View Full Version : Bluing a Parkerized Rifle?

The Fat Man
September 8, 1999, 12:47 PM
An elderly friend of mine recently purchased a rather abused m-1 carbine. He stripped and refinished the stock; being a retired master machinist he is very meticulous in his work. He has tried bluing the metal parts, but everything he's tried has wiped right off. His theory is that he's just not using the right bluing, but I seem to recall something about not being able to blue any metal that has been Parkerized, as I'm pretty sure his carbine has been.

Anyone have any advice?

Art Eatman
September 8, 1999, 06:26 PM
I don't recall the specific chemistry, but for sure, you can't blue directly onto a Parkerized surface. Your friend would have to grind/turn/polish down to bare metal...

I'm not certain, but I think you can re-Parkerize over that existing surface...


Harley Nolden
September 9, 1999, 07:57 AM
When I was working in a Fed. Gov. firearms maintenance facility, we would "glass blast", found that better than sand, and blue or parkerize most any surface. That is of course the light alloy stuff, ie:m16's and the like.

As you mentioned, the old stuff must be completely removed, then the new process would hold.


[This message has been edited by Harley Nolden (edited September 09, 1999).]

James K
September 9, 1999, 04:28 PM
There are a fair number of places that do re-parkerizing. They will also remove the old finish, though maybe with less care than your friend might wish. He might want to clean off the parkerizing himself, then just have the parkerizing done.

One nice finish is to blue over sandblast. It looks like dark parkerizing and has a very nice effect.


The Fat Man
September 10, 1999, 09:16 AM
OK, thanks, guys, for your help.

I'm going to talk to Virgil this evening; I know he won't be happy, but it would help if I could tell him exactly what Parkerizing is...

Any takers? I knew that the military usually did it to their weapons, but that's my limit. Y'all up for a little more help?

September 10, 1999, 11:53 PM
Parkerizing is pretty much the bread and butter finish on almost all U.S. military weapons. I know for sure, m1 carbine, Garand, m-14, 1911a1 pistol, BAR, m2 .50 cal, etc.

I would just get the gun reparkerized. The parkerized finish should be pretty rough, and aside from thes sandblasting measures etc. that some people have mentioned, it seems that trying to blue it just might not work very well.

Get it reparkerized

Harley Nolden
September 11, 1999, 06:56 AM
There's a place in FL that I used for bluing and parkerizing when I was in the business. When the did the job, the serviced the firearm also. On many occasions they contacted me to tell me if a gun needed parts etc and I never had a complaint in 15 yrs of using them. REBEL GUN REFINISHERS. Thats all they do is refinish and repair guns.

Don't have their address or phone anymore, but they use to list in SGN Shotgun News.


James K
September 11, 1999, 09:56 PM
Parkerizing is a phosphate coating applied to articles like firearms primarily because it captures and retains oil and thus prevents rusting. It does this much better than bluing, which is actually a refined form of rust. Parkerizing is usually gray, but can be black or a greenish gray depending on the composition of the bath used. It can be dyed and can also turn dark from absorbing oil, dirt, or grease. It is a boiling process, not an electrolytic process.

For military purposes, Parkerizing (named after the inventor) has the additional advantage of being a dull, non-reflective coating, which is excellent in situations where a shiny finish could give away a soldier's position to the enemy.


September 14, 1999, 08:23 PM
Fatman, If you can get up with Walter Birdsong who is in Mississippi somewhere he can tell you everything there is to know on this subject. I wish I knew how to tell you how to contact him.
Good Luck, Hank