Silver Matting And Bluing Question?

[William_IV]

Can anyone tell me about the silver matting process?

Got 400 series stainless steel barrel on an old remington model 700, Right now it has a poorly done blued finish on the barrel. I was told the barrel will not take well to a bluing but a silver matting job could be done instead. How is this process accomplished? does the barrel actually get plated? or is this a chemical process, or is it just bead blasted? I have some small pits in the side of the barrel and wonder if the procedure would fill the pits.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

The closest finish to stainlesss is what is known as "industrial hard chrome."
Your barrel will have to be removed from the action. The action will have to have the same surface finish as the barrel (blasted, satin, polished, etc.) before the plating is done. Stainless parts are not generally plated. Plating does not fill pits.

 

[Dfariswheel]

In your case, since the barrel is already stainless steel, the best option is to have the barrel bead blasted.

I've never heard this described as "silver matting", but it does give stainless a matt finish very like the glare-proof bead blasting done on the top of revolver frames and automatic slides.

If you have light pitting, the affected area can be polished to remove the pitting before bead blasting, or the bead blast itself will do a good job of hiding the pits.