Re-parkerizing

[ikesdad]

I'm putting together a Rem 03 shooter for my son and need a barrel re-parked.
Does anyone know where/who can do the gray green parking ?

Information

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[no4mk1t]

FYI.
The parkerizing itself is gray for the zinc phosphate (the correct type for a 03-A3) or black for the manganese phosphate. The green tint originated from the cosmoline dip the rifles were subject to before being packed for overseas shipment. The green tint occurs over time, as in years.
Just saying that you will not get the green tint from anyone doing parkerizing unless they try to artificially create it by dipping in oil tinted with grease paint. And that won't match the rest of the gun.
Get the whole rifle parked and swab it down with the old GI Rifle Grease that has that dark greenish tint. By the time your son hands it down to his son, it will look like this.
I parked this pistol in the 80's and greased it as described.

[Topfmine]

I use the two types of phosphate finishes, zinc and manganese, has anyone used iron phosphate which, I have been told gives a near black finish that the other two.

[no4mk1t]

No, but I have been told that if you drop a degreased pad of steel wool in an old sock and throw it in the tank it will make the finish black. I've never tried it though.

[browningautorifle]

We used to use steel wool and iron spikes to help along the black in Parkerizing. (Brownells Oxinate) It would almost consume the steel wool...

[Ridolpho]

I'm curious about the origin of green parkerizing. I have an 03A3 with that green color but it appears way too uniform to be the result of alteration from sitting in grease- it's near perfect, in fact. The rifle was unused after a refurb at which time the current green park was applied (perfectly uniform on body as well as bolt components which were originally "blue"). The only similar greenish tint I've seen is on some 40's Lithgow SMLE's. Lots of original parkerized finishes don't turn green after decades in grease plus this green park on my 03A3 simply looks different under a microscope (different granularity or crystal size?). So, I really wonder if the green stuff isn't a different formulation.

Ridolpho

[Chuckindenver]

parkerizing is a brand name,
Parko Lubrite,. the originator of phosphate coatings.
ZInc is a light grey,
Manganese is a Dark grey.
Iron is a black smooth coating.

Iron phosphate is used more for Auto and other parts,,,bolts, gears ect, really not used for weapons.
Sept 1918 Eddystone used Iron phosphate for a short time.
Winchester used a curing oil that gave the zinc coating a green hue..yellow Chromate {spelling} and all used a wax sealer after curing to keep the grease and curing oil from drying out,, however, after use ect, the wax coating is long gone.
most the greenish hue you see on issued weapons is grease, dirt, rust and grime, thats been soaked up by the phosphate coating...no real way of duplicating this, unless yoy have a time machine..

iv been using Parko lubrites manganese phosphate for about a year... it is darker, however, works just about as good as the other brands iv used over the last few years.

[Topfmine]

Thanks for that info on the Iron phosphate, might give a go just to see what results I get. Would be better that trying Black oxide, which is quite messy.
Just a tip, I use Waxol used for rust prevention on cars to preserve a parkerized finish or even a blued finish on guns in storage, very waterproof and with a hot airgun flows into every part of the gun leaving a smooth waxed finish.

[Chuckindenver]

black oxide..is hot salts blue...

[Topfmine]

black oxide..is hot salts blue...

I know a messy process.