doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Best Barrel Browner in the States?

Oh, I'm in Illinois.

Rook. Does anyone know what a set of new barrels are supposed to look like? (Answer - No. Best we could have is a set of untouched barrels which are 100+ years old - who knows what they looked like 100 years ago) Given that, i think you need to find the person who can provide the finish which most closely approximates what YOU think they should look like

Or more accurately, the finish the market expects, since these guns will eventually be sold.

I have seen a lot of posts on here of good barrel browners, keith Kearcher, Kirk etc all mentioned above, ( in the uk ballistix999 ) they seem to have got the colour spot on, Rookhawk you list the guns you have and date them and you are rightly concerned about the right finish, my grandads family covered a huge amount of the trade from at least 1850 in London and Birmingham, I would say that some of the types of iron and steel play a big part in the final colour, Greeners barrels that they had browned came out a chocolate brown, their formula contained mercuric chloride which is a poison ( I suggest you never use this ) and I think this helped them to obtain this finish, but I do find that all the damascus brls I do all come out different shades not orange or grey but some will darken a lot and others will get to a certain stage and just say right thats as dark as I am going, any one who has spent a length of time browning will tell how different the irons and steels colour, these were both finished with my formula, but different in colour.

Barrel Browner's comments about different barrels taking on different hues is what I have experienced. In general it seems the European guns are finished in a more "brownish" way, while American guns are more black and white originally. That said, I had a nice circa 1870 Scott with original finish on Laminated steel that was black and white. I think the author of the question , if he needs to refinish the barrels, should decide what he thinks is proper with the condition and finish of the rest of the gun. I think it would not be productive to "leave it up to the finisher " without the owner's input.

By the way, the Barrel Browner's pictures above seem to have a greenish cast to them. I am wondering if it is caused by the photography light. I have not seen that cast before.

My opinion? Most of our damascus guns have a century or more of patina with a soft, worn glow to the wood and an aged grey to the metal. There is a quiet well deserved dignity in their appearance. When refinishing barrels for these guns I think the intent should be to attempt to make them appear compatible with the balance of the gun. Often I'll see a gun with honest age that is given a bright black and white finish that strikes me as totally out of character with the rest and garish. Sort of like a new bright chrome finish on a Model T's bumper. To me it's worth considering finishing the barrels in a softer color, such as brown or a muted B&W, which blends in so much better with the whole.

Hi Daryl that green will be my shocking photography!!

I have a two guns with ORIGINAL browning for examples
Original Greener Brown


Original on a Nice Belgium Gun

Two More that I rebrowned in the English style

1890's G Lefever
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An English Richards
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I like the results Nick Makinson has gotten browning my Scottish guns. Nick advertises in Double Gun Journal that he will come get you shotgun in Port Huron, MI and take it back and forth to Canada for work.