The Distressed Finish

When a customer wants a gun refinished, they usually want it brought to a bright, new luster as a general rule. However, some shooters, particularly cowboy action shooters, want a distressed or "battleworn" finish. The end result of such a finish when properly applied gives the appearance of either hard use in the field or of firearm that appears much older than it actually is. If this is among your first finishing efforts, take it slow and easy and follow the steps exactly.

It is important to have a solid idea of what the firearm will look like before you begin. Your customer may have seen an example of a distressed or battle-worn finish. I can always tell the difference between a finish job done and a truly worn and used gun, but all the same, make certain the customer is aware of what the finished product will look like. Also, note that this type of effort produces individualistic results. While the job may be similar, this isn’t like the art of bluing an old Colt.

Sometimes the process makes for less-than-identical results, but that is the charm of it. I began with a Lyman 1849 Navy .31 caliber revolver. This replica of the Colt Baby Dragoon is interesting but not too expensive so it could be used as an experiment. The first step is removing the old finish. I used Scotch-Brite to polish the finish away. This takes time and must be done carefully to produce the proper smoothness before applying bluing. Next, I considered where to apply aging marks.

I held the pistol as it would be in normal use while considering holster wear and other concerns. I took the revolver in hand and even dropped it on the floor a time or two. At these contact and wear marks, aging was applied. Using a large Allen wrench, I took the flat of the wrench hard against the angles of the octagon barrel and other high points. This created a worn look that belied the quiet life of this revolver.

This may be done with any other firearm, though newer designs such as the 1911 and AR-15 have this described as a battle-worn look while older revolvers have it described as a distressed finish. It takes some practice to use the Allen wrench correctly. I recommend practicing on an old flat of metal.

While this works well enough on most firearms, a firearm with an original finish that is very hard, such as the Glock, will resist most attempts at age marking the finish or even outlining such markings so as to appear worn. This is a real challenge. It can be done but let’s walk before we run. As always, every step is taken with safety in mind and nothing done to compromise the firing qualities or safety of the firearm. When applying marks with the Allen wrench, remember you want a worn finish, not a gouged one.

Honest wear is different than abuse. It also pays to take a good look at firearms that have survived the long haul. I have a collection of such guns as wall hangers no longer in service that serve as references. After removing the finish, soak the firearm in a proven material. I use three parts white vinegar to one part sea salt. This concoction removes most of the finish and makes for a good base coat for a worn finish.

With the initial mix in quarter hot steaming water, drop the gun (sans grips or other furniture) in the container. On an aside, my work shop is outside my house off to one side in the back yard with a gate leading to

it. I sometimes do simple jobs in the study of the house. Since this mixture doesn’t contain harsh chemicals or have any odor save vinegar, I just placed the pot in the laundry room. Because I enjoy continued matrimonial harmony, I wouldn’t use anything that might discolor the sink in the kitchen and use a collection of very old chamber pots for this type of job, such as the type in wide use prior to indoor plumbing.

Turns out they are perfect for soaking parts and mine have new purpose after about a century of disuse. Some interesting color combinations occurred. My sweet wife went into the laundry room and saw a revolver resting in a chamber pot covered in fluid of a yellow hue. As always, she took it in stride without a lot of questions, but the one she asked was interesting.

Returning to the living room, she asked, "What exactly are you doing with that handgun in the chamber pot?" I replied, "I am removing the finish." She paused and said, "Well, that should do it." After allowing the revolver to soak for twenty-four hours, I dried the piece with an old electric hair dryer I picked up at an estate sale and examined it. There were light and dark spots in the metal.

It had not been polished "to the metal" and my result would not do for Colt blue but was ideal for the distressed look I wanted. Having removed the factory finish and soaking the gun in my vinegar/salt solution, I was prepared to continue. The next step was to prepare the gun for a reblue with a Blue Wonder Gun Blue cold bluing kit. Always wear proper eye and hand protection when dealing with these chemicals! Blue Wonder’s instructions include a warning to remove pits and scratches for best results.

Well, I wasn’t worried about that in this case as imperfections are kind of the point, but this revolver was not pitted or scratched at any rate. I cleaned and degreased the revolver thoroughly. This takes time and it is best done with mineral spirits and a good rub down. The next part requires a bit of finesse and is critical. The Blue Wonder cleaning gel gets applied to the

areas intended to be blued and the firearm heated to about 130 degrees. This is hot to the touch, though not enough to burn, and it works well for setting-in solutions. Heat expands and draws rust and other particles from metal pores. Once heated, the hot gel is wiped from the metal and the gun should be clean and free of rust and dirt. Be careful not to touch the surface with bare skin or oily deposits will be left, resulting in a failure of the blue to bond to the metal. Shake the Blue Wonder gun blue thoroughly.

Use a cloth to carefully apply the blue with a thick, heavy, and wet coating. Use the same saturated area of the cloth so that This is not an unattractive handgun. it doesn’t absorb the blue. Apply it evenly and do not attempt to rub the blue in using pressure, rather, rub it thoroughly and let the wet solution adhere to the metal. After allowing the solution set a few minutes, begin again. Depending upon the desired darkness of the finish, you’ll need several coats.

As I wanted a darker color, I knew it would take at least six coats and ended up using ten. Allow the finish to dry thoroughly for several hours, preferably overnight. The next step is applying Blue Wonder Developer to the areas that have been blued. This material is applied gently without being rubbed in. The developer dries and sets the blue into the metal, providing a deep, blue, dark finish. When finished, let the gun set for eight hours or so to allow the blue and developer to set in.

After this, a liberal coating of gun oil. The result was a finish that did appear to have been hard used over With the finish done, I addressed the grips which were too bright and nice to match the revolver’s new look. I sanded the grips lightly using a wooden dowel wrapped in sandpaper to wallow out a few very small lines in the wood to give the appearance of use. After all, 100 years of handling takes it toll on wood. While this is difficult to duplicate, I gave it a good try.

The spots worked in are shallow but noticeable, which is the intent. The next step seems odd one but it worked with aging wood. I rubbed a bit of grit and gravel from the driveway into a warm rag and rubbed the grips. Not hard, just a little roughen them up. Then I held spots of the grips over a candle flame just long enough to produce a smoldered section turning the wood a nice black, which was then wiped off and examined. This is certainly a process warranting first practicing on scrap.

With the wood blackened in places, this treatment leaves a nice streaked appearance just where the revolver would have been held in anticipation of meeting a threat. Over time, oils and perspiration create such time rather than a shop-made distressed finish. staining, and my artificial means gave a similar look. When done, I was left with an inexpensive revolver that looked unique and was a good baseline for later experiments and more projects involving a distressed finish. AG