The Unofficial P64 Resource Forum

I picked up a very nice p-64 recently from Cabellas. There are no bare spots at all on the slide. The slide itself if however a very dull color of blue/black. If I want a more shiny or mirror like finish is this accomplished by the bluing or metal work on the slide itself? If my question answers itself, are there any treatments that I can apply to the slide to give it a brighter appearance? Thanks for your patience, and hopefully advice. bib

There is no real answer just experimentation. Extremely fine steel wool will polish and as far as bluing goes it is a trial and error process. I use Kleenbore Black Magic and it is extremely aggressive and requires lots of water rinsing. You will literally see the rust forming from the corrosive chemicals. If you do not get it rinsed and oiled you will see rust build up for days. Perma Blue by Birchwood Casey and 4440 by Brownells are less aggressive but still require a heavy water rinse and then oiling. Don't use synthetic oils use the real stuff to stop the corrosive actions.

The other secret is warming the metal before bluing. A propane torch is fast but a high volume hair dryer will do just as good only take more thing. It should uncomfortable to the touch and not red hot. Remember surface prep is also essential. Even the oil from you hand can mess up a blue surface. I wear surgical ribber gloves for protecting against the chemicals and to keep contaminants of the surface to be blued.

That is my 2 cents for what it is worth!

Regards Mike

I use Acetone (nail polish remover) with coarse steel wool to brighten the area to be blued. I use Brownell's Oxpho-Blue with good results. I use the same steel wool, coarse, with a tiny bit of blue on it to go over the area. The Oxpho-Blue will remove rust and penetrates thin layers of oil. Work the area for about a minute or so. Wipe with a rag to remove the excess blue in one swipe. Let it air dry, it will leave a type of "film". Buff it with fine steel wool. Repeat the process until the color is achieved. I did this on a kit muzzleloader about 9 years ago or so. The blue is still holding strong, used Oxpho-Blue. Also, there is no requirement to neutralize the chemical reaction as with Birchwood/Casey Perma-Blue, Van's Instant Blue, and a few other brands. Give it about 24 hours for it to cure. It's pretty easy, wear nitrile or latex gloves to reduce the chance of fingerprints in the blue plus to protect your hands from the selenic acid in the Oxpho-Blue.

Also: The smoother the steel the glossier the finish. If the steel is a bit "rough" your finish will turn out more satin. The composition of the steel will also determine color. For example, Colts normally turn a black while S&W may turn a more dark blue, no defect, just the steel composition.

oxpho blue is great!, but... warm up them parts! it works quicker and lasts longer. and always buff lightly afterwords with 000 steel wool AND oil. if you dont it might become blotchy over time.

all is my personal experiance