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Gentlemen, I recently purchase a model 90 serial number 691815 (1923) from an auction with the intent on having it restored. The description “stated blueing completely gone”, which is true but it appears that at one point the receiver was plated. Having been advised from a Cody letter that information about its specific order configuration was not available. I would like suggestions as to how it could have come from the factory, i.e was only the receiver plated, and the barrel blued? The barrel has uniform rust blooms throughout and the patent dates are hard to read indicating heaving buffing, the edges of the barrel are not rounded over, the plating wear in certain areas could be from carry wear/neglect? The furniture is bad period. From my research it appears that nickel plating was not common, but there are lots of examples to look at. I plan on restoring this guy, just not sure which direction to take, in terms of aesthetics the nickel looks great, but if it was done after if the left the factory I would want a more original appearance. I don’t care about harming collector value as the gun is poor anyway, I just want something nice to look at. Thanks for all the much valued and appreciated advise.
K.
Take it apart at the takedown and look inside and remove the butt plate. That will tell you what the finish was. To me it does look like a nickel finish and if it were mine, it looks great the way it is. I never did like fresh nickel guns, they look too gaudy and you can’t see the age. Guns could of been full nickel or nickel trim were the receiver and a few small parts were nickeled and the rest was blued. Post some pictures of the stampings.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
I agree with Bob… it looks like original factory nickel plating, and I would not restore it.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
I’m with Bob in the aspect of fresh shiny nickel being to gaudy. Here is an option that I used to tame down the chrome look. It’s called brushed nickel. 
My intent was not to duplicate what the factory did but to make it the way I wanted it to look.
Erin
Looking at the gun I believe it was nickel trim. The barrel was probably blued.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Good Afternoon Gentlemen, all of your suggestions and advice are appreciated very much. I took Bob’s advice and started taking it down to look for evidence of previous plating and original blueing. The results to my inexperienced eye are interesting, I removed the butt plate to see allot of rust and what looked like original plating on the casting. The butt plate had never been removed as the screws were perfect and covered with old shellac . The two halves of the rifle show evidence of original machining tool marks but that’s about all from what I can see. What I found interesting shown in the last pic. was when I removed the rear sight, there was zero evidence of bluing or re-finishoing marks, (please correct me if I’m wrong) which leads me to believe the barrel was not plated or blued because the rust growth on the barrel is just too uniform. Were these rifles offered with a nickel barrel un-plated or blued? These are my findings please advise if I’m out to lunch on my assumptions. Thanks to all for their advice.
Kristjan 
Winchester did finish guns with a browned rust finish but I don’t think that is the case here. I believe it was blued and was rusted bad where the nickle provided better protection. The barrel shows signs the rust was removed with the gun disassembled.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
[email protected] said
Does the barrel have any stamping or marks?
I can see part of the barrel mark which is “Mod 90 22 Short”
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
the nickle finish looks to be original very same look as my 1894 which was full nickle plated from factory
Gentlemen, one more question or point of discussion. From an aesthetics point of view, if the gun was only half-nickel why would Winchester plate the slide action-bar and the bands that hold the mag. tube to the barrel? Specific customer order?, not likely, wouldn’t that look out of place to have three small areas of nickel under a fairly dark blued barrel?
Still listening to Bob’s advice, but it’s just odd. Could one order these extra pieces in nickel plate as a custom spec., but why on a fairly plane rifle without the deluxe stock. More questions than answers! In any event the gun looks way better in pics than reality and it will be going to Turnbull for some sort of metal re-finishing, because I don’t like looking at worn out finishes and they made a million of these.
Kristjan 
November 7, 2015
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Cardinal rule of Winchester collecting; “never say never”. It’s hard to imagine today but there was a time when Winchester would build it as you wanted it.
Mike
[email protected] said
In any event the gun looks way better in pics than reality and it will be going to Turnbull for some sort of metal re-finishing, because I don’t like looking at worn out finishes and they made a million of these.Kristjan
In my humble opinion, I’d leave the finish alone, but that is just me. I can’t tell much about the barrel finish from your photos, but that picture of the rear sight dovetail makes me wonder if the barrel wasn’t also nickeled. But honestly can’t decide either way due the photos. Have you tried taking any photos outside in natural daylight?
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
Kristjan,
If you send it Turnbull they will be able to tell you what it originally was finished with and happened to it then you can decide which way to go.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Not knowing where you live, I would call Turnbull and see if they are going to a gun show near you where you could take the gun.
These “to restore or not to restore” situations can be agonizing. On a collectible piece like yours, I would just gently clean it and leave it alone. On a more common rifle thats in questionable condition, I usually restore them and shoot the devil out of them. Your 90 actually retains quite a bit of its original nickle plating for its age. Its a beautiful gun!
The other question you have to ask yourself is how much are you willing to spend on it. I would guess to clean up the metal, remark it and finish refinish it your a grand or two.
Bob
WACA Life Member--- NRA Life Member---- Cody Firearms member since 1991 Researching the Winchester 1873's
Email: [email protected]
Cliff said
These “to restore or not to restore” situations can be agonizing. On a collectible piece like yours, I would just gently clean it and leave it alone. On a more common rifle thats in questionable condition, I usually restore them and shoot the devil out of them. Your 90 actually retains quite a bit of its original nickle plating for its age. Its a beautiful gun!
I forgot to mention that Turnbull can take the new sight and age it back. He does this often especially on the case hardened guns to make it look like the rest of the gun.
Maverick said
[email protected] said
In any event the gun looks way better in pics than reality and it will be going to Turnbull for some sort of metal re-finishing, because I don’t like looking at worn out finishes and they made a million of these.
KristjanIn my humble opinion, I’d leave the finish alone, but that is just me. I can’t tell much about the barrel finish from your photos, but that picture of the rear sight dovetail makes me wonder if the barrel wasn’t also nickeled. But honestly can’t decide either way due the photos. Have you tried taking any photos outside in natural daylight?
Sincerely,
Maverick
I’m sure I could try to take a few pics outside, unfortunately the “work thing” gets in the way of the “fun thing”. The main issue I have with the rife is not the barrel or the nickel plating, it’s the wood. The rifle is not pleasant to hold, I have other rifles that are much nicer to touch. The stock has been refinished poorly one to many times, the shellac is tacky and flaking off in spots, it’s all over the tang, it’s gritty and needs help. The pump handle is also in poor shape, rusty screws and cracked wood. If the furniture were in better shape, the metal condition wood be an non-issue and I would have pretty boring post! That is the reason I’m going down the road to restoration. One could say it age related, nope, I have a Rem. 12 from 1914 and the furniture is great. There has to be some sort of physical/emotional response when I pick up a gun, my Grandfather’s Rem. 870 from 1955, goosebumps.
Cliff said
These “to restore or not to restore” situations can be agonizing. On a collectible piece like yours, I would just gently clean it and leave it alone. On a more common rifle thats in questionable condition, I usually restore them and shoot the devil out of them. Your 90 actually retains quite a bit of its original nickle plating for its age. Its a beautiful gun!
Thanks for the complement!, in pics. it looks better than it actually is. Its not nice to hold because of the poor shape of the furniture, mechanically it’s also a little sloppy. It has seen it’s share of good times and needs some refreshing. I also find the balance a little front heavy, I’m guessing because of the octagon barrel. I do like 1890’s and plan on buying more, I’m just a little critical of inconsequential things sometimes.
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