SAA revolver cylinder bluing - inside the chambers and bushing too?

Fez · Nov 30, 2021

Hi folks,

Does anyone know if, generally, older revolver cylinders were blued inside as well? I saw a cylinder for sale that isn't blued at all and was wondering the scope of work to blue it.

Cheers

Nosferatu · Nov 30, 2021

Salt bath bluing is a liquid, the part is completely immersed in the salts, so anything the liquid will flow into will take the bluing.

They would have to plug the cylinder bores to prevent it from getting blued.

I haven't looked in a while, but the only blued revolver I have is my S&W 29-1. I'm pretty sure the cylinders are blued.

Fez · Nov 30, 2021

Nosferatu said:
Salt bath bluing is a liquid, the part is completely immersed in the salts, so anything the liquid will flow into will take the bluing.

They would have to plug the cylinder bores to prevent it from getting blued.

I haven't looked in a while, but the only blued revolver I have is my S&W 29-1. I'm pretty sure the cylinders are blued.

Yeah, it would certainly be easier. I wonder if the bluing lasts as those areas get lots of wear and tear.

Ura-Ki · Nov 30, 2021

Fez said:
Yeah, it would certainly be easier. I wonder if the bluing lasts as those areas get lots of wear and tear.

My Python was blued into the cylinder bores and after just a few hundred rounds fired, most of the bluing ahead of the rim is blasted away! I never really though about it, but now I wonder if there is some reason to blue or not to blue?

I have a couple of black powder pistols that don't have their bores blued, Just checked out of curiosity!

jbett98 · Nov 30, 2021

If the cylinder in question was a replacement part, maybe it was left in the white because it could either be blued or nickle plated later on.

Fez · Nov 30, 2021

Yeah, I doubt the oxide coating would be thick enough to interfere with the operation, at least not for long. I'd never thought about it before looking at that replacement cylinder either. I had figured a cold blue would do it, but then I started thinking about the interior spaces.