I'm curious, I have a Enfield No. 1, Mk III that has a mixture of blued (oil blackened?) and parkerized metal parts. The Noise cap, magazine, and bolt head are parkerized while the remaining metal parts are blued. Are the parkerized components an arsenal repair or later substitution? This rifle is a Century Arms import.
I'm curious, I have a Enfield No. 1, Mk III that has a mixture of blued (oil blackened?) and parkerized metal parts. The Noise cap, magazine, and bolt head are parkerized while the remaining metal parts are blued. Are the parkerized components an arsenal repair or later substitution? This rifle is a Century Arms import.
Bluing of barrels was nothing to do with 'oil' (and no oil is used in the process) It is actually a chemical 'browning' of barrels as it is a form of rust, that leaves a blue finish when the whole process is finished.
Hence the name 'Blueing'.
The formulation was a closely guarded secret from the 'head chemist' at each manufacturing plant but details were published in a magazine in the early 1900s that describe the process.
Click the thumbnail and then the 'full page' icon to get it big enough to read.
Last edited by Alan de Enfield; 02-04-2024 at 05:23 PM.
Mine are not the best, but they are not too bad. I can think of lots of Enfields I'd rather have but instead of constantly striving for more, sometimes it's good to be satisfied with what one has...
Bluing is a salt dissolved in water and boiled at a temperature to cause it to go into the pores of the steel and prematurely "Rust" and protect the metal. It leaves a nice polished finish the same as the metal is prepared to.
Parkerizing is a liquid chemical that is added to water and boils at a different temperature to form a coating of crystalline structure on the surface of the steel. Therefore giving it a coating that will alter fitment of parts and the coating will protect and hold oil to some extent. It's used in military applications more as it has a durable attribute. There are several lesser grades of parkerizing and some isn't so durable...
Oil blackening is applied with heating a metal pert and quenching in oil to cause black finish...which isn't so durable.
---------- Post added at 04:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:36 PM ----------
Originally Posted by Neuraleanus
Are the parkerized components an arsenal repair or later substitution?
Bluing is a salt dissolved in water and boiled at a temperature to cause it to go into the pores of the steel and prematurely "Rust" and protect the metal. It leaves a nice polished finish the same as the metal is prepared to.
Parkerizing is a liquid chemical that is added to water and boils at a different temperature to form a coating of crystalline structure on the surface of the steel. Therefore giving it a coating that will alter fitment of parts and the coating will protect and hold oil to some extent. It's used in military applications more as it has a durable attribute. There are several lesser grades of parkerizing and some isn't so durable...
Oil blackening is applied with heating a metal pert and quenching in oil to cause black finish...which isn't so durable.
---------- Post added at 04:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:36 PM ----------
Does it have rebuild markings?
No, Just:
BSA Co
1923
SHTLE III
The rifle has a mixture of III and III* components. For example, it has the older cocking piece and the magazine cutoff, but the newer sight protector. The rear sight is square with no windage adjustment. The brass unit disc has been replaced with a wooden plug.
Bluing of barrels was nothing to do with 'oil' (and no oil is used in the process) It is actually a chemical 'browning' of barrels as it is a form of rust, that leaves a blue finish when the whole process is finished.
Hence the name 'Blueing'.
The formulation was a closely guarded secret from the 'head chemist' at each manufacturing plant but details were published in a magazine in the early 1900s that describe the process.
Click the thumbnail and then the 'full page' icon to get it big enough to read.
Do you measure 'scruples' by weight or volume?
---------- Post added at 06:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:16 AM ----------
Oil blackening is applied with heating a metal part and quenching in oil to cause black finish...which isn't so durable.
Interesting aside: I recently watched a documentary on the discovery of two Viking long ships that had been buried in Scandinavia in the 9th or 10th centuries if memory serves me correct. One of the ships had its wooden timbers completely rotted away but they were able to ascertain the ship's length from the oil blackened spikes which survived a Millenia in the damp earth relatively intact.
Mine are not the best, but they are not too bad. I can think of lots of Enfields I'd rather have but instead of constantly striving for more, sometimes it's good to be satisfied with what one has...
I gather from Instructions to Armourers (IIRC) that oil blacking was very commonly used on smaller parts & could be done locally by the armourer in question. I use it a lot in the garage workshop (call me Bubba) on smaller parts for SMLE's, especially where I have had to strike them up to remove corrosion & they would otherwise have no finish left on them.
Most of the rust blues are based on nitric acid, with various other additives to suit the individual needs. I've in recent years experimented with concentrated HNO3 & it works well, so long as you do not expose the piece for too long, as the acid will soon etch into the surface & cause pitting. You definitely need your sensible head on, though, when using such unpleasant chemicals......good gloves, face mask, eye protection, good ventilation etc.
Last edited by Roger Payne; 02-05-2024 at 10:09 AM.
Reason: clarification
PM
Originally Posted by Neuraleanus
