What steel is good for cold bluing?

[Elric]

Although CRS is cheap, is there a steel that takes cold blue well, machines fairly smooth, and is rigid? Looking at making a "rib" to mount a Williams MK-Knight Foolproof sight onto a Winchester 32-20 shooter Low-Wall. There are two screw holes in the barrel, IIRC maybe 4 inches from the forward edge of the receiver. Mount this "rib" with counter-bored screws and have it relieved in order to pass over the top of the reciever... Yeah, this isn't 200 yard competitive, but the squirrels at 50yds [if even that] will never notice...

 

[Ian]

The closer to Iron it is the better it will take cold blue. Oxpho blue works pretty well on even chrome-moly if the metal is heated to just too hot to touch.

Mark Lee Express Blue will blue any steel alloy, such as this barrel band, screw, and magazine tube:

 

[Elric]

What series? For instance CRS is 1018 [IIRC]

 

[Ian]

1018 blues very well with just about anything.

 

[JustJim]

I've done similar bases from key stock, purchased at the local hardware store.

 

[Elric]

1018 blues very well with just about anything.

And how well does 1018 [CRS] machine? Is there a better carbon steel for machining?

Yes, that's a leading question, in my experience, 1018 does not machine well...

 

[Brad]

12L14 machines very well and I can assure you it will rust well too. I would expect it to blue nicely.
1144 also machines well. Never blued it but I see no reason it wouldn’t blue nicely.

Either of those will machine far nicer that 1018. Then again so does 1045 but not as well as the other 2.

 

[JWFilips]

12L14 machines very well and I can assure you it will rust well too. I would expect it to blue nicely.
1144 also machines well. Never blued it but I see no reason it wouldn’t blue nicely.

From experience it does! Cold blue & Traditional slow Brown also......... Also rust blue!