Professional Bluing - what to expect?

[ZANARDI]

Hello.

I'm considering a professional re-blue for my old Marlin 336.  From the little research I've done around here, a professional blue job appears to run in a range of $ 120.00 - $ 180.00 or so.

As a general rule, what should I expect to receive for that kind of money? Do such services generally include metal prep such as polishing out minor scratches, nicks, and pits? Do most places charge extra for any such work?

If my gun comes out looking as good or better than factory new for $ 180.00 that's one thing. If they just throw it in the blue tank "as is" for that kind of money, then it's quite another.

I know it's hard to generalize what one shop might include vs. another. If anyone can share their experience and expectations however I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

[John Traveler1]

zanardi,

The quality of a gun reblue is absolutely dependent on the quality and skill that went into the metal polishing and prepping.  Bluing salts merely darken the steel from the natural "silvery/white" colour to a darker blue/black.

Most gun shop bluing services offer two grades: the "hunter" grade, and a "deluxe" grade.  The hunter grade is less easily marred, while the deluxe grade is a high mirror polish.

The less expensive polishing work is all done on powered polishing and buffing wheels.  The polishing is sufficient to remove the old blue, light rust and discolouration, scratches, and original machining marks.  A skillful polishing operator is needed to avoid rounding off edges, dishing out screw hole edges, and marring stamped lettering and markings.  The polishing normally stops short of "mirror finish" polishing.

The more expensive polishing work relies heavily on hand polishing using stones and bonded abrasive blocks to preserve marking, edges, screw holes, and parts symmetry.  High grade restoration of guns is always done with skillful detailed hand polishing, often followed with traditional slow rust bluing.  Final polishing is done on powered equipment using the finest grades of polishing compound to develope the mirror polish.

HTH
John

[gunnut69]

I hate generalizing about gunsmithing prices and expectations but the prices sound like a standard polish and salt blue..  If they follow the norm they will power buff to about a 240-320 grit and blue using the hot salt method.  Hand polishing and/or rust bluing add considerable cost to a blue job.  The blue job I've described would be the equal of the factory blue or perhaps a bit better(depends on the firearm in question).  The power buffing is the bugaboo.  If done well it is what was done at the factory(in most cases).  Done poorly it can irreversably damage the looks of a firearm.  Rounded, uneven edges, roll marks erased or severely damged, etc.. Done well the weapon will look just fine..  It is possible to hand polish and rust blue a weapon but economics would preclude this in most instances.  In some cases where a restoration is being done, a high polish may NOT be appropriate, as in the case of a pre64-M70 receiver.