hi I have a question..anyone having trouble getting the Birchwood Casey Plum Brown to work?..my Dad has made muzzle loaders from scratch since 75...always has used the Birchwood Casey Plum Brown....he is making 5 of them right now, one for each of 5 grandkids...he cant get the finish to work on any of the metal parts right..if you could see the ones he built for himself and my brother and I you would know he has done great with it in the past...any ideas or comments?...thanks alot...WW1

Other than making sure the metal is dead clean (degreased) and warm, don't see any reason it shouldn't work....unless the steel being used is of some modern alloy.

Sounds like your Dad should call or email Birchwood Casey and get their opinion on the possible problem and corrective action. Hope this helps. All the best...
Gil

Another bottle? Could be a bad production lot... also, try on some other scrap steel that has been known to work in the past.

we have contacted Birchwood Casey...they claimnothing has change...we have tried different bottles..the cast parts are form different suppliers...all the good places he used to use are no longer..I have seen some of the stuff he is tring to use and if I put out that quality work I woulbe be VERY red in the face...as for the barrels, not sure where they came from but are supposed to be good quality barrels...some gave a a way to try involing boiling in lye water ..we are going to try that...he was having the same problem, said it worked for him..one key to it is to use rain water instead of city water or well water...things we a lot more simple years ago....hahaha.. thanks to you all....WW1

WW1: I had trouble using it on Nickle steel in the past where there was a high concentration of Nickle in the part. The old browning solutions worked better on the straight carbon steel.
Try this solution 2 oz Nitric Acid, 2 oz Sulphuric Acid,(Add Nitric to Sulphuric slowley) all the soft iron that will disolve in it. (SAE 1020 steel or old iton nails or filings,) Filter and add 1 pint of distilled water. Make sure you do this outside, and in a good ceramic container that will take heat. (Baked Bean Pot.) (The iron disolving creats a heavy brown cloud and a lot of heat.) Degrease parts to be browned. Warm parts, and swab with mixture wearing cotton gloves, and using cotton swabs. Place in damp cabinet overnight. Should have a nice even coat of fine rust in the morning, card rust, boil part and re apply using a damp box with a 60 watt light bulb for your heat source. continue the coating steps till the desired colour is achieved. Usually takes from 3 to 6 coatings. After last boiling, coat or imerse part in warm oil while part is still hot. (NOTE) Don't forget a face shield and rubber gloves while handling the acids. These two acids when mixed create a solution called Aqua Regia, that will disolve gold.

Lee L.

M1894.....thanks we have one more thing to try first...it has to do with lye and rainwater...but your solution sounds like it might work also....the only problem is time....he is doing 5 rifles and he is stewing something will happen to him before they are finished...anyway I printed it out and will let you knwo what works....thanks again....WW1

WW1: Don't mention it, this is the solution I have been using for better than 46 years to refinish old firearms and Black Powder ones I have built.

Lee L.

it works for me but takes a bunch of applications before it starts looking good and even. I heat the parts in hot water and then rub it on while the part cools. Stays real ugly until you do it a bunch of times.