eldeguello

There are a lot of newer, much more protective, forms of finish that can be used on guns.

IMO, bluing is still used because:

A. It is traditional
B. Many people like the way it looks

Personally, I prefer a nice smooth, soft plum brown, like you see on some muzzleloaders.

Ideaman

Bluing does offer protection, oiled properly good protection. Bluing is just a controlled oxidation, rust is oxidation too, the idea blue it and get a good finish before rust can get it. Trouble is that bluing is very shallow into the metal, so it has to be used with oil.

Parkerize is zinc or manganese treatment chemically changes the metal to a less reactive compound, it too needs to be oiled.

DM

I've done a lot of hunting on the Alaska Peninsula and the islands where liveing in a tent with days of rain and wind will rust a gun quite fast! I had one of my guns "rust blued" the old way, and it's amazeing! Everyone would be working on there guns daily, but i never had to do a thing to mine. It's done rusting, and to this day it does NOT get rust on it. I rarely wipe it off with anything but my hand and i've yet to ever see any rust on it.

It wasn't cheap, but for me it was $$ well spent, not to mention i really like the way it looks.

DM

zrexpilot

Has anyone noticed that older guns seem to have better bluing. These new guns seem to rust much easier.
I just think manufacturers should do something, bluing does offer some protection but not much, you have to take care of it. Powder coating would be much much better

bigcountry

Man, I have moose hunted in rain for 9 days straight. Deer hunted in salty swamps on the coast in rain. And can't say I had much of a problem with corrosion. Only issue I ever had was I had some pinching from the stock swelling.

Only think I have learned (on my stainless guns beleieve it or not) was you got to oil the hardware on the Cheasapeake bay. Like screws and such. I use rem oil mainly out there. It doesn't get much rougher on a gun than that.

I guess I am confused on the problems your facing. Living in southern humid climates can get ya.

I buy and sell alot of guns. And go to some estate sales. What I notice is people get into a sport like clays or target. Take care of their guns for years, and then all the sudden, maybe they have kids, or lose interest or die. And don't oil down thier guns every year (I suggest twice). Then they pick up the interest or I come buy them when they die, and I see surface rust.

I don't know if its teh blueing not as good, but more the smoothness or finish of the metalpreblueing.

Last year I bought two fine rifles from a estate rem 700's. Both are from 1970's. Blueing is so deep and uniform. Wood top notch. And it shoots .5MOA, no lie. You set either of those guns beside a 2005 700, and you definately see the difference.

USMC PMI

Bluing does have SOME corrosion protection as I said, but in general it is not nearly as effective as some of the other methods discussed. I have nothing against bluing, I like the look personally but wanted to drive the point home that you really need to take care of a blued gun, that is all.