Muzzle discoloration

[musketnut]

So I am looking at this nice musket but notice in the pics there is this discoloration near the muzzle. I am guessing someone soldered a new front sight on and that is the cause of this discoloration. I am the furthest thing from a gunsmith but the last gunsmith I had put a raised front sight on a gun for me explained how he draped all areas around the new sight with a material that would keep the heat off the rest of the barrel while he did this. I want to think it was asbestos sheeting or something like that.

Is this a cause for concern?!?

Thank you in advance for any advice here. I greatly appreciate all the great minds and information I find on the BB.

JK7489

[bobanderson]

I think you're right that the discoloring is from sight work. Most muzzleloading barrels are somewhat mild steel so you're not looking at a loss of temper when it got heated, or for that matter overheated.

You can do more damage to a barrel by not using a bore guide than heating it, and with our steel ramrods probably more than a cleaning rod would.

If it bothers you, warm the barrel on a stove and apply some blueing solution.

[MR. GADGET]

Correct it is from the heat when they SS the front sight on.
It does not really do anything to the gun just the looks.
I have several that have done the same only a few are in the white so I was able to blue the gun.

If it bothers you the you may want to gray the gun I have used different things like cold blue and oil.
Could even blue it.
If you get a musket and it does not have the high sight and you add it you could end up with the same if you SS it.
Other ways like JB weld or some glues hold but not as good as SS. But it is all in the prep.

[Charlie Hahn]

The blue color run to the muzzle says it was quite warm. In the event it could have been quenched check the bore to see if it might be out of round. You will need a set of fee blocks and a tail indicator to check the outside of the barrel.

Charlie
410-627-4726

[John Bly]

I don't think I've ever gotten one that hot to solder a sight on with lead solder. I's probably OK. If you don't like the color a little 320-400 grit paper will shine it right up.