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I believe is a model 274, its a black finish, but rusted. Never refinished a gun before,

Any help?

the last two Rossi revo's I did.... carefully wipe down with CLP and 0000 steel wool...

and trade the next day

you could easily spend more money trying to refinishing a Rossi than it's worth.



just my opinion


surv

mr surveyor wrote:the last two Rossi revo's I did.... carefully wipe down with CLP and 0000 steel wool...

and trade the next day

you could easily spend more money trying to refinishing a Rossi than it's worth.



just my opinion


surv

mostly its for "fun" and its a cheap enough gun, I wouldnt feel bad about wrecking it

for starters, try the light oil and very light buffing with the 0000 steel wool. Rossi's aren't known for a "deep" blue job, particularly on the newer models. You don't want to remove the finish, just the "rust dust". Then there are a few varieties of metal treatments that you may apply, some with added heating, that may just preserve the outer finish. I'm sure there are others here more experienced with these procedures than I am. You will want to remove the cylinder and crane (and definately the grips) before you get too deep into the refurb.

I'm sure there are more qualified "tinkerers" here than myself though.

surv

(p.s..... no offence intended by my previous comments)

Do you have the tools and knowledge to break it down to frame/barrel, cylinder and crane? If not, you can cold blue.

To cold blue, By a good brand of cold bluing (Hoppes, Remington) degrease and steel wool until all of the rust is gone, some of the bluing may well come off, especially on a Rossi. Remove the grips and using a pad or cloth fix the gun in a vice. Though this is "cold" bluing, gently warm the barrel and exposed frame with a torch, not hot enough to glow or anything, just hot enough to burn at the touch. Evenly swab the bluing solution on the heated surface and a "rust" may appear. "Card" it with the steel wool until the new rust is gone. You may have to repeat until the finish evens out. Be gentle with the heating and carding. The heating though not required "opens" the metal to allow a deeper bluing. This can be used as a spot refinish.

To hot blue, use bluing salts, strip the weapon to frame, cylinder and crane removing V spring, trigger and sear. The ejection rod should be removed from the cylinder/crane. All screws and springs should be removed. Use a rust remover to strip all of the old bluing. A bench wheel with a carding wheel and a fine wire brush will be helpful, but not mandatory.

Once the bluing is stripped and the weapon is degreased, place the screws in a stainless steel tea ball and run a thin copper or steel wire through the barrel/frame, cylinder and crane...a long dowel will be handy as well. Now mix a solution of bluing salts and distilled water according to the concentration recommendations on the product. [NOTE: This and the following steps needs to be done outside or in a well vented garage on a hot plate or propane burner. Do not use any kind of soldered container. Failure to take these precautions will cost you a new stove and maybe a new wife.] Bring the solution to a boil and immerse the tea ball and gun parts, using the dowel to suspend them (I have used metal containers but a Pyrex pot is better as you don't run the risk of atomizing the metals in the pot and getting a spotty finish.

Typically it sits in the boiling solution for 5-10 minutes...until evenly heated. Remove and hang to dry, this will not take long. Now you will have a rusted mess. Use the carding wheel to card the barrel and flat areas of the frame, the wire side to very lightly card the cylinder flutes, crane and smaller parts. Steel wool and a small bronze wire brush to card the joints and a bronze bore brush to clean the bore, chambers, extractor and ejector rod.

Repeat the process until the bluing is deep enough to suit your needs. If I was doing this on a decent weapon or for someone else, I would remove the barrel also, but in your case, for your purposes this would over complicate the process. You also stand a chance of torquing the frame, burring the barrel...etc. Then you have to check alignment, cylider to forcing cone clearance...etc.

Have fun.

thanks!

Whats "Carding" mean. TO me that means the tool you use to strip hair from a dog.

Aside from hot bluing you could use Moly Resin. Moly Resin is a baked on paint that is really tough and all you need to apply it is a cheap airbrush. Do a search for Norrell's Molly Resin. I've painted a Charter Arms .38, Springfield XD, and a friends .38. The XD and .38 have had the finish on for several years and it's held up better than the original on both.

If you're interested I can post some more info, it's a great DIY project.

My next one is hot bluing the slide on my son's S&W M59 and all the mags.

marksiwel wrote:thanks!

Whats "Carding" mean. TO me that means the tool you use to strip hair from a dog.

Same concept, different material. Carding is removing the rust layer after applying bluing, but leaving the bluing in place. A carding wheel has, for lack of a better term, abrasive tabs that "slap" the surface removing the rust and burnishing the blued finish. A wire wheel has, well wire, it needs to copper or brass, not steel and used judiciously because it can take you down to bare metal quick. A wire wheel usually follows the carding wheel and if used properly leaves a nice satin finish.

You can use a cloth wheel and jewelers rouge to bring up a high shine on the bluing also.

A good wire bore brush for the inside of the barrel and cylinder chambers. A wire detail brush for the flutes and joints...again needs to be brass, bronze or copper wire. Steel wire will mar the surface.

Also, if you chose to use the cold bluing process, expect to make several cycles of applying and carding before you get any depth or eveness to the finish.