Oxpho Blue Question

[XLT]

I have an AK I built on a global trades receiver. the blueing on the rest of the guns is in fine shape, but the receiver doesn't look even close, rivets are still bright and shiny.

Don't really have the $ right now to have it professionally refinished, is there any reason to think that the oxpho blue product will ease the color differential?

I have used other cold blue products with little success, but this stuff sounds pretty good.

Let me know what you think.

XLT

 

[Dfariswheel]

No cold blue will ever really be as dark or as durable as we'd want on guns.

After playing around with all available cold blues over a 30 year career, I've never found one that is good for much more than touch-up of scratches.

In the case of your AK, why not do what most AK's have.....A spray-on paint type finish.
Most military AK's leave the factory with a baked-on coat of paint, and this is in fact an extremely durable gun finish.

You can go cheap and spray on a coat of ordinary Rust-oleum oil-based paint, then bake it in the oven at about 300 degrees for one hour, or you can buy a gun-specific coating from Brownell's.

They sell several good coatings, one which requires no baking, and another that is baked on.
These look very good when applied with a little care, are VERY durable, prevent rust better than a blue job, can be removed and re-done easily, and come in many colors.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/catsearch.aspx?c=752&p=4798

The Aluma-Hyde II and Gun-Kote are about the best.
They are fairly easy to apply, basically calling for a really thorough job of degreasing the areas you want to coat, then spraying on the coating.
Using either, you can make your AK look really good, and have a tough, durable military-grade finish.

I have a Bulgarian Arsenal SLR-96, which is the top-of-the-line in older AK imports, and it's finished with..... A coat of satin black paint.

 

[briang2ad]

Refinishing

Gun Kote is VERY good, bu you need a good airbrish, air, blaster, and Gun Kote prep and finish. The compicated part is that you need to blast with Al Oxide, and you need to have a spare oven to bake it on. Doing a loing gun and all the parts is a bit tougher. Big project, LOTS of prep and time, and if all you do is spray, you will be out about $125 - 150 for starters. I paid $25 a piece for my handguns to be professionally blasted. Beads don't get it for Gun Kote.

 

[ribbonstone]

OF all the cold blues, Oxpho-Blue is both the easiiest to use and the most durable....but it won't match the black clorl of that AK, it will be a blue-blue rahter than a black-blue.

But under the condtins you mention, it beats no blue.

 

[XLT]

Thanks for the input, I ordered some and will see how it goes. It already doesn't match, so it won't look any worse anyway. Worth $20 to see what happens. Thanks again,

XLT

 

[mfree]

Wheel paint is good stuff.