Are all "black" guns considered blued?

[KennyFSU]

Also, is the correct terminology "blue" or "blued?"

I've seen gun manufacturers call it both.

Thanks all.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

Not all dark guns are blued. There are all types of coatings available now that protect your firearm but are not blueing.

I own a Springfield TRP that has one such coating that I believe is called Army Kote.

 

[rjrivero]

As Kreyzhorse says, there are many new coatings that aren't considered bluing. As well as old fashion parkerized finishes which technically aren't blued either.

 

[KennyFSU]

Thank you for the education. So bluing is finish and not a color. Is it considered a pretty durable coating? Or is it the minimum?

 

[mo84]

right, bluing is pretty durable as long as you keep your gun cleaned and oiled

 

[Kreyzhorse]

Blueing is very durable. It's a toxic process and expensive however, so I believe that's why you are seeing more and more firearms being offered with whiz bang coatings.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I've been hearing people say, "It's a blue gun," more years than I can count. Strictly speaking, it may, indeed, be blue in color, but that's because it's been blued.

Bluing is very rarely a very durable finish unless it's well taken care of. It protects against rust, but not dings, dents, scrapes, et cetera. I prefer the look and feel of blued guns; I must confess, however, I normally carry stainless steel, which is a bit sturdier and easier to spiff up.

 

[GDCooper]

Thank you for the education. So bluing is finish and not a color.

As you've learned from others, the above statement is correct.

Another thing, it's only a finish for steel, not aluminum or any of the other "gun metals". These days fewer guns are made from steel, other than barrels, so that's one factor than means less bluing on the whole.

The ever-more common aluminum usually is finished with one of several "modern" finishes, coatings that for simplicity could be equated to paint but aren't. Those same coatings can be used on steel and are cheaper, more durable than bluing, AND can be done in many different colors. Bluing will probably disappear sometime in the not too distant future, to the great dismay of traditionalists. That's just opinion (but what isn't!)

If by "black gun" you meant "black rifle", i.e. AR's, those all have a "modern coating since the receivers are aluminium.

 

[AK103K]

So bluing is finish and not a color.

Bluing is actually a form of "rust".

Its also not very durable and tends to require a good bit more care and maintenance than other finishes.

 

[chris in va]

Example of a blued gun. Shiny, lustrous finish. Definitely not what's on your typical AR.

 

[EricReynolds]

Polymer framed guns are mostly black. They're not blued

 

[BlueTrain]

A few blued guns or parts actually are blue, though I think Colt may be the only one that ever had any. That, combined with the exceptional polish on some of their models like the Python, made for some very special firearms. And they really would show scratches.

Some of the cars on "The Blue Train" (Le Train Bleu) were painted dark blue, too.

 

[Ideal Tool]

Hello, An authentic "rust blue" is more durable than the common "hot blue" method. As far as bluing not being a durable finish..why then do some of my 100 plus year old guns have nearly all of it intact, & these were working guns?
I think alot of the younger guys, who grew up with modern plastics and stainless, were never given an opertunity to see just how well an honest blued carbon steel and walnut gun can come down through the ages.

 

[MTT TL]

Are all "black" guns considered blued?

No there are lots of different gun finishes that cause the gun to appear black. Gun makers use everything from paint to parkerizing to give the gun it's finish.

Is it considered a pretty durable coating? Or is it the minimum?

I believe paint is the minimum and a gun maker has to be pretty cheap to use that. There is no such thing as an industry standard minimum. There are different kinds of bluing processes as well which effect the end product.

Hot salts bluing.
This is todays bluing system as used by all gun makers.
The metal is boiled in a tank of chemicals which gives it a black-blue color.
This is actually "oxidation" or a controlled form of RUST, which has a blue-black color and is smooth.

Rust blue.
Rust blue is a process in which the metal is caused to rust with a chemical that gives a blue in color instead of the usual rust-red color.
The parts are boiled in water, removed and swabbed with the chemical.
The parts are allowed to rust, then "carded" off with steel wool. At this point the metal has a grayish streaked color.
As the process is continued the color deepens and darkens into a satin blue.
There are a number of processes in which rust blue can be done.
Rust blue has a more satin finish that's blue but not the glossy blue of other methods.
It is a durable, tough blue, and is one of the few methods by which double guns with soft soldered barrels can be blued.
Due to the amount of time and hand labor, rust blue is expensive.

