doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Cerakote and doublegun solder

I have an older English double gun (A&D style box lock non ejector circa 1920s-30s) that I am considering having the barrels cerakoted. I do not have the budget for this gun to be reblued, but there is a cerakote color called midnight blue that does a passable job, and would certainly improve my gun’s looks.

My worry is that this color requires curing at 300F for an hour. I am concerned about my ribs and their solder. Not sure what temperature the soldering would start to fail at. Also unsure what type of solder would have been used. I would love some advice.

I watched a man apply Ceracote on small items without heat curing. He didn't feel it was necessary. He had done it both ways. I'd check around and find out for sure. Gil

The person I spoke with about doing the job says that for a job of this size, not curing with heat will not be practical.

I realize you are trying to save a few bucks but have you considered doing your own rust bluing? It's pretty easy and rewarding if you are able to invest a little sweat equity. Very little money involved.

I considered it, but I have enough project guns that my diy ideas have made worse instead of better

I understand that.

Good luck.

Ambient air curing of Ceracote "C" series:
https://images.nicindustries.com/ce...pplication-guide-dt20200115005606577.pdf

Typical Industrial solder of that period would be Eutectic ie 63% tin 37% lead which melts at 350f. I would suggest modify cure temp to 250f for a longer period.

Spoke to the applicator today. Going to go for longer period at lower temp. Should be able to keep temp at 200.

Will try to post some pictures when it comes back.

Several thoughts come to mind, the first being that while Cerrakote may have its' place on certain guns, a vintage English SxS isn't one of them. OK for a polymer frame semi, or a barn gun. Certainly fine for a cheap pump shotgun subject to harsh conditions on a boat or sea shore. Most people just aren't into painted doubles, and would probably prefer buying one with well worn bluing rather than one that is Cerrakoted.

I understand the reluctance to pay big money to properly rust blue a gun that may not be worth a lot. And while rust bluing is cheap and fairly easy to do yourself, there is a learning curve to do it well.

Another thought is what sort of oven do you have that will accommodate the controlled heating of say 28" or 30" barrels? I'd think barrels would need to be suspended so they weren't touching oven walls, racks, etc. Even if they would fit in a conventional kitchen oven, I'd think most wives would frown on using it to bake Cerrakote. I do agree that the baking would be fine so long as you stay safely below the melting point of the solder.

Finally, have you considered Oxpho Blue? It is by far the best cold blue I have ever tried, and cheaper than Cerrakote. Done well, it would look far better on an old English double. It would also be far easier to remove in the future. I bought an F Grade Lefever parts gun that had been Cerrakoted, and it was quite difficult to remove, especially in places like lettering, engraving, and along the ribs. I used methylene chloride paint stripper, lacquer thinner, and lots of steel wool and elbow grease.

Oxpho blue is very durable, unlike most other cold blues, and with a little practice, can be put on very evenly. I find it works best to apply the solution with small wads of clean 0000 steel wool instead of cotton pads. I burnish it into any places that it takes unevenly. I only used it on one complete gun, an old single shot, and was very pleased with how it turned out.