CLASSIC AMERICAN RUST BLUE Reviews & Ratings

incredible product that yields incredible results! I've blued over 15 guns with one bottle. watch the LarryPotterfieldyou tube video on rust bluing. its slow but yields incredible results! well worth the time and effort. Don't forget you will need the stainless-steel carding wheel u can get from Brownell's to buff your parts after you boil them. Go ahead and get u a SS tank 36 x4x4 for boiling made and used distilled water you can buy at any store, cheap. I've never had another product that worked as well!

Pilkington Rust blue is a fine product. I have re-blued many old and antique shotguns with this product. Leaves a beautiful durable dark blue luster to your barrel or reciever. very easy to use. Watch Larry Potterfields you tube video on rust bluing with this product. However with this product I never used a Sweat box as it does just fine without it. it's a slow process but gives a fine as finished product as any gunsmith can do. great for old double barrels. cold bluing doesnt even compare to to this product. take the time to do it right and buy this product. you can easily do 10 -15 guns with one bottle. make sure you get the stainless steel buffing (carding) wheel from Brownells to polish your barrel. it makes it so easy. you will need to get you a Stainless steel boiling container made to "boil your barrel. I had one made at a local metal shop, 36 x4 x4. cost me about 40 bucks. When you figure it cost a minimum of $175 to pay a gunsmith to blue 1 barrel its well worth the investment and can be used over and over. also used distilled water. only a buck a gallon at walmart.

Easy to use, perfect for all guns!!!

Easy to use, perfect for all guns!!!

Over the years I have used all of the commercially available rust blues and browning offerings. I must say that if you follow the directions to the T this mixture will give you the best looking rust blue finish obtainable. It is simple and cheap to get an extraordinary looking rust blue finish using the brand. It has become my go to for plumb brown or rust blue. The color and depth if this brand is peerless.

Tried several others. They were very good for specialized situations. Some have more "Bite" (Acid is stronger"), some offer one day action, some are really better for browning traditional muzzleloaders and Damascus barrels. But if you want that custom rifle or the high-end modern steel doublegun to look really good, use this. It requires work, both in the surface prep and degreasing, and the water bath must be experimented with to find what works in your area (Important) {I have to use De-ionized water distilled by the reverse osmosis process - available at grocery stores}. But if you degrease and prep, this is the best.

Well this is the only rust blue I have used so I don't have much to compare it to. I have used it to blue several old lever guns and a few other barrels and parts, I find it easy to use and it produces a nice dark grey black satin finish. I treat the parts with the solution let to rust for an hour and treat again and rust for another hour before boiling, I'll do this twice, after that I'll treat the parts let rust for an hour and boil, do this as many times as it takes to get an even finish usually around 4 times for me.

This is the best way to achieve a professional quality bluing job on a really tight budget! All you need is a stainless steel tank and good quality water. If you're broke like me, Home Depot sells these nice 14" stainless steel drywall mud pans for around $14 each. Cut one end off of each, assemble with pop rivets and automotive RTV silicone, and you've got a 26" bluing tank (takes about 1 gal to fill). Kitchen stove works great for heat, just set it across two burners. Some advice for the first timer: 1. It's a slow process, but not particularly labor intensive. It's also very forgiving - you only need to sand up through a 320 grit, so it doesn't have to be mirror finish. It will actually hide some minor imperfections. 2. During the job, usually after the second carding, it will look terrible and you'll think it's ruined - relax, just keep going, it'll be fine. 3. If after the 4th application it's coming out brown instead of grey or black, you've got something in your water. I've had mixed luck with rainwater and A/C condensate water, trust me, the $0.88 a gallon for distilled water at the grocery is worth every penny. 4. With some guns like vintage Mausers that were originally finished with a rust blue, it's not always necessary to completely strip them - it will blend amazingly well with the original rust blue. 5. Don't let the instructions worry you out about humidity - it's actually quite tolerant. Here in the midwest, I've done it in my garage in any season with no special cabinet. That's not to say folks in the desert southwest might not have a different opinion. 6. Don't wring out your cotton ball. Just hold it over the mouth of the bottle, tip quickly once, and you're good. That's usually enough to do a whole barrel or receiver, start the next part with a fresh cotton ball. 7. Be patient, the results are worth it!!

I use this solution on all types of firearms that are blued. It does a great job, but is very time consuming.But,oh well that is just the nature of Rust Bluing a gun. You can make a beautiful charcoal color or a deep blue to black, whichever you choose. I use a humidity cabinet to speed up the rusting process and boil between applications. Its not the bluing solutions fault its so slow. It's the process

I use Pilkington Rust Blue exclusively for my work on classic shotguns and rifles. I get super results with this product. It gives that real deep blue finish. You can make it as dark as you want, just repeat the process. Easy cleanup and super results.