The Unofficial P64 Resource Forum

hello everybody, I am a new & proud P64 owner and new to this msg board. I would like to thank everyone for all the great information, but to move on to my question. I am going to start my black powder rifle build. it is a kit from traditions there kentucky rifle kit and i was wondering if anybody has every brass plated a rifle barrel? would it discolor rapidly from the heat? would it chip/flake off? or would it just be a flat out bad idea!! I always envisioned my muzzle loader to be a high gloss dark red/brown stock with polished brass hardware including the barrel any help would be great! thank you

You'd have to be one heck of a fast muzzleloader to get the barrel to discolor from heat...I have to pump several rounds a minute through my shotty to get the barrel hot enough to where it *might* get uncomfortable to touch the barrel.

With that said, never brass plated anything...have copper and nickel electro-plated other stuff (small things).

Copper solvents would certainly strip off brass plating.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

All of the above things plus the fact that the best way to clean a black powder barrel is with hot water. I've had many muzzle loaders with brass fittings and any time the water from cleaning touches the brass , it is discolored. You would have to "Brasso" the barrel evertime you fired the gun. I'd think a few days of that and you wouldn't want to shoot very often. Mike

A good rich Plumb Brown barrel is a thing of beauty. It also looks great with polished brass and either dark walnut or red or natural maple.

So it sounds like I will not be getting the barrel brass plated thanks for the info everybody I'll probably end blueing it. Anybody have any thoughts on gold plating? I would guess it's expensive and not very durable??

Gold plating is strictly for decorative embellishment.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

thanks everybody bluing it is!

Archie55, I hope you mean "browning" rather than bluing. Barrel browning is the traditional finish for a Kentucky Rifle. And, it looks superb and is easy to do. I have built a couple of muzzle loaders so have done this a few times.

There's nothing wrong with a blued muzzleloader barrel. I built a Cabela's Hawken kit about 9 years ago. I blued the barrel with Brownell's Oxpho-Blue and it is still on the barrel and looks good. The browning would be a bit more traditional and looks okay. It's not quite as easy as cold bluing but doesn't look hard, just extra process in that you have to heat the barrel up before applying the browning solution. Good point in bringing it up as another option for archie55 to consider.