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The hammer and lever are case-colored. Shouldn’t the butt-plate be case-colored as well?
I have a 1911 model 1885 and it has a case colored plate. So, I would think this gun should too.
Definitely should be case coloured. Makes one question the integrity of the rest of the rifle.
one thing this sight has done to me….every winchester that looks that good is more than likely a fake or a really good refinish….
Thanks guys. If that gun has been restored, they did a beautiful job, but blew it on the blued butt plate. Certainly not worth the asking price in my opinion.
Don
Should the loading gate on this rifle be Niter blued. That was my first red flag and second would be the blues butt plate.
That rifle was manufactured in early 1914, which is when Winchester began transitioning to blued parts versus case color finishing. I do agree that the Nitre blued loading gate is wrong, and accordingly, the entire rifle is suspect.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 7, 2015
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Very attractive rifle! My biggest issue is that the wood has that “freshly finished” look including a few dings that were varnished over. I suppose they could be normal handling marks.
Mike
My vote is definitely refinished. There is not a single mark on the butt plate, absolutely no wear at the muzzle or magazine retaining band, and the rear sight elevator was never moved. Has this gun been floating in a vacuum and never touched or bumped into ANYTHING for 107 years?
Michael
Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation
Total refinish from what I am seeing. Lots of things that are not right. Yes, they did a pretty good job with that, but still refinished and not worth anywhere near start price. Those are new screws that have been browned also. Peter
Gentlemen,
From my limited experience, the bulk of that rifle is correct. Several indicators that this gun is right…or done very right.
As to the screws, Winchester case hardened the screws, but with a different wood/bone ratio than the lever hammer etc.… The colors are thinner, and Winchester did not lacquer them, so they colors quickly faded, producing a silver/brown color.
As far as the loading gate… it very well may be Nitre blued, Nitre bluing will produce many colors… from straw yellow, to jet black, depending on temperature, and also lighting.
The buttplate does look odd, as well as the blued buttplate screws.
This is one of those that I would have to take a light to.
If this is a redone gun, I would very much like to meet the person that did it.
Respectfully
Mike Hunter said
The buttplate does look odd, as well as the blued buttplate screws.
Once you have that irrefutable evidence, everything else becomes questionable/debatable.
It could be only the buttplate was refinished, but probably not only that.
And, no matter which way you slice it, at the very least, this gun cannot be considered factory original.
Now, how much do you knock it? Is it an all original gun except for the buttplate or is it completely refinished? One thing going against this gun only having a refinished buttplate is that wear to a blued finish is much more evident than to a case coloured surface. Normal wear to a case coloured buttplate, even excessive wear or scratches, would normally not warrant refinishing. More likely the case that the buttplate was simply a refinished component–at the time all the rest of the component parts were refinished.
Please tell me if I am mistaken:
–light is not reflecting properly off the screw heads and tails.
–the forecap screws have seen a screwdriver.
–the lower tang has been out.
–the receiver has slight pitting beneath the blue.
–wear/loss of blue on the sharp edges of the receiver is fabricated.
The proof mark stamps on the barrel and frame ring show absolutely no discoloration to the bluing as a result of displaced steel. For that reason alone, it is my opinion that someone refinished the entire rifle, albeit a very nice job.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
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