Re-Blue

[TomL]

Hello, I have a Rem 760 that many years ago I had reblued. Well to my disapointment the smith buffed all the crisp edges off the receiver and now the blue is more like a maroon/red! I had another shop say if the recevier still has enough metal it could be draw filed and blued again. Does anyone here have suggestions on a competent smith/re blue shop I might send the rifle to for an in depth look to see if the receiver can be brought back to original Rem looks with a new bluing/draw filing? Thanks.

 

[Dfariswheel]

For this, you need a top refinisher service who have the right equipment and people who are expert polishers.
As you discovered, there are two things that indicate a bad blue job: Rounded off edges and off-colors to the final finish.
Rounded edges, dished-out holes, buffed off stampings, and waves in the flats indicate a ham-handed armature polisher with the wrong type of polishing equipment.
Red colors indicate the bluing system was not operated under proper control or the chemical was old and used up.

Here's some of the best in the country. They can probably straighten out the botched job unless the rounding is beyond limits. These companies have national reputations as the best in the business. I'd call and talk to them about it, but they won't be able to give definite answers until they actually see the gun.

http://www.apwcogan.com/

http://www.fordsguns.com/

http://www.gunbluing.com/

 

[TomL]

Thanks, Fords Custom is a couple hours drive from me. I'll talk to them. TomL

 

[oldgunsmith]

Is the whole gun reddish looking, or just the receiver? Harder steel, very often from a higher carbon content, is harder to get blue in most caustic solutions. It takes longer in the tank and very often eventually fades red anyway. The barrel is not as hard and usually stays blue longer. Usually you can't un-polish one that has been obviously over-polished and make it look respectable. The 760 might be a good one to leave as is and save it for bad weather or other adverse conditions you wouldn't want to subject a nice, pretty rifle to. That's what I'd do.

 

[4V50 Gary]

Buffing Bob strikes again and rounds off the edges!

Oldgunsmith is right. They should have turned up the heat and left it in there overnight.

 

[James K]

I would be concerned that any polishing that will let a rounded off receiver look decent will practically obliterate the markings, including the serial number, and that is a no-no.

Jim

 

[TomL]

I would think a competant smith would be able to retain the numbers even if draw filing to restore the receiver. We'll see what Ford's has to say. As for pretty, I have them and carry them in all weather, with proper cleaning and oiling they stay pretty. I know a red color won't afffect the function but if red were the norm why are factories not using red or parkerizing or nickel/stainless on civilian rifles?
We are accustomed to blued firearms and that is why this posting was started. Thanks for the responses. TomL

 

[oldgunsmith]

Ask whoever does it what the odds are that you may spend a lot of money on it and it still not look right.

 

[jmr40]

I wouldn't spend much on it. Any decent restoration is going to cost more than the gun is worth.

 

[TomL]

"Worth" and "spend a lot" are valid points if the rifle was a find at a gun show or bought reasonable, but tell me how one would put those two points into play on a family heirloom? It's not for me about "worth" or "a lot of $". Thanks again for the replys.