Cerakoting a sxs….

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HallyButt

Well-Known Member
I have an Aya no3 which although almost worthless as not HP proof has sentimental value to me and I seem to shoot ridiculously effortlessly. It gets used for my odd trip out on the saltings as my only other 12b are too nice to risk salt and duck blood, however it is prone to corrosion and I’d like to keep it alive for as long as possible.

The case hardening is amazing for its age but the blueing is very thin, I’m tempted to get the barrels cerakoted, but don’t want it to look stupid … has anyone done this? Any ideas or thoughts or even companies that could do this?
 
I’ve seen it done once before and it didn’t look quite right if you know what I mean, eminently practical for a marsh gun and no financial implications as it was a £50 gun, but I would lanolin or clear wax it.
 
If you do want to protect the external surface then IMHO a cheaper method than cerakote is some Hard Hat spray paint or similar. But I have to say that lanolin is actually a very practical wipe on and wipe off easy fix.

www.rust-oleum.eu

Hard Hat® - English GB

www.rust-oleum.eu www.rust-oleum.eu

Or this: Strip the extractor from the barrels and lay them in a bath of very very hot water after degreasing them with anything suitable. Now redundant covid alcohol hand wipes or liquids aren't a bad choice.

After five or ten minutes apply American cold blue paste. Not the stuff in a toothpaste tube but the light blue jelly. Allow to hear dry and then wash with cold water. Now oil the barrels.

They shouldn't now be as vulnerable to rusting as before as cold blue actually isn't a true rust blue but a selenium chemical that oxidises a layer on top of the steel. So putting a barrier between the steel and the marsh environment.

Now just carry on with that lanolin rub or Hard Hat spray.
 
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not a SXS but a OU.... had a browning 425 waterfowl that is my wildfowling gun. was in camo originally but that wore so it was closed to snow cam in places.
caracoled all the metal parts in matt black and removed camo then wax and oiled the wood.
Ceracoating was done by Tac coatings UK near Hereford and cost just over 100 quid. well pleased with outcome

​

 
If you get the colour right, a bluey black then I'd get it ceracoated. A mate was shooting his cheapy OU under some power lines in the rain, the drops of water took the bluing off. He used to work in car body repair, one of his lads painted and it and it looked ace. From 1m away you couldn't tell.
 
AyA No 3s are not worthless these days. A new No4 boxlock ejector is several thousand pounds, and a good No 3 can easily make a few £hundred if it is clean.

A good gun oil will keep rust away from the barrels. I liked the old rangoon oil as it forms a skin. These days good old 3in 1 works. Secret though is to leave the barrels on a radiator or back of aga etc abd get then warm - almost too hot too touch. This opens up the grain of the metal allowing oil or lanolin etc to soak in and seal the metal. When I am out on the foreshore I wipe the gun over with an oily cloth before going out. On return - even at the car I wipe gun over with a damp cloth to remove any salt, then dry and wipe with an oily cloth.

Last thing you want to do is to put a damp gun in a sleeve.

When you get home, wash the gun again to get rid of mud and salt. Wipe it dry and leave on a radiator to drive out any moisture and clean thoroughly.
 
Heym SR20 said:
AyA No 3s are not worthless these days. A new No4 boxlock ejector is several thousand pounds, and a good No 3 can easily make a few £hundred if it is clean.

A good gun oil will keep rust away from the barrels. I liked the old rangoon oil as it forms a skin. These days good old 3in 1 works. Secret though is to leave the barrels on a radiator or back of aga etc abd get then warm - almost too hot too touch. This opens up the grain of the metal allowing oil or lanolin etc to soak in and seal the metal. When I am out on the foreshore I wipe the gun over with an oily cloth before going out. On return - even at the car I wipe gun over with a damp cloth to remove any salt, then dry and wipe with an oily cloth.

Last thing you want to do is to put a damp gun in a sleeve.

When you get home, wash the gun again to get rid of mud and salt. Wipe it dry and leave on a radiator to drive out any moisture and clean thoroughly.
Click to expand...
Relatively not worth much I guess… thanks for advice, the error I made - no pre treatment … no slip in car afterwards but not wipedown either and then 45 mins in car to be wiped down, cleaned with Napier, then Legia and barrels left in a non-warm place overnight for bore to soak, next day surface corrosion was evident .. then cleaned and wiped with oily rag, warmed gently in house and assembled and put in safe…

I will change to the above, plus a tub of lanolin arrived today 👍
 
Heym SR20 said:
secret though is to leave the barrels on a radiator or back of aga etc abd get then warm - almost too hot too touch. This opens up the grain of the metal allowing oil or lanolin etc to soak in and seal the metal
Click to expand...
I dont think that statement is factual.
 
Final stage when rust bluing a barrel is to reheat them - usually by boiling them for final time after carding off

Because they are hot them very quickly dry and you then coat in either linseed oil, or used engine oil. Because of the heat the oil pentrates the top crystaline layer of the metal and in the case of linseed oil polymerises to skin that gives good protection. In the case of used engine oil, the black carbon deposits in oil give the finished bluing a real depth of colour.
 
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