re-blueing of rifle

[swatts]

I made an error trying to remove some rust from the bore of a rifle and the compound took the blueing off the end of the barrel. I then stripped the blueing from the entire barrel, (muzzle loader) and the other exterior parts. I know that I need to re-blue the parts but have never done this before. Anyone that has done this please give me some advise on type or brands that work well, and ones to stay away from. Cold blueing, ect.
Any help will be appreciated.

Swatts

[bigbulls]

Take it to a gunsmith that does blueing and pay the $100 for him to hot salts blue it.

Cold blue is not meant to blue an entire gun. Only as a touch up.

[gobuffs]

I'm about to head down the same road, I just bought a used 700 BDL with a little bit of rust on the barrel, probably have to use steel wool on a strip 1/4 inch by six inches to get it all. Is it best to minimize the area affected and then try to touch up with cold blue or to strip the whole barrel and start over. $100 doesn't sound too bad to have the whole thing done as I only paid $175 for the rifle but would like to keep it on the cheap (as long as it works) in the spirit of having stolen it from the guy (IMO). Also, bought a Birchwood Casey blue kit, is that one as good as any??

[gorse]

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[Charley]

Cold blues are for touch ups only, and even there most are pretty poor. Brownell's Oxpho-Blue is an exception for cold blues, does a good job on touch ups, and if you prep well you can blue a large piece.
Best blue finish that isn't a hot salt blueing is Blue Wonder, a photo chemical reaction. Looks like a blue, but is very tough and corrosion resistant. I've done entire barrels and slides with it, and it works well.
Actually, if you are trying to refinish a muzzleloader, why not consider browning? Birchwood Casey's Plum Brown is not a bad product, much better than their "blues".