Refinishing a handgun...

[dvdlpzus]

How can I refinish a handgun?

I have heard that bluing a handgun with Beechwood Casey Perma Blue kit is very simple but how is it done?

Is it easier to parkerize it? Or do I need to parkerize it first? Sorry, I am completely new to refinishing a handgun so please bear with me.

Thank you for your time guys.

David.

[Alien]

Why not get a melonite treatment/finish done? It's probably the best finish available. It's what S&W, Glock, and several other companies use as the finish for their slides and other parts.

Flame Metals Processing is the source of S&W's meloniting process, but apparently charge $200+ minimum. Burlington is supposed to be cheaper according to another thread.

Flame Metals Processing
7317-T West Lake Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426
Phone: (612) 929-7815
Toll Free: (800) 497-8462
Fax: 612-925-0572
Ferritic Nitrocarburizing (Salt Bath Nitriding)

Burlington Engineering, Inc.
220 W. Grove Avenue
Orange, California 92865-3204
Phone: (714) 921-4045
Fax: (714) 921-4029
Web Address: http://burlingtoneng.com/
E-mail: Info@BurlintonEng.com
Contact: Dave Corbell
“Melonite” (Ferritic Nitrocarburization processing)

I have no experience with this company but they do perform the process (they call it Isonite QPQ which may be another trade name for Melonite/Tenifer). However, they undoubtedly send it off to another place like Flame Metals or Burlington or some other local shop that performs the process, so they're a middleman in that respect.

http://www.coalcreekarmory.com/custom_finishing.html

Cerakote is supposed to be another good option, but it is a finish and not a metal treatment like the above melonite process which makes the surface of the metal parts extremely hard:

http://www.nicindustries.com/firearm_coatings.php

[dvdlpzus]

I want to do it myself because it's going to be for a $200 gun. Is there any tutorial to do the bluing kit.

[Erik 1]

If you spend a little time with google, you will find a lot on both cold bluing and hot bluing as well as parkerizing and similar finishes.

[Alien]

I want to do it myself because it's going to be for a $200 gun. Is there any tutorial to do the bluing kit.

It looks like that product is a simple wipe on type from what I gather after reading the description on various websites?


Restore the deep blue finish of your gun and erase years of scratches and nicks. This kit includes all the tools needed to expertly complete a reblueing project from start to finish. A 3-oz. Cleaner/Degreaser and a 3-oz. Blue and Rust Remover prepare your gun for the reblueing process. Seal out moisture before you apply any blue with Barricade® Rust Protection Wipes. The wipes extract moisture from the microscopic pores in metal, then fill in and seal its surface with a protective film. The 2-oz. tube of Perma Blue Paste methodically blues your gun with its slow-acting formula, which produces a dense, long-lasting finish. The paste gives a rich blue-black finish to most steels, but will not blacken aluminum, stainless steels or other non-ferrous metals. A detailed, easy-to-follow instructional manual takes you from start to finish.

Brownell's has some good guides. Spray on finishes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma0OGojg7lU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rLjqg9BDFQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmd1Ttq75Yw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4GWk9Vlnps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DJIcW6WZKQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raeeeCc9SWw

Here's a Midway USA video showing a cold bluing process:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrdESVrBA_Y

and some others:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBW2Odrz_vc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_-c4vBeUH4