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I’ve been reading through some of the archived post & several times have come across the description grey gun or brown gun. Can someone elaborate further on what each term means for newer members.
My interpretation of a grey gun has always been no bluing left & wood is well weathered with several dings & dents.
Brown gun was a higher value with the bluing now a brown patina & wood had a decent presentation.
AG
And I think you are correct, although I think the two terms have to do with the metal and not the wood IMO. Peter
AG,
The term only applies to the metal condition not the wood and your close about the finish. Gray gun is no finish left on the gun and brown is the metal has a rusted aged look to it not necessarily patinaed blue.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Thanks Eagle & Bob. Metal only makes sense. I have a few grey 1894’s & a couple I would call a brown gun. Unfortunately my greys have more options than the browns which present better.
AG
Sometimes you see guns that are plumb to brown. These have a little bit of red in the brown which makes them darker and more pleasing. As blue wears and ages it goes through a process that could end up brown or grey/silver looking. Just like the blued guns case hardening starts to turn grey with muted colors then ends up grey. If you take care of your guns you can slow down or stop this process.
I think of a grey gun as one subjected to a great deal of handing, but well cared for at least to the extent of being wiped down & kept out of bad storage conditions. A brown gun, on the other hand, however much or little it was used, has been neglected at some point in its history–or it wouldn’t be brown. The big difference to me is that I like & respect a gun, or anything else, that has been carefully, even if extensively, used, but hate to be reminded by signs of neglect that the item once belonged to someone careless or thoughtless or stupid. The result is, I own a number of grey guns, but have never even been tempted to buy a brown one.
I’m glad people are into different looks. I have an 1886 in 45-90, OBFMCB, 2″ over length. The only thing I don’t like about it is, it’s grey. I like a brown (dark, dark) gun. 
Glad to read this thread though, because I’ve always wondered what steered a gun in one direction or the other.
My brown guns have good wood & the bluing(turned brown) has no wear. They are in “good” condition. I myself don’t mind a “brown gun”, but I do respect other opinions & preferences.
AG
January 26, 2011
Offline
Late to the party, but here’s a couple 20″ 1894’s, one a grey gun, and one a brown gun. The seller actually referred to it as “chocolate”. A friend of mine once said a good collection should have various different examples of condition (or flavors in this case). I have quite a few ’94 shorties with grey receivers yet decent blue on the tube and barrel. So long as they are original and somewhat of a scarce variation, I don’t mind that look at all. The completely brown ones are a little lower on the list for me, but in the case of this one, it was a different example for my collection ……. so chocolate it is.
~Gary~
Gary:
It is getting to the point where you need to do a “Shorty” display in Cody next year. What say you?
WACA Life Benefactor Member
NRA Life Member
interesting topic, hope you can shed some light on a finish question Ive had for years. I have (2) SRC 1894s a Marlin 1889 and a 73 winchester that are so dark brown so as to appear almost black from across the room, Including the wood, infact the wood and metal is almost the some color-pretty much the entire rifle in all cases
They sound perfect to me. Pictures? Maybe they have cosmoline on them. Or maybe they are just honest.?
Here is a 94 short rifle. I don’t mind guns with character. Probably spent some time in a scabbard.
Pics of the dark four
these were obviously well used just curious because they are from different ages and backgrounds yet finish is so similar over the entire rifle. Obviously these were never and are not safe queens. They are on my beater wall but I kind of find myself drawn to the beaters more so than my nicer ones because they seem to have a story if they could talk besides spending their life in a closet or a gun case.
[email protected] said
Pics of the dark fourthese were obviously well used just curious because they are from different ages and backgrounds yet finish is so similar over the entire rifle. Obviously these were never and are not safe queens. They are on my beater wall but I kind of find myself drawn to the beaters more so than my nicer ones because they seem to have a story if they could talk besides spending their life in a closet or a gun case.
The stocks are dark due to having gun oil slathered on them for years.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
With all due respect to the opinions of others those are what I call “Winchesters”. Thanks for sharing.
And a Marlin. ?
[email protected] said
I kind of find myself drawn to the beaters more so than my nicer ones because they seem to have a story if they could talk besides spending their life in a closet or a gun case.
Careless handling & storage is not, alas, an uncommon story. A conscientiously cared for gun does not necessarily mean an unused one; in fact, many of mine, used but not abused for decades, fall into that category.
I might distinguish between a hunting gun and a working gun. The former has limited use, where the latter is carried in hand, scabbard or wagon, all day and night, all year for how many years. And it might also be owned by the ranch. A tool that is well taken care of, but a tool nonetheless, passing through many hands over the years.
pdog72 said
Late to the party, but here’s a couple 20″ 1894’s, one a grey gun, and one a brown gun. The seller actually referred to it as “chocolate”. A friend of mine once said a good collection should have various different examples of condition (or flavors in this case). I have quite a few ’94 shorties with grey receivers yet decent blue on the tube and barrel. So long as they are original and somewhat of a scarce variation, I don’t mind that look at all. The completely brown ones are a little lower on the list for me, but in the case of this one, it was a different example for my collection ……. so chocolate it is.
pdog,
Way too nice to define simply as a grey and brown gun!!!!!!!! These are classic examples of rifles that have been mostly well cared for IMO. Thanks for posting.
James
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