CVA colt .44- cant get barrel wedge in!

[gmatov]

Dwave,

Call me George, please, when you reply. I had to make a unique name to enroll, but I do sign off as George.

I like ALL blue steel for gunmetal, and the deeper and blacker it is, the better the polish is before it is blued, the more I like it. I DON'T like parkerized finishes, except on original 1911s. Even 1911A1s, nice, shiny, blue looks good. The original shoud look like the original. Hell, I am not even sure that John Browning DID have the first parkerized. The original might have been polished well, and the military decided they wanted it matte black, or dark grey.

Cheers,

George

 

[Old Fuff]

George:

For the record...

The first military and all commercial 1911 pistols were finished in a high-polish, deep black color (called "charcoal blue") that shouldn't be confused with "niter blue" or "fire blue" that was lighter and more blue then black in color. Charcoal blue was a heat process that went back to the era of cap & ball revolvers, and was highly labor intensive - which is the reason it went out of the picture during the 1920's. Parkerizing didn't come into the picture until the very late 1930's, and then only on military arms.

Original cap & ball revolvers didn't look like they'd been dragged behind a pick-up truck until after many years of hard service. Their owners for the most part carried them in full-flap holsters and tried to protect them from the elements. The "beat-up look" is a modern fad that isn't supported for the most part by history. The reason one sees so many original ones that are abused is because the better ones are secured in rich folks private collections.

 

[Smokin_Gun]

Duplicate Post

 

[Smokin_Gun]

dwave
Senior Member
Blued is not best, what is best is what you want.

I must say I like the look of a well used Rev and have seen many that have the bluing worn off. I also like a fine Belguim Blue, Charcoal Blue, or the polished Blued finnish they come with. I was tellin' um that the "antiged finnish caue it's easier for one who hasn't blued a gun... plus I think it would look great.
I think Dwave has the all time best answer what is best is what you like. I don't post judgements on what others like. And a 100 year old gun that has been used will have a degree of the bluing gone...even a new one that is used/fired and holstered it has wear. Anyway I like um all...LoL!
Which is an original which ain't? HeHe!

 

[gmatov]

Old Fuff,

I screwed up in my original post. John Browning did NOT parkerize the original 1911, the pre A1. I did not know that parkerizing did not start till when you say.

Sam'l Colt blued all his, and the 150 year old remnants are judged by the amount of blue left. 5 or 10 % is worth thousands more. So, are the worn out modern pistols actually representative?

A cowboy who earned 20, 25, 30 bucks a month buys a 20, 25, 30 buck pistol, and will let it rust to a nice 2006 "patina"?

He will protect that thing with any grease he can get, if it has to be getting to the head of the line after breakfast, and the first swipe of bacon fat. Or not eat the gtrease off his plate, better use is to protect his gun. And, go hungry because of protecting his gun, because fat was a big part of the menu.

Gone to bed, gotta go to a funeral in the AM, and don't like to get up in the AM.

Cheers,

George

 

[Smokin_Gun]

The key words were, it's not just what you like it's what the owner of the gun likes. Comprende? :O)
I happen to like both so I guess it's hard to argue this point...LoL!

Ps just cause a Rev looks antique sure don't mean it's worn out. What's worse rebluing a 1st generation Colt say with 55% bluing left on it, or defarbing a $179.99 Rev simply because you like it...???

Talk about wastin' $ ...HeHe!

 

[dwave]

No way I would touch an original revolver with blue just to make it new. I will do it on a newer one and have done it. I touched up my Pietta 51 the other day. I reblued the cylinder face and some other areas but I would NEVER reblue an original even though I think blue is better.

 

[radd]

hey guys, nice debate ya'll got going on, didnt mean to start something.

I started sanding the grips, and its shaping up nicely.
Those are some nice pics smokin_gun posted, I like the look of all of those.

As the brass gets shiny on some spots of mine and with it having the carved cylinder and all, I can see a nice contrasting dark blue and maybe a cherry'ish grip. I think I can get it to look as good as the pic that came with it. That would look pretty sweet on display, and at the range.
I have some casey's perma blue that I'm going to try to reblue some of my old rifles with, figure it'd be good practice. If I can get it dark enough I'll go with that.
I guess that means I'll have to get another one to do in the used/antique look, just what I need another hobby that I dont have time for.
My wife will be thrilled too. at least this hobby doesnt envolve baking cosmoline slathered stocks in the oven, hey I thought it smelled good.

