Bluing Aluminum

[Handgunner00]

The attached picture shows a vintage .22 caliber Beretta 87BB-Long Barrel. It is a well worn firearm and I plan to have it reblued at the Beretta Service Center now operated by Midwest Gun Works. This is an all steel pistol except the muzzle extension shown in black is aluminum. Will professional rebluing be effective on the aluminum muzzle extension to the point it no longer looks like a mis-engineered appendage?

Thanks. I always get sage advice from TFL members.

[MC 1911]

I doubt it, there will always be a difference in the color. Maybe not as dramatic but not a perfect match.

[Handgunner00]

Thanks. I can live with less than a perfect match. Just want the aluminum extension to be a closer match than gloss black. So you believe a highly professional bluing gunsmith can accomplish this objective?

[ocharry]

yep aluminum dont do blue...it is black...but you might find someone nowadays that could anodize it to a closer color to the pistol

just a thought

[Jim Watson]

A conventional hot salts bluing bath will DISSOLVE aluminum.

It could be anodized or coated to a closer match to blue steel or the whole gun could be coated the same color.

Frankly I don't think the gun looks all that "well worn" and I would not go to the expense of refinishing.

[Handgunner00]

A good thought. A "closer color" is the objective.

[natman]

Birchwood Casey Aluminum Black would match better, but you'd have to remove the original finish. Or I'll bet there is a Cerakote that would be close to the gun's finish. Or get a perfect match by Cerekoting both.

[4V50 Gary]

As mentioned by ocharry, aluminium doesn't blue. Immersion into a bluing tank will dissolve the aluminium. You can use Birchwood Casey Aluminium Black like natman suggested or you can paint it to match (as best as you can). Hang it on a wire, spray 'n bake!

BTW, if you do it in a toaster oven, make sure you don't do it in your wife's toaster oven. She'll be pissed and you'll never hear the end of it. Buy one at a second hand store just for gonne smything.

[Dfariswheel]

Birchwood-Casey Aluminum Black will "sort of" color aluminum, but you can wipe it right back off just lightly rubbing your thumb over it.
It is NOT at all durable, no where even close to cold blue on steel.

Note closely what Jim Watson said.....Hot salts bluing DISSOLVES aluminum.

The only options for coloring aluminum is to have it re-anodized or coat it with one of the paint type gun finishes like Cerakote, Lauer Duracoat, Brownell's Aluma-Hyde, or one of the others.

Anodizing can never really match gun bluing, the color will always be different.
Colt came as close as anyone ever did on their aluminum framed pistols and revolvers and the color is notably different.

Midwest will tell you what, if any options there are for your pistol.

[Handgunner00]

Dfariswheel: Agree. I have already sent Midwest a question about how they would deal with the aluminum extension on this Beretta as they develop their rebluing plan. Awaiting their response. I certainly don't expect a solid color match between aluminum and steel, but success will be measured in a color pairing where the muzzle extension fits the firearm. The current gloss black extension is a poor fit that looks like a mis-engineered appendage hastily constructed to produce a target pistol from a standard model 87 Cheetah.

[ballardw]

Originally Posted by 4V50 Gary

As mentioned by ocharry, aluminium doesn't blue. Immersion into a bluing tank will dissolve the aluminium. You can use Birchwood Casey Aluminium Blacck like natman suggested or you can paint it to match (as best as you can). Hang it on a wire, spray 'n bake!

BTW, if you do it in a toaster oven, make sure you don't do it in your wife's toaster oven. She'll be pissed and you'll never hear the end of it. Buy one at a second hand store just for gonne smything.

That toaster oven could also be used for heat-treating cast bullets and heating Kydex or similar material for making holsters and knife or other tool sheaths

[stagpanther]

yep aluminum dont do blue.

What about a MOPA laser?

[4V50 Gary]

Cheapskate/Joe Hobby/Garage Jim quick fix - the amount of white showing doesn't appear to be much. Magic marker it (it'll rub off) and when the blue slide needs refinishing, have the enitre Beretta painted the same color. That way it will be the same color.

[MarkCO]

Originally Posted by Jim Watson

A conventional hot salts bluing bath will DISSOLVE aluminum.

It could be anodized or coated to a closer match to blue steel or the whole gun could be coated the same color.

Frankly I don't think the gun looks all that "well worn" and I would not go to the expense of refinishing.

THIS.

I've seen the Swiss cheese look on a few old guns that folks did not know about this.

[4V50 Gary]

Had a classmate put an aluminium frame gun into the bluing tank. Another student looked at the bubbling and realized it was aluminium. He fished it out before any real harm had been done. The instructor warned us several times you cannot blue aluminium too. Instructor told the student he owed the other guy dinner/beer.

[Dfariswheel]

Hot salts bluing also dissolves lead solder.
Over the years people have found this out the hard way by putting a set of double barrel shotgun barrels in the tank and pulling out two barrels and some loose ribs.

[4V50 Gary]

Yep, sweat box for soldered guns (and mystery metal post-64 Winchesters '94). Win '94 can also be Express Blued with good results.

[Jim Watson]

The gunsmith who refurbished my guns after the fire - smoke and water, flames didn’t reach my guns - rust blued the OU and vent rib shotgun barrels to protect the solder.

A coworker used Drano - mostly sodium hydroxide - to strip the black anodizing off his Commander’s receiver, rinsing before it etched the metal much, to get that two tone style.

[4V50 Gary]

Thanks Jim. I've never stripped aluminium.