Need advice steampunking Sentinel clone

[rhean]

I'm considering ordering a Sentinel m16 brass clone from FT. Would aging it in order to steampunk it destroy the thing? The aging process would involve soaking the tubes in a vinegar/salt solution for one hour, then baking them at 450 degrees for 20 minutes in an oven, then placing them back in the solution for twenty minutes.

This mod is supposed to be solid brass, and one youtube review said that it came apart completely. I don't know if all the bits that would be wrecked by vinegar and oven will come apart, though, so that's a concern. I also don't know if it's really solid brass, what kind of finish it will have upon arrival, or if the tubes/threads are strong enough to withstand this without weakening or warping. I've never owned a mod of any sort, so it's all a mystery. Also I've never "aged" brass, so don't even know if this will work! I did order a Hammer clone (not here yet) but that is stainless steel

 

[Richard75]

An easier way to "age" brass is to put it in a container with some ammonia solution. Make sure it is raised, like on a mini platform, with the ammonia around the bottom, so that only the fumes hit the brass, and seal the container. This is a case where the longer you wait, the more the brass will age.

Be careful, however - ammonia is rumored to weaken brass by dissolving the copper in it. But, this is generally only seen in rather long-term situations (and I've only ever heard gun people talking about it).

 

[rhean]

Great idea, and definitely simpler than vinegar and oven. I just don't want to kill the mod.