Stainless barrel bluing / coating

[MartinJ]

Can a stainless steel barrel be blued using the hot bluing process or can it only be done via the cerakote process?
Thank you for your input.

[shooty]

I doubt it. As the bluing process actually causes a type of rust on barrel which is then stopped and forms the Bluing color.
Stainless is alot more resistant to rust forming then normal steel.

I would think you need to Cerakote on barrel if you want to make it black

[Stevin]

No Stainless can't be rust blued. Well rather the grade stainless that is used on firearms can't be blued, lesser grades can to an extent.

As far as I understand the only real way to get a decent finish on SS that resembles bluing is either Cerakote, or PVD coating. PVD fir firearms in SA is fairly unheard of due to our regulatory framework (i.e. laws), so Cerakote is really the only real option imo.