Anyone use oxphoblue

[Oldschool280]

Hello all, one of my best shooters , a 1940 ish husqvarna m38 has lost most of its bluing and i want to clean it up. I have checked out a couple of youtube videos but can't get a great view of the outcome. Anybody here try this with respectable results? Thanx

 

[Tensilon]

Hey,
I've tried it...I have some on my bench that I have used mainly for touch up to smaller spots on a couple of rifles, mainly Sakos. I haven't used it in some time but as I recall... it was easy to work with and did a fair job of helping with the small scuffs. I have not used it to attempt shining up an older weapon....do have a 1946 Ithaca Featherlight 12 that could use it. As with other cold blues it seems to wear off after awhile. I am not quite sure as to the hue that it imparted...some of the cold blues are like bluish and some of them are more like a black type hue. I believe this was a more blue type finish that was pretty compatible with the dark blue hue of the Sakos...wish I could be more specific but I haven't used it in awhile. I know that I do keep a small jug of it around....if it didn't do at least a half decent job I would have thrown it out. If you give it a shot....let me know how it worked for you.
Good luck,
Tens

 

[wbm]

Yes. Have used it for years. Better than any cold blue I have ever used. For what it's worth get the jell...better than the non-jell. Also use 0000 steel wool with the jell.

 

[CVCOBRA1]

I believe Brownell's has a few cold bluing videos on their site also. I think that's where I saw some a few years ago. Might check that out.

 

[RT2506]

I have also used it for years as touch up mostly. Best cold blue I have ever seen. I did a whole Model 96 Swede Mauser 6.5x55 that I made into a sporter a few years ago. I picked up this rifle at a gun show cheap from some BUBBA that had already started hacking on it and that is the only reason that I would sport a military rifle. They are worth more in original military dress than sported. With the Oxpho bluing the more coats you rub on the darker blue it gets. Blue has lasted on this rifle for years.

 

[markopolo50]

I have used it and I have better luck if I warm the metal first. I usually just use a hair dryer on small parts or spots. A whole gun I would heat in an oven or some other way to heat it. Good luck

 

[eklarsen]

+1 on heating before applying, buff with 0000, re-blue, repeat until satisfied.

 

[javman]

One of the better ones and what markopolo said!

 

[kolob10]

Best cold blue I have used. Great for touch ups. Good for entire weapons if you insure the gun is completely degreased (I use an old blueing tank and heat).
Heating the gun prior to application of the solution gets better results.

 

[John 264]

Get it hot blued and for get it all of the cold blue is for touch ups only and they are not very good if you're gun is prepared properly and hot blued it will look better than when it was new

 

[DSheetz]

What would the cost of having it hot blued be ?

 

[John 264]

Depending on how much preparation it takes if it's rust pitted or what it can run from $150.00 to $300.00 it just depends on how rough it is I do gunsmith work for a living and I have been hot bluing for 20 years if I did your gun it would look new but there are guys that are hot bluing that don't care about the prep and it shows in the finished work

 

[crkckr]

I've used oxphoblue and the greenish Birchwood Casey cold blue for touch up for many years. Both work well for touch up but require many 'coats' to cover an entire rifle, otherwise the finish will vary in color a great deal. Careful degreasing is a must for an even color. Plus different parts can 'take' the blueing differently, again requiring many coats of the touch up. Warming definitely helps! In the long run, if you're not picky about it looking perfect. If you want perfect, take it to a gunsmith with real hot blue capability.
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[Bob Wright]

I've used it to treat entire guns that were just utility type rifles and shotguns, abused and not a collectors item by any measure. The results surprised me on how well the Oxpho worked. Took about 3 coats to cover satisfactorily. I cleaned and sanded rough spots and pitting areas and followed instructions.
If you want an original luster to do a "restoration" of something back to factory luster, maybe find an expert smith.
For touch up jobs, you will be satisfied and should have it on the bench for all the little jobs that come along.
I edited my post and added pictures of this old mossberg 12GA I did 2 years ago. The barrel was missing 80% and the mag tube missing 20% of original blue. It works.