JR47
Member
Would that, perhaps, help?
FYI, until after WWII's rebuilds, many 1911 pistols were blued. As was the Reising Carbine, a USMC only weapon, and the Model 1928 Thompson. The US carbine was also a blued gun. Many of the various S&W revolvers in stock during Vietnam were similarly blued steel.
The fact that parkerized surfaces worked better with a "little" oil only proves the point that they held the oil. That one can overdo application of oil is simply an American trait of "if a little is good, more is better".
The fact that in the white metals also have pores that allow oil to remain in them is well known. That doesn't say anything about the ability of bluing to hold oil, other than that it's a similar phenomena.
The fourth point has nothing to do with oiling a weapon to prevent corrosion. Nobody said anything about a heavy coating of oil. That has nothing to do with the bluing, or the base metal, being able to absorb, and hold oils to prevent corrosion.
If that were true, why bother with bluing, parkerizing, or any other finish? Metal is not an impermeable barrier. It has pores. Passivation creates a place in which a reservoir of oil can be held. It's not much, but it helps to hold oil in small quantities that will last longer than what is held in the bare metal pores.
It wasn't for beauty that Browning, and then Bluing, were created, and used, along with oils. It was simply to enhance the corrosion resistance on the metal.
A blued gun, treated with oil, will resist corrosion longer than an in the white piece of metal treated to a similar oiling. Rust will start at any point that the metal is exposed to oxygen. The bluing, in and of itself
. If it didn't hold the oils called for, then it wouldn't protect against rusting.
That is actually quite close. However, bluing isn't capable of preventing rust by itself, as both of the citations explain. Instead, it holds the oils, preventing oxygen from gaining quick access to the metal, and forming rust.
Bluing is cheap, settled science, and is accepted by the consumer. There are multiple better coatings available, but they cost more, and add steps in addition to those of bluing. They may have environmental concerns in some cases. They can also cause tolerance stacking if applied too thickly.
You pays your money, and takes your pick.
