Air Arms "Blacked out" Prosport complete..

Although the stock hasn't fully cured after the 6th coat of tung oil, it takes like a month.
Anyway, lets start with a picture of the rifle after I took it out of the box, with it's bone dry wood, but it still looked good...
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Happy camper that day. Since then I've tinkering on it, and have changed pretty much everything from stock form. Quick run through of the changes I did... Stripped all factory lubes, made new spring guide and top hat, relubed with Krytox. I then blued the safety button.
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Followed by polishing and bluing the stock screws.
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Then polished out the trigger sears and made washers to help with side to side trigger blade play...
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Next was to replace the gold trigger with a Rowan set back trigger in BLACK.
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After these mods I had it in my mind to black out the rest of it, so after some work here's what it looks like now...
Compression tube, and cocking arm done.
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It's not perfect by my standards, but I'm really pleased with the way it looks now. After reassembly with new Krytox, I shot a 10 shot string over the crony with QYS 8.48's it's preferred pellet and got these numbers.
IMG_7107.jpeg

Not bad, I'm sure the ES will drop some after I run some shots through and it settles back down.
Or it could just be because I was off handing thru the crony and the angle changed✌🏻
 
Although the stock hasn't fully cured after the 6th coat of tung oil, it takes like a month.
Anyway, lets start with a picture of the rifle after I took it out of the box, with it's bone dry wood, but it still looked good...
View attachment 477985
Happy camper that day. Since then I've tinkering on it, and have changed pretty much everything from stock form. Quick run through of the changes I did... Stripped all factory lubes, made new spring guide and top hat, relubed with Krytox. I then blued the safety button.
View attachment 477987
Followed by polishing and bluing the stock screws.
View attachment 477988
Then polished out the trigger sears and made washers to help with side to side trigger blade play...View attachment 477990
Next was to replace the gold trigger with a Rowan set back trigger in BLACK.
View attachment 477991
After these mods I had it in my mind to black out the rest of it, so after some work here's what it looks like now...
Compression tube, and cocking arm done.
View attachment 477992
View attachment 477993
View attachment 477994
View attachment 477995
View attachment 477996
View attachment 477999
It's not perfect by my standards, but I'm really pleased with the way it looks now. After reassembly with new Krytox, I shot a 10 shot string over the crony with QYS 8.48's it's preferred pellet and got these numbers.
View attachment 477997
Not bad, I'm sure the ES will drop some after I run some shots through and it settles back down.
Or it could just be because I was off handing thru the crony and the angle changed✌🏻
What did you blue with on the metal? Heat? Cold blue ?
Aluma black on the arm?


I like them ,I just suck at loading them. 😔
 
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Yes cold blue, Oxpho blue, I did warm the parts in hot water, several coats with 0000 steel wool in between. The cocking arm could've been done several different ways, but I used what I had on hand, aluma black. This stuff is a pain to use, did like 10 coats with very light brushes with 0000 steel wool in between. After it set over night I wiped it down again, then sealed it with a matte clear spray. Time will tell how it holds up, but without the clear coat I know it wouldn't last at all.
 
Yes cold blue, Oxpho blue, I did warm the parts in hot water, several coats with 0000 steel wool in between. The cocking arm could've been done several different ways, but I used what I had on hand, aluma black. This stuff is a pain to use, did like 10 coats with very light brushes with 0000 steel wool in between. After it set over night I wiped it down again, then sealed it with a matte clear spray. Time will tell how it holds up, but without the clear coat I know it wouldn't last at all.
Sad to tell you it will not with hand wear and sunlight.
ANODIZING ISNTHE ONLY PERMANENT solution.
Aluminum coloring and that to can fade if not done right.
I’ve tried every cold blue imaginable and none have lasted well. I’m lucky I have access to a good bluing shop I now use for hot bluing. Turn around is fast and not bad price

I used to do it but won’t play with it in or near my shop as every thing around rusts and it’s caustic as hell.. it’s not if your gonna get acid burnt. It’s when…
I do still rust blue but that’s old school and takes time but you get a wonderful deep blue ,not todays Black oxide that’s on every gun.
Prep is everything in bluing.. you get what you see just black. High polished Air Arms and old Webleys are buffed to the tenth degree with a 555 paste type and you get the gloss.. but you better know how to buff or it’s ripple city.