Collecting and Shooting the Military Surplus Rifle

How to: reblue a rifle

Click on any of the images below to see a larger version of the image.

Safety Warning

It is necessary to wear protective articles of clothing when working with the caustic chemicals used in this article. This includes at a minimum protective rubber gloves and goggles. Please note that the author did not wear gloves during the photos for the article. This was due to the fact that he was taking the photos and performing the task. It is very difficult to work the camera with rubber gloves on. We do not recommend you perform this ever without gloves.

Figure 1 shows the receiver and barrel of a Russian M-44 rifle.

Note: No blueing shown and bare metal is exposed.

Figure 2 shows the handguard rings and front of the barrel of the same rifle.

Note: No blueing shown and bare metal is exposed.

Figure 3 shows the magazine cover of the same rifle.

Note: No blueing shown and bare metal is exposed.

Figure 4 shows assorted parts of the same rifle.

Note: No blueing shown and bare metal is exposed.

It is easier than you would think to reblue a surplus military rifle. What I am going to cover here, I am certain some will say is not the best way to accomplish the job. Actually I get email about every article here on Surplusrifle.com saying exactly the same thing. Everybody has a way to do something and it works best for them. This is true with most things. This happens to work for me! What I am showing is an inexpensive and simple way to reblue a rifle that most likely you probably spent no more that $150 on. True, there are high tech and professional ways to accomplish reblueing that require expensive equipment and chemicals, not to say anything about the space required to do it. You can also send your rifle off to a professional to have it done, but I am not going to send off any rifle that I spent only $49 for, as the rifle used in this article.

The two chemicals I use are:

1) a good gun degreaser and cleaner and;

2) Birchwood Casey Super Blue.

Oddly enough blueing is a type of corrosion. When you apply the blueing solution to the metal of the rifle it causes a type of oxidation that causes the metal to turn a dark blue color. I have tried many brands of blueing solution, including others from Birchwood Casey. I have found the Super Blue solution to produce the darkest product overall.

1) Clean all of the rifle parts with a good degreaser as shown in figure 5. It is important to remove all oils on the rifles surface.

2) Make sure you wear eye protection while using degreasers. Most are highly toxic and will hurt like a dickens if you get it in your eyes.

3) After cleaning the rifle, steal wool all of the surfaces you plan on reblueing.

4) Figure 8 shows a 3oz bottle of the Super Blue solution which retails for around $4 to $6.

5) I use standard cotton 2 inch cleaning patches to apply the solution.

6) Coat the metal liberally with the blueing solution.

7) After you have covered all of the exposed metal with blueing solution you need to clean off the solution with soapy water.

8) Clean each part, careful to remove all blueing solution.

9) Dry each part.

10) After each reblueing steal wool lightly with a finishing grade steal wool.

Repeat steps 5 through 10 once again.

Note: I have found that it is necessary, to get a lasting and durable finish you need, to reblue twice.

11) Coat every surface liberally with a good gun oil and then wipe off.

Figure 16 shows the same parts now with a dark blue color.

Figure 17 shows the completed and assembled rifle.