Shotgun barrel blacking

Barrel blacking; get the perfect finish for your shotgun

The practice of re-blacking shotgun barrels is often mistakenly called ‘barrel blueing’. Steel shotgun barrels are blacked by a controlled rusting process on a highly polished surface.

Initially the old blacking needs to be removed and this can be done by the use of fine grade emery cloth or chemical stripper. Once the barrels are back to the original steel finish, imperfections, pitting and dents can be rectified depending on the thickness of the barrels. If required, ribs can be removed and re-layed. Re blacking of barrels may be needed due to:

• Loose ribs requiring re-laying
• Rust marks and pitting
• Scratches
• Dents

To prepare the shotgun barrels for the blacking process, they are rubbed down with a very fine emery cloth and finished on a polishing wheel to achieve a highly polished surface free from imperfections. Special attention is given during this process to ensure that the manufacturer’s name and address is not diminished on the rib. The barrels are then treated with a chemical solution at controlled temperatures to achieve the desired finish. The barrels are then cleaned and dried ready for final finishing and refitting.

Damascus steel barrels are ‘browned’ in a process that requires even more attention to detail to achieve the correct colour and finish.

Both blacking and browning require a high degree of craftsmanship to achieve the best finish and it is a skill that few possess and master. Castle Gunmakers use probably the best individual specialist in the UK, a man who uses skills passed down from his Grandfather, to achieve a perfect finish every time.

To arrange barrel blacking for your shotgun get in touch with us or visit the shop in Norham, Northumberland.