# Black Oxide Finish



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Just had a gun barrel professionally treated with black oxide. Looks great! Any special care? Is quality gun oil preferred? Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I've never heard of anyone using special products, but would always recommend a quality lubricant, I bought a small tube of CLP and have had it for over a year now. It just takes a little. I assume they sealed it. Caswell makes a good product from what I've read, it will not blacken Stainless though.

WD-40 is cheap but turns to varnish, I quit using that years back..


----------



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Thanks for the suggestions, however...

"WD40 is all we ever use...seems to work the best...and its cheap. And next time...don't waste your money...you can do that so cheap and easily in your own garage." Waste money? That's what WD40 would be. The only thing I've found it good for is removing adhesive residue.

Also, the black oxide treatment was done at absolutely no cost. My friend, who works at a shop machining racing engines, was afforded the opportunity to send his gun barrel in with other items to be treated from the shop - courtesy of his boss. You can't beat free, professional work.

Yes, YD, it was sealed. I read something about applying water-based oil (huh?) and that's why I posed the question.

The gun is an old Stevens single-shot 20-gauge shotgun bought for $45, but the barrel was quite corroded. My tool-maker friend did a superb job of polishing the tube and now it looks more like a Belgium Browning finish. We are going to case harden the receiver and refinish the wood. We've had no experience with black oxide and don't want to mess up the project.


----------



## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

I use food grade silicone spray which as no smell and will not collect any dust or lint. You can not even tell that any thing is on the barrel or in the action and it is smooth on the action parts. I find it at a hardware store and the price is not bad either. I have been using it for years and always have a can or two around. I f you think it may have worn off just spray it again and let it dry, you can't tell by looking because there is no visiable residue.


----------



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Anyone ever use Motorkote on firearms?


----------



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

I've used Motorkote in vehicles for some time but when I listened to Ed Gibbs, Mr.Motorkote, on a radio program, here's what he said: Soak the firearm parts overnight then wipe the stuff off. It soaks in and won't come off - even with solvents. Won't attract dirt, either. It will reduce velocity somewhat in a barrel, because resistance is reduced but it will make actions smoother. I'm going to test it on an older Remington model 1100 shotgun that tends not to feed sometimes. I'm going to check the O-ring, too.


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Short said:


> If you want a quality product, why would you put CLP in your rifle?. The military stopped using it when they had failure problems traced back, directly to CLP breaking down.


I have not read that, could you possibly link me to an article on it ?


----------



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Apparently some soldiers were experiencing trouble with CLP. Eyewitness News obtained a copy of a general's "lessons learned" report which details weapons performance in Iraq. The report says soldiers repeatedly stated that "CLP was not a good choice for weapon's maintenance", claiming it "attracted sand to the weapon." It is also designated as a short-term preservative from what I've found.

In any event, I'm going to try a Motorkote treatment to my Remington 1100 action today and we'll see how it acts. Because it soaks into pores in the metal's surface, and afterward is to be topically cleaned, it's not supposed to attract dirt at all - and, that's important on any firearm, especially autos.


----------



## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Short said:


> I forget were I read it, honestly...but if I remember correctly...when safariland bought CLP, they changed the formula and the military was having issues with it breaking down faster so the military said it no longer met the military's requirements. I will try to find a link when I get home. I used to use CLP...until I read that. Then I found CLEANFire and haven't used anything but. Sorry if I'm not much help...and I wasn't trying to ruffle your feathers either. Some times the internet doesn't convey info the way I perceive it...and after reading my post...it read like I was attacking you....sorry YD.


No need to worry Short, my hide is way thicker than that. I just like to read and if it ain't all it can be I'll dump it.


----------



## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Didn't opt for the Motorkote treatment on the 1100 after all. Watched videos published by Brownells and learned how to field strip the firearm, clean and lube it properly. My guess is that was all that was needed.

Anyway, back to the black oxide. Sounds like any protective film is more a matter of preference. I am not familiar with the finish and thought maybe it needed some special care. Guess not.


----------



## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

As for preparing any metal that is exposed to the elements, whether it be painting or soaking in oil - heat or warm it up to expel the moisture that will be trapped in the metal. You'll be surprised at how much moisture will come out.


----------

