't afford to have it done by someone who knows what they are doing. You might want to try removing all traces of bluing and polishing the pistol 'in the white'..not a bad look on some pistols. If you are careful you can always have it professionally blued at some later date. I only offer my own opinion here but I don't think you will find a lot of support for cold blue solutions. Bill

[Marvin]

CETME,


I agree with Bill that trying to re-blue an entire pistol with cold blue usually results in a bad looking job. But, if you want to try it, the best cold bluing I have found is sold by Brownells, and is called "Oxpho-Blue". It is reasonably easy to apply and the more coatings you put on, the darker it gets. I have only used it for very minor touch-ups and it did a good job. I don't know how it would be for an entire pistol. I do know the Oxpho-Blue is far better than the the others.


Marvin

[Johnny Peppers]

If you are not satisfied with the appearance of your pistol now, you sure won't be satisfied after cold blueing the entire pistol. The blue that Marvin mentioned is probably the best available, but it was never intended to blue an entire gun and really offers no protection. It is virtually impossible to put a smooth even blue on a large area. It just always looks splotchy. Additionally, some of the new generation gun oils do a pretty good job removing cold blue.

[Don]

Perhaps your best bet would be to consider this a long-term project and work with Ted Green, a Forum member. Ted is a master at rust bluing, which would be beautiful on you High Power and befitting such a fine firearm. Ted's rates are very reasonable, and maybe you could fit it into your budget, given the fact that he has a waiting list and there might be a period of time that would elapse before he could get to it. Don't know if that'd work, but just a thought.

[lugerholsterrepair]

CETME...I have a friend here who likes to modify all sorts of guns he gets and is actually quite successful at blueing whole guns and on occasion he paints them. This is not as strange as it sounds at first . Quite a few modern manufacturers actually paint guns these days instead of the more expensive blueing process. I would carefully consider the previous treatment of this pistol, buffed? or otherwise ruined, then go ahead and play around with it. He uses matt black paint and lets it dry for two days. Do not spray it on any working surfaces that rub together. You can always take it off if you don't like it. I have actually seen modern High-Powers with some sort of spray paint job. You must also thourghly clean the metal no matter what you decide to use, Paint or cold blue. I have played around with painting , strawing and heat treating many parts on shooter guns and sometimes you end up with something you like and sometimes you don't. Like you I do not like to waste money so desperation is the Mother of invention. Consider all aspects of the thing and try not to do anything you cannot reverse. Jerry

its not the blue,,its the polish job...no cold blue will do a decent job except on small spots such as sights or screws. Otherwise, the entire gun needs to be polished to give an even color, and THIS is what separates the gunsmith from the amateur. Lots of good guns get screwed up by buffing and rounding corners, trying to make a gun look better. Better to spend the $$$ on a pro, or leave it as is.

[lugerholsterrepair]

I was just over to this fellows home and he was busily cold blueing a Balister Molina .45 all over and I have to say it looked perfectly satisfactory. The blue looked like it would stay on as I could not rub any off and there were very few blemishes that one could point out. If I had picked up this pistol at a gun show with the lighting they are famous for I would assume it had a nice blue. Before he blued it it was virtually in the white, He says he treated it with alcohol and then water then the blueing solution. So there are several questions that would naturally arise apon observing this . Could a pistol be cold blued and passed off as having a regular blue job? From what I observed I believe it is possible. Another is how well will this treatment hold up to vigirous shooting or carrying. This I do not know but I will take this pistol out and shoot a hundred rounds through it and let you know. Please understand that I am not necessarily advocating any of this. It is simply what I have observed during my visits to a friend who does things I do not necessarily agree with. Forewarned is forearmed. Jerry

[Johnny Peppers]

Jerry,

If you suspect cold blue on a pistol, rub an area with your thumb until the metal warms slightly. You should be able to smell the copper sulfate in the blue. Rust blue or hot salt blue will give off no odor. A lot of oil will disguise the smell somewhat.

[CETME]

well, if i cold blue it, and it really doesnt look good, cant i have it professionally blued on top of it with no problem?

you bet,,no prob.......just leave the polishing to someone who has experience..