Nitre Blued some M11 Parts (Project)

Hey...

UZI Talk Life Member
Feedback: 14 / 0 / 0
Joined
Apr 10, 2016
Messages
3,413
Location
Atlanta
I always liked the peacock blue colored small parts on the early Colts. The thread title is a bit misleading as I didn’t use Nitre salts which is commonly used today for this purpose, I used heat like Colt did in the past. I read somewhere they used a gas furnace for the fire blue triggers, pins, screws, etc.

Decided to toy around with the M11. Lipstick on a pig.

This isn’t a tutorial but more of a picture thread showing some of the steps.

I spent one night from start to finish.

A few shots of the pig before starting.

The selector pin sticks out .035” proud. I’m going to file it down more flush.

5e060899_67bd_4a7a_af77_dd123609b470_aabb660314d1bd36133d0f2e2920ec1afecf9809.jpeg




49a3d4ff_0406_4862_b30d_ff9195eb1314_63bec099b964bcf36c1060e3f17eb34b1a537dd8.jpeg




cd33c945_51aa_4546_aa97_8e0129b517f6_d20e9b2411d14b4317c1a948c55c1068f1b01125.jpeg



All starts with a file and then sanding down to a mirror finish. Anything not polished won’t take on the electric blue color.

bea8652c_4142_41cc_8c02_c3f87fdd80f3_77d507901332165817caa8b4834b251a40456cb0.jpeg




1a4b58ba_1c0c_4e5c_8795_9f71cf296557_2e47438ac4df3097dc6fab695f3d065c481a863e.png




0e4ee271_383c_4c5b_a586_c2012bc8a234_e34e8bae9d2657a45911be66ba21652bea450e69.jpeg




d13c36f3_5059_4478_9048_a745d44b240b_25173d5f5d5ffb4fc6e78fa84fe29ad45778c748.jpeg




46c80f32_cc4b_42f0_b522_991fd809707d_93a43702b2bf206a357ade585e6a7fadf9cc8150.jpeg




c2fbe2a4_6684_40f4_b0fe_4e372ddda988_c6b3413c73dc359b1b1c20a05eb96fa3d1bdfe2d.png



The color range starts with straw like some Luger parts
5a017ad1_0b33_4c26_9ff7_4df75d0ae232_10d14728c03458b167b666de59c01f0ee35c1bb2.png



Goes past bronze to a purple/violet
ee789356_0aac_4cb0_af60_4f0727aa4615_1edcbedbc3f6ac06b2a168b32c1ce01baa1a16fe.png



Then goes dark blue and then lighter blue
d4de2c6b_42ce_4a62_a19d_c7118521bed2_4b6d9e166c71eaf7306c39bff2008a4a94685083.png



Here you can see the selector switch has been in longer than the trigger so the colors are at different temperatures.

Notice only the polished areas have taken the color?
dcf086d9_16b1_4f79_bdee_f8baf944b545_fdcc62737ff1fd7bfd31d71cfc0530714f0e46d9.png



Trigger done.
b2cbaa61_ea57_4e32_83eb_86f23d12438f_f7f65e75b57f4bdb142474e9d328551f0108aa10.png




Really shiny parts are hard to photograph.
837124e1_675b_4880_92de_d8adf8c5fe88_3ce1d88431ac9658372ff7cdc400f21845a1e660.png



Shiny side of the lock

dbb6cfdc_946c_4c8a_9414_be437413fc8f_f3aedbd22dae994e9629508349d8c9673016f46b.jpeg



And didn’t want the other flat polished.
90aa5e8d_f71b_473c_99dd_52788d80fde8_b1d7365caf53849fbe6760e948c8af47da64c3d9.jpeg



Same with the selector, left park’d
48ccbd7b_47e2_4e5d_80b7_39d1db4bcbca_59ce7404c1f96ee106b3adf912af0fec35ae848e.jpeg



Shaved it down .035” and blued
54ff726b_35d8_4132_99d9_ddf3c0a21129_bd075dfa8c00e275fcf230bb4c78382e4f17c504.jpeg




69fa163e_b7dc_4f39_af3a_8eeaf17d151d_d180723dc2d7c9e2daeb9ead6acc53074f4de6be.jpeg
 

Hey...

