Posted by Bill Hambidge on January 25, 2008, 7:56 am, in reply to "Re: hot blued barrels"
Almost all sxs barrels are held together with soft lead solder-the low working temp of high lead solder percludes barrel warppage. This soft lead is extremely susseptible to the caustic lye used as a component of hot blue salts. IT IS NOT the temperature, rather the chemical reaction between the salt and the lead-it eats/oxidizes the lead solder. Thus one may get 2 barrels out of one set! Yes, I too have hot blue sxs barrels while in training and did "get away" with it. However the amount of irrigation/flushing was prodigious! Further rust blue is the correct "look" for sxs's. The white powder mentioned by Chris is the oxidized lead weeping out and a sure sign of trouble to come. Best, Dr. BILL