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Birchwood Casey

Birchwood Casey Gun Blue, Cleaners and Shooting Rests in South Africa

Birchwood Casey is American and covers the maintenance side of firearm ownership: refinishing, cleaning, stock care, targets and bench equipment. The gun blue products in particular are the standard answer for touching up worn finish at home rather than sending a firearm away. NeonSales carries 25 Birchwood Casey products, from R20 for a pack of Shoot-N-C bullseyes up to R5,325 for an Alpha shooting rest.

What Birchwood Casey products does NeonSales stock?

  • Gun blue: Perma Blue liquid and paste kits, Super Blue liquid in 960ml and kit form, the Presto gun blue pen
  • Other finishes: Aluminium Black, Super Black gloss touch-up pen
  • Cleaning: high pressure firearm cleaner, cleaner and degreaser, blue and rust remover, lead remover and polishing cloth, angled cleaning brushes
  • Protection: Barricade rust protect, synthetic gun oil
  • Stock care: gun stock wax, stock rejuvenator
  • Targets: Shoot-N-C self-adhesive reactive targets in 2 inch and 12 inch, target spots
  • Bench equipment: Alpha and Bravo shooting rests, Ultra Steady shooting bench, SecureLock gun vise, shooting mat

Which gun blue should you use?

Product Form Best suited to
Presto pen Pen applicator Small scratches and worn edges, the quickest fix
Perma Blue liquid 90ml liquid Touch-ups and small parts, applied with a swab
Perma Blue paste Paste kit Vertical surfaces where liquid would run
Super Blue Liquid, up to 960ml Full refinishing jobs, darker result than Perma Blue
Aluminium Black 90ml liquid Aluminium parts, which regular gun blue will not touch

Degreasing is the step people skip

Cold blue fails for one reason more than any other, and it is oil left on the surface. The chemical reaction needs bare, clean steel. Use the cleaner and degreaser first, handle the part as little as possible afterwards since fingerprints leave oil, then apply the blue. Skipping this gives a patchy grey result that has to be stripped with the blue and rust remover and started again.

Shoot-N-C targets, and why they cost more

These are self-adhesive targets with a coating that flakes off around the hit, leaving a bright ring visible at distance. The practical benefit is that you stop walking downrange to check your group, which on a long session saves considerable time. They also patch over, so one target takes many rounds before replacement.

Common questions

Will cold blue match my factory finish? Not exactly. Cold blue gives a good match on touch-ups and a serviceable finish on a full refinish, though it is not the same process as hot bluing and will not look identical on a firearm with a deep factory blue.

What is the difference between Perma Blue and Super Blue? Super Blue produces a darker, richer result and is generally preferred for full refinishing. Perma Blue is the everyday touch-up product.

Does stock wax work on synthetic stocks? Gun stock wax and stock rejuvenator are formulated for wood. On synthetic and polymer, a general purpose oil or silicone product is the right choice.

Alpha or Bravo rest? Both hold the rifle steady for zeroing and load testing. The Alpha is the heavier and more adjustable of the two, which matters if you are chasing small groups rather than simply getting on paper.

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