How I used a cold blue liquid to make an old shotgun look like new.

by Glen Calvert

My old Marlin 43 shotgun had the barrel’s bluing faded to a brown patina and the magazine tube had areas worn to bare metal by the slide. Fortunately, the bluing on the receiver was still in good condition. I have used cold bluing for minor touchups such as scratches and refurbished screws but not on a large scale such as a barrel. After doing some research on the various brands, I chose Birchwood Casey Super Blue.

Prep

As with any refinishing project, proper surface preparation is key. After removing the barrel and magazine tube, I…

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