Paint thinner

[Austin J Hawthorne Jr.]

Can paint thinner be used to safely remove what appears to be some kind of varnish that was applied over refinished damascus barrels? The varnish appears overly thick and creates an uneven dull appearance to the barrels.

[B. Dudley]

It should. Or acetone. It will not damage the finish.

[ArtS]

Lacquer thinner would be a third alternative to try, but some of them are simply acetone.

Try them on a rag under the forearm if possible before going full tilt. You might like what you have better after you get done. Don't burn any bridge you don't have to. I have built a lot of expensive replacement bridges in my time.

[ssgross]

Originally Posted by Arthur Shaffer

Lacquer thinner

A finely sprayed layer of lacquer is very commonly used to protect delicate finishes. Many new or reproduction color case hardened parts are lacquered, especially those using a faux color case process (different cold blues to produce the different colors). Brass clock faces or bevels are highly polished then lacquered to prevent tarnishing, as are silver display pieces. Sounds like yours was not so delicately sprayed on.
Nonetheless, the way to go is to soak a paper towel or cotton rag or a sponge in lacquer thinner (well ventilated area) and wipe on liberally. No need to scrub. let it do its thing as you wipe it on. A scrubby sponge (blue ones) with more lacquer thinner will then take it all off. Wipe it all dry. At this point the underlying finish is bone dry and quite delicate. Do NOT oil it with anything that has detergents or rust inhibitors in it (gun oils, wd-40, etc. are all bad news...for now). Use a good water displacing oil (not wd-40). The cheapest and best in my opinion is just plain kerosene - it's cheaply obtained at Lowes or Home Depot next to the denatured alcohol. Slather it on, hang it up, and keep it wet for at least 15 minutes. Wipe it off dry, then use a clean oil (simple motor oil works, li...again no detergents or rust inhibitors). slather it on, let it sit, wipe or blow off the excess. From this point on, you can use your favorite gun oil. The bluing is stable. All the microscopic pores in the finish have been filled.
Or, you can use an airbrush to properly re-lacquer.