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I am looking to buy a 1890 wrf and I have seen one that looks good but it says that the bluing on the receiver is 90% and only 30% on the barrel. I was wondering if this was normal since most of the guns l have seen usually the receiver has less bluing than the barrel. I was wondering if the barrel had been changed because I don’t think you would blue the receiver and not the barrel. Any help would be appreciated.
[email protected] said
I was wondering if this was normal since most of the guns l have seen usually the receiver has less bluing than the barrel.
You’re right–it’s not uncommon to see totally “grey” receivers attached to barrels with considerable remaining original blue; the result of differences in handling, & perhaps in the alloys, heat treating, & bluing (which I hope Bert will explain in greater detail).
Online
Gary,
No, it is not common to find any Winchester rifle with more (better) bluing on the receiver than on the barrel. The receiver frame is subjected to considerably more handling than the barrel, and the bluing on the receiver was a applied with a different method. The barrels were “rust” blued, whereas the receiver frames were “machine” (furnace) blued, or “carbonia” blued. The rust blue formula & method was more time intensive, but more durable.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Gary, where Winchester’s bluing finish is concerned, Bert nailed it as usual. However, don’t be surprised if you come across some Winchester’s that have a stainless steel barrel with less “finish” on the barrels than on the receivers, (See below pictures of my 1890). For a very short period of time in the 1920s Winchester used a “painting” process on these type barrels since their typical “bluing” process did not take. The paint was a black lacquer that did not hold up well with usage. This paint process became known as a Japan/Japanned finish. The number of rifles with stainless steel barrels represent a miniscule portion where production numbers of Winchester’s are concerned, and have become highly collectible as a result of same.
James
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