Survival Shotgun Modifications: DIY Barrel Bluing and Welding Barrel Nut

When I first purchased my H&R 12 Ga shot gun (See More HERE- LINK) for a mere $50.00 it had a few issues that needed taken care of before I took it into the woods. The barrel nut was missing (the previous owner epoxied the front forearm to the barrel) so I needed to replace the barrel nut, clean/strip the barrel and re-blue barrel. Aside from the barrel nut issue the gun was perfectly functional prior to changing the stock and forearm out for the survival edition and making the modifications below. I was able to test fire the weapon prior to purchase and it was able to fire a box full multiple 3" nitro magnums without issue so I felt secure in going ahead with the home gunsmith project. Also a special thank you to my buddy Jeremy Moran for all of your help with this project, If you are local to WV and need a gun worked on he is your man!

Bluing:

Warning: This process/products contains acids you need to keep off your skin. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, and clothing. See cautions on label. Use according to directions. Keep out of reach of children. We recommend you wear vinyl/nitrile/latex gloves to keep materials off the skin.

Generalized  Bluing Instructions:

1. Disassemble gun completely in accordance with manufacturer recommendations

2. Apply bluing and rust remover then use fine grit steel wool to rub metal until it becomes a silver color and is smooth to the touch

3. Stop bluing remover reaction by applying copious amounts of cold water.

4. Start with 220 grit wet dry sand paper working up to 1000 grit.

5  After sanding is complete use super fine steel wool to polish to a mirror like finish. 

6. Use your choice of cleaner/degreaser and clean all work surfaces also wear gloves do not touch the clean metal surface will affect bluing. 

7. Apply cold bluing with a soft cotton cloth times vary depending on chemical follow on package instructions (the bluing process will make imperfections in the metal work more pronounced so take your time with it and make sure it looks exactly the way you intend before bluing).

8. Once all coats are applied to desired color oil very liberally. and do so for a few days once a day 

9. Reassemble gun and be sure all water is out of gun and oil all parts as reassembled. 

Disclaimer: This is just a rough outline of the bluing process. Follow all manufacture recommendations and directions on the chemicals and for the weapon. If you are not trained or capable of doing this activity you should contact a trained gunsmith as doing this process in an incorrect manner may result in the destruction of your firearm.

Welding of the Barrel Nut:

I didn't take detailed pictures of the process nor will I walk you through this process as it should only be attempted by a properly trained gunsmith as the extreme heating of a barrel will likely result in the destruction of the weapon or even worse the catastrophic failure of the barrel while the weapon is in use. After placing the barrel nut onto the gun you can once again complete the bluing process or spot blue the barrel nut.

Finished Product:

Conclusions:

These modifications took essentially an evening in a home shop to complete and made for a much better looking weapon and also a much more functional weapon. Without the barrel nut on the weapon I would not have been able to secure new forearm to the weapon to secure additional items or add weight to the forearm for proper balance on the gun. The two modifications were simple enough to complete in a home shop, saved me hundred of dollars and made the survival shotgun project viable. I look forward to sharing additional modifications and adventures with this shotgun in the near future, here are a few of the future articles I have planned for this project: paracord sling, shotgun survival kit components, using a shotgun as a muzzleloader and using a 22lr chamber adapter to take small game.

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