Gunmetal finish

[mike celeskey]

I start with flat black in a rattle can....spray on/let dry.
I use graphite in a tube applied with a small soft, lint-free cloth. The harder you rub the shinier it gets. An overspray of metalizer "burnt iron" looks good to. If I could post pics here I would. Send an email with your email and I'll send pics of re-worked balsa usa guns.
Mike

[fahnenschmied]

For what its worth - "gun metal" is BRONZE. Not very many people in the twenty-first century understand this, at least, not in America. "Gun metal" is similar to "bell metal". And the "gun" in question isn't something like a revolver or light machine gun, it is an artillery piece.
Most arms in WWI were rust blued. Black with a bluish sheen. Not brown or rusty looking when new. The paint with soft graphite rubbed on looks pretty decent, in my opinion.
You can find in a few gun shops and most black-powder supply companies a bottle of "brass-black". It will color brass (or real gunmetal, for that matter) black, depending on the alloy. From a model railroad supply you can also usually purchase brass-black as well as blackening agents for zinc castings. Some chemicals will do both.
Just about all MGs from WWI will be quite shiny, when new, on the parts that were blued. I don't know about the finish on the barrel shrouds, on at least the German guns the water-jacket was painted feldgrau but on the air version - I think it was simply blued. Hope this is a little help...

[ChrisSavaglio]

Just to add my two cents...may not be worth that much, but take it for what it's worth.

Eric of Copper State Models used to own an extremely original and well preserved aircraft Spandau. Having held the MG in my own hands, it had the appearance of a blued gun. That is, it was black unless you looked at it under bright light, in which case, it had a bluish tinge. It wasn't super shiny, but it wasn't dull either. Sort of a smooth, semi gloss finish.

I remember my friends back in college blueing (if that's a word) steel components on thier hunting rifles, and the finish was similar.

In scale, a matte finish looks more right and if anything like my buddies' rifles, they'd dull to a matte finish quickly in service. Much like a brand new M16 I had in the army had a semi gloss finish, but after a few months of light service and cleaning became matte.

I would also dry brush a bit of steel in high wear areas....around ammo feed points, around sights that are adjusted often, and on leading edges where a/c machine guns are exposed to dust and grit.

Just my thought.....

C

[TeamStewart]

I read somewhere that india ink on the brass PE parts works very well.

Can't remember where, but I think it was from a PE guy.

[Ransom E. Olds]

As far as the cartridge cases of the ammo in the belts is concerned they were decidedly brassy looking; the browner look of such cases now is the result of tarnish. Ransom

[Kaiser Bill]

I used to soak p/e parts in vinegar before painting. I was told by an ol' timer that this would "etch" the brass and give the paint something to hold on to. Now I throw the p/e away and use plastic if at all possible. Model Master gunmetal is the color of choice for me.

KB

[xken]

To darken brass, lead or Brittannia metal use this kind of patina stain to darken; let dry and polish with a soft cloth or a Q-tip until desired sheen. Other finishes are also available to stain metal. No paint buildup and not as messy as gun blueing described above and works instantly to very fast depending upon the metal. Can be found at craft shops or stain glass suppliers. Ken