Ill post pics of the finished product and a range report too.
Thanks guys,

 

[Smokin_Gun]

Lookin' forward to the pics Radd!
I still wanna try the Belguim Blue formula I aquired, but don't have a candidate for it yet...donations are welcome...HeHe!
George and I go back quite a ways, and are good friends. We always have healthy sometimes lengthy discussions on topics concerning BP Revs...right George?
:O)

 

[dwave]

George, I also prefer my guns to have as dark of a finish as possible. Now on the Parkerized finishes I don't have a problem with them. I have a Colt 1911a1 .45 from 1946 and it is parkerized and I like the finish on it. I wouldn't have the blueing stripped off to parkerize it, but I would by one that was.

Smokin_Gun, Nice pictures of the guns there, wish I had a few of them myself! When I get some cash I will though. It's addictive.

 

[gmatov]

Smoke,

That we have. I know you like the look of a beautifully finished pistol as much as I do. I know that if you found a touch of rust on a Smith, a 500 buck gun, you would be frantic, "How'n hell could I let it get RUSTY? I clean 'em and oil 'em, and that damned stuff still blooms."

And, I know if you got a "defarb", bare metal, grey metal, it ain't gonna have rust on it.

YOU know that If I had a pistol from the 19th century, with 5 % finish, I would not reblue it. I am NOT sure that I would not shoot it!

Dwave,

I love beautifully blued steel. I have owned one parkerized 1911 (non A1), like the straight mainspring housing, and the other non improved aspects, which escape me at the moment. Trigger, grip safety spur, etc. Was stolen from me, worse the luck. Like to get another, but they are too high for my pocketbook, at the moment. Buy 3 BPs for one of them.

I wouldn't blast a blued model to Parkerize, might polish a Parkerize to blue it.

I also don't like the Remington Express models of the 870, my 870 BC Trap model looks a hell of a lot better. I can't even give the damned thing to any of my kids. They want to go out and buy blued steel models.

I have SS pistols, Ruger SBs, I have a Rem nickle and gold plate model 58, love the looks of it, the rest are Smiths with a fantastic Smith blue, and some cheaper. Rifles, I have a SS Interarms 7 m/m Mag, black chromed or whatever they do to color that steel, a Browning BLR in 7 m/m-08 that was rebarreled by P. O. Ackley, and the most fantastic blue you will ever see.

I LIKE BLUE, period. If you want to strip 'em to grey scrap look, be my guest. Just don't ask me to say, "Wow, that's cool!"

Cheers,

George

 

[Smokin_Gun]

The antique finnish isn't bare metal...most use Brown(bluing) or plum brown, then lightly steel wool with 0000 to lighten the tone of the browning. Some use Bluing and simply polish it with the wool to give it a worn look but the steel is still protected and the finnish looks good..
And yes I do like a well finnished Blued Rev... (and I say cool ain't to them too...LoL!)

 

[gmatov]

Smoke,

I know they ain't totally unfinished. They just got a, to me, ugly, finish. A worn out old pistol made in 2003. That ain't the same thing as a pre 98 piece. They've earned their looks, like you and I have earned our grey hair and wrinkles.

Ah, well.

The boy's dad was interred, today. The damned Navy rep got lost. One Seaman, a girl recruit, was there to fold the flag, the E-6 who was supposed to come play "Taps", got lost, got there after it was over. I expected a 3 gun rifle team, from the local VFW, or AMVETS.

Ah, well, what you gonna do?

Cheers,

George

 

[Smokin_Gun]

You gotta know the E-6 Sailor was watchin' and chucklin' with St. Peter. Sayin' "SITREP SOS OWOK...OVER". (Situation Report Same Old **** Otherwise Ok)
Things don't always go as planned and a Military Man expects it. He was Honored in Passing as a Veteran with all due respect. I am sure it the family and friends were bothered by the misdirection. But he looked down and smiled.