Need Help Identifying Metal

[HMSwolfe]

Hi all. I’ve got a full metal Webley Mk. VI airsoft pistol. The black paint that it came with has begun to flake off. At first, I tried simply doing some weathering with Rub-N-Buff. The black Rub-N-Buff, however, made no impact on the exposed metal. My next thoughts are to go ahead and do some cold-bluing or blacking, as it is metal (except the grips), but I don’t know what kind of metal it’s made out of. I’ve searched the Amazon listing I got it from as well as the official site (Evike) that sold the gun, but I can’t find anything. Anyone know how else I might find out? Or alternatively, know a product I can safely use to blue the metal without knowing the type, something that would work regardless of being aluminum or steel or whatever?

Most of the flaking has happened where you would expect for a gun that gets handled regularly—around the trigger/trigger guard. But there’s a big patch that’s growing on the other side of the barrel, which is what’s mainly concerning me.

 

[lmgill]

Most of these types of products are a type of "Pot metal", meaning they are a combination of Tin, Zink, Antimony and have a relatively low melting temp.
These will not work with "bluing" like steel. This is why they are painted.
There are chemical ways to blacken tin, but of course the entire surface would need to be stripped clean and treated, to achieve a uniform look.
The surface of these castings can have slight surface texture and I believe this is why they are painted, because a chemical blackening will exaggerate the texture, while paint will cover it, making it appear more like a real gun made in machined steel.

 

[HMSwolfe]

I’ve seen some people use a sandable black primer instead, which they then buff slightly. Would that be a better route to take, then?

 

[METATRON]

Jip, looks like a Zinc Alloy Die Casting. You can not blue this kind of metal and it will not rust like real weapons made from iron or steel do. So you don´t have to blue it. But if it´s older, there is sometimes a big problem with this kind of metal. It´s called "Zinkpest" (zinc rot) in german. Some german toy companies had problems with it in the past. It´s an intercrystaline corrosion process: Zinc pest - Wikipedia

But I think the patch on the side does not look like it. Paint should do the trick.

 

[Cameron]

deleted double post

 

[Cameron]

I’ve seen some people use a sandable black primer instead, which they then buff slightly. Would that be a better route to take, then?

I would suggest that. That’s my method for replicating firearm finish. Take a look at my Mando blaster build in the Star Wars forum for a sample.