[JamesH]

A gentleman asked me what I knew about eliminating pits using "molten nickle". My answer was brief, nothing. Apparently he had been advised that to rstore a rusted and pitted shotgun molten nickle was used to fill the pits and (I assume) some type of black nickle used to simulate original bluing
Does anyone know of such a process?
Thanks,
Jim
I

[c3shooter]

Even if it were possible to get a very toxic material (nickel) to adhere to rusted steel, the temp of molten nickel (2651 F) would play hell with steel.

He may have meant the use of a high nickel welding rod, typically alloyed with other metals (boron, copper, silca, etc). However, if the metal in a filler weld is not the same as the base metal of the barrel, the bluing will NOT be the same- just changing steel alloys changes color of blue. Or refuses to be blued at all.

Bluing is a form of controlled rusting, forming back iron oxide. Nickel is not iron.

[JamesH]

So even if all active rust was cleaned from the pitted area, black nickle plate is not a recognized process for coating a gun barrel or action? I remember a process called metal spraying which could build up a surface on steel, but doubt that it would be a practical method of restoring a firearm. I suggested Brownell's nickle gas welding rod, but he dismissed this as "ridiculous". While the guy was rude, I'm just trying to understand if there is a kernal of reality in his idea. I googled same and found a thread (which I can no longer locate) which noted this as a possibility. Perhaps the whole idea is just some garbage lurking on the internet and thus my question.
Jim

[Virginian]

Most idiots are rude in my experience. And there is no such thing as black nickel. If it is black it is not pure nickel. In my opinion the whole idea is indeed garbage, just as you said. Metal Spray or flame spray is a metal coating usually applied to the base metal to protect it from corrosion or erosion. it does not enhance the strength of the base metal. I have applied many, many thousands of dollars worth of it to recovery boiler tubes and rolls.

[primer1]

If a guns finish is pitted bad enough to need welding, in my opinion it isn't safe to fire. This is assuming it is in an area that holds pressure or torque. Reblue, if anything, and call it character.

[JamesH]

Thank you gentlemen. I just wanted to make certain I was not totally unaware of some new process for firearm restoration.
Jim