Quote Originally Posted by bigduke6 View Post
Distilled or rain water. I would recommend to test on some scrap steel, try two bits, one highly polished and one sand blasted or similar. As Topfmine describes it is a deep black /blue finish.
Common table salt can be used but gives a brown / black finish IIRC.

The only things I blue now are bayonets ........ all other stuff normally gets blasted and a parkerised/ phosphate finish.

You won't be disappointed in the book.
Thanks very much. I have some old trigger guards and a stuffed Omark barrel that I am going to test on first.

I am working up for a longer term project, I have an 303-25 on a no4 longbranch action that I want to turn into my every day range rifle. I have a lothar walther barrel for it and a nice set of old parker hale sights to go on, I just need to get proficient at the metal finishing before I get into that one