HandiRifle Receiver Finishes

[hobbyist0783]

Hello Friends ! - New member here.
Have always been a fan of H&R/NEF break-opens and I have several, from the case-hardened type ('60's vintage Toppers & Mod 155 Shikari) to modern H&R1871 mfg, I have a question for you all. On the modern frames my OEM wood-stocked guns have blued recievers. Fine enuf / handsome, but the synthetic-stocked ones have some kind of matte black finish to the frame. What is that ? Some kind of phosphate finish ?  Heckuvit is they always look bad / porous / & ugly. Nomatter what, solvents or gun oils I use for normal maintenance then wiped dry on the frame have a habit of bleeding back onto the frame thru the receiver pins making the frame an ugly blotchy half-wet / half-dry ughhhh to look at anytime I pick it up, and
many of you with the black matte frames probably know what I mean. Is there anything that can make these porous-finished frames look good ?  What do you folks use ? I almost have a desire to have it sandblasted and blued. Always looks like a blotchy blotter, do you know what I mean ? - and a fingerprint magnet, - ughhhh, what a horrible finish. Am I missing something careing for the frame with liquid preparations or do you folks use dry lube-preservatives ? Just wonderin'.

[Ranger99]

welcome.


i haven't had that issue(yet)


all mine (those without krylon)
get eezox per directions on the bottle.

[hoytcanon]

I am betting that you are talking about an SB1 cast frame... they have a powdercoat type finish, it is very matte... I bought a new .357 that came with one... I agree it looked terrible particularly in the new walnut & rosewood stock set that I had made for it... so I swapped it with an SB2 receiver in blued finish... much better.

[quickdtoo]

It's not so much what you use on it, but what you apply it with, I use military patches, one side is lint free which helps, I use Eezox on all of mine with no problems, it dries to form a protective film within a day after application, so it won't continue to run like typical gun oils, it's also one of the, if not the best protection a fella can use.

The matte finish is black oxide, they aren't limited to SB1, the Survivor 223 and 308 both have black oxide finishes as well as SS1 rimfire frames.  H&R will refinish frames in blue and black oxide, SB2 can also be refinished in the faux case coloring of the BC, cost is $30.

Tim

[trotterlg]

The matt black or dark grey is parkerizing.  It is very tough, it is also very easy to do, I finish all my stub projects with it.  Same thing that a Colt 1911 is finished in.  I perfer it over the blueing, but it is a personal choice.  Larry

[quickdtoo]

Per Brian56, our resident gunsmith at H&R, the matte finish is black oxide, may be a form of Parkerizing,  I asked him about H&R refinishing a little over a year ago. 

Tim

[petemi]

A while back, I sent a frame to H&R for a barrel.  Brian was unhappy with the finish on both the frame and barrel, or perhaps the match.  He PMed me, and if I recall correctly, gave me a choice of three finishes, blue, black and matt black.  Everything I've ever sent up there has come back with a far better finish than the out of the box factory bluing.  Personally, I think sending in for a barrel at a cost of 160 bucks beats buying one here that you have to fit.  The frame comes back like new, worn parts replaced, a sweet trigger and everything works.  Brian and his cohorts do a great job.

Pete

[hobbyist0783]

Thanks All ! - Your various inputs were very courteous and well-received.