Carbona blue.
Carbona is an advanced form of heat bluing.
This is the process many gun companies used years ago, especially Colt.
The cleaned parts are put in steel drums along with a mix of various materials, including charred leather, charcoal, bone meal, and other often "secret" materials, then the air-tight drums are put in a furnace at carefully controlled temps.
The materials give off a gas that drives out moisture and air, and the metal takes on a deep shiny black-blue color.

Heat bluing.
There are a good number of heat bluing methods, known by various names like "Fire Bluing". These are basically simply variations of heating the metal until it changes color.
The simplest method is to just polish the metal, clean it then heat it up.
As the metal heats, it starts to change colors, first a light yellow "straw" to a darker golden, to a brown, then purple, and finally a brilliant blue.
Most heat blues are very colorful, but very delicate and easily worn off.
All heat blues must take into account the hardness and temper of the metal. Some guns parts should not be heat blued.

Cold blue.
Cold bluing is a commercial chemical that works for touching up worn areas or scratches.
It's not very durable, tends to turn brown as it ages, and usually doesn't work well for large areas.
When used to blue a large area, it tends to give a streaked, cloudy gray-blue color.

Nitre Blue.
This is another heat blue method, only using a salts compound that melts when heated.
When the metal is submerged in the liquid hot salts, it changes color like heat bluing, from a light straw to a brilliant blue.
Again, nitre bluing is rather delicate.
Some people have done nitre bluing using stump remover chemical from the hardware store.

Charcoal bluing.
Simply another name for a variation of Carbona bluing.

There are other methods, all of which are variations of the above methods.
They all use either a heat system to heat the metal until it changes color, or a chemical that causes the metal to rust with a blue or blue-black color.

With all these systems, the color and how shiny the finish is depends entirely on how well the metal is polished BEFORE the bluing process.
As example, the only real difference between the Ruger's satin black color and the deep, dark blue mirror-like finish of the 1950's Python was the degree of polishing the metal received before the metal was put into the hot salts bluing tanks.

 

[AK103K]

As far as bluing not being a durable finish..why then do some of my 100 plus year old guns have nearly all of it intact, & these were working guns?

A lot of that will depend on the definition of "use". A 100 year old gun that gets used hunting once a year, will show different wear than a rifle in a scabbard day in and day out, or a handgun worn daily and used regularly.

I have a early 50's era Winchester 94 that was originally blued (Ive since parked it) and was pretty heavily used over the years. "Most" of its bluing was intact for the most part, but any place that had constant contact with something, like at the balance point on the receiver where a hand was holding it, was worn to bare metal. Still, that was about 50 years of use from its original finish.

I also have a Colt Commander that was originally a nice Colt blue when I first got it, and I carried it daily in leather holsters when I first got it, and before the first year was out, it was heavily rusted in a couple of places and required repair and refinishing. I had it hard chromed, and used it daily for another 10+ years, in both leather and kydex holsters, and while worn from use, the only rust seen since, were minor rust flecks where the grip was against my body.

I love the old blued guns, but for something thats going to see any real use, there are much better choices.

 

[BlueTrain]

Some of the older pre-numbered models of Smith & Wesson had what I would call a satin finish. It was not flat and dull, nor glossy (when new) either. This was on what I suppose would be a service grade revolver, such as an M&P revolver, not on the more expensive large frame revolvers, though some of those may have had a plainer finish as well. Was this a result of the kind of polishing used or the bluing? Or both? Either way, it doesn't seem to be used anymore.

I have also noticed sometimes that some small parts have a completely different look. I know that S&W used to and still does as far as I know, case harden triggers and hammers and did not blue them. Not sure about stainless revolvers. I don't know if Colt did that, except that the frame of a Single Action Army is usually case-hardened. But some small parts have almost a yellow color. Is there a "straw bluing?"

 

[Ideal Tool]

Hello, BlueTrain. That straw color was also used on the German Luger safety. It is just another range of heat reached before being quenched in the Nitre bluing process.

 

[8shot357]

I think these are not blued.