UZI Talk Life Member
Feedback: 14 / 0 / 0
Joined
Apr 10, 2016
Messages
3,413
Location
Atlanta
1ea1f272_5d0d_42f5_b691_974925fbeeae_d20134723d932628c84bd4a401e2289e2459e9ad.jpeg



Crappy lighting.
b7eccc94_91e9_4046_823c_8596698f0dc8_499a784202dd59d827960f1d57a2e388b0508bbd.png




340a7aa3_65ce_498c_a746_e7d33b133ad5_a298c5ef8c5fc9b9550639fb59a3f0e1fe846720.jpeg




975c6fa4_f9d2_4df3_b646_ff0ab6d637aa_4fc8de3f8c9dc28d00ddd62faab7feaab315bebb.jpeg




Did the screws for my pocket carry Colt last week. The color was darker but has turned a brighter blue over the week. Possibly oxidation affecting it. I’m hoping this bodes well for the M11 parts, that they turn a shade brighter.

e47865cf_9686_4d5a_b094_c9989a12f6a8_6702d48cb09276399bdf095b72973fb584f80b76.png
 

Offmarksman

UZI Talk Life Member
Feedback: 18 / 0 / 0
Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Messages
824
Looks good! What address do I need to send all my rough looking parts to?
 

timkel

Well-known member
Feedback: 4 / 0 / 0
Joined
Apr 27, 2006
Messages
1,451
I have always liked the nitre blue color. Looks great on firearms.
 

mattnh

UZI Talk Life Member
Feedback: 9 / 0 / 0
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Messages
1,234
Location
NH
Q: Can you sandblast and heat for the same effect?
What grit # is required or does it need to be polished with like 2000 grit?
 

Hey...

UZI Talk Life Member
Feedback: 14 / 0 / 0
Joined
Apr 10, 2016
Messages
3,413
Location
Atlanta
Thanks guys. I’m kinda surprised by the nice comments. I was expecting a couple haters. Thanks again.

Looks good! What address do I need to send all my rough looking parts to?

Haven’t given thought to doing more until now. Might buy a couple triggers and fix ‘em up.

Q: Can you sandblast and heat for the same effect?
What grit # is required or does it need to be polished with like 2000 grit?

Don’t know about sandblasting. Haven’t tried that. Only nitre parts I’ve seen have been polished. On these pieces I started with a file (if needed), 400 grit, then 800, then a sisal buffing wheel with tripoli rouge, then a softer wheel with paste metal polish. Final is rubbing alcohol to remove any oils.

This camera isn’t picking up the true color.

It’s vivid blue, but looking through the iPhone screen/camera it adds a white tint to it.

I’m probably going to redo the trigger pin to more closely match the rest. Looks kinda purple, needed more time.

c8c2b38f_01d3_4e6f_bd00_ca60828c35af_e9e5f6347f79c7fb30a1eca1ff952b6793261a82.jpeg




aae36c10_1013_443c_a174_f7d72f57ea06_d6b96e46770f4c574182848ddd95429f3890c807.jpeg
 

Hey...

UZI Talk Life Member
Feedback: 14 / 0 / 0
Joined
Apr 10, 2016
Messages
3,413
Location
Atlanta
Got some more practice on some 1911 grip screws.

Even coverage with no spots or issues, colors matched.

Hardly anyone doing this stuff aside from custom gunsmith builds.

597c0324_79d8_42ef_be76_0831af127833_d1847892a6517d54b551a8a5ba11823130928e6a.png




aea1ca79_1f23_4204_a540_f8037c1f789c_52c6542bddfab32875b67047131a8c7bd63381f9.png
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.

Please Visit our Sister Sites Below

Sister Board - Sturmgewehr Sister Board - MachinegunBoards


Please consider becoming an UZI Talk Supporter
Top