worn park on m1917

i aquired a m1917 with well worn park from ww2 rebuild.it has matching manufactures parts except sights,good barrel and wood,but park on reciever is well worn. i'm thinking on blueing the thing as per original. am i thinking in the wrong direction?

Hard to make a bluing job look "right". Park is the way to go. Just get a zinc park job.

Like he says it's hard to blue after a park. If it's not perfect then the park shows up as dull streaks. After all, it was arsenal redone.

i didn't know blueing dosn't work right after park,i guess it's park then.may as well crown it also,then park. i kind of figured since it had already bee rehashed it won't hurt to do again.thanks for direction to go.

I have re-blued 1911s by glass blasting the old finish to bare metal and then bluing. If you want it to look parked, blue it without polishing. If you want a bright finish polish it with up to 1000 paper. Both finishes look like a new gun. It may be a lot of work, but it will be worth it. Just don't cut corners.
B

spend the money and have it done right...though it can be blued...its a costly adveture to polish down the sandblast finish that was done for the phosphate.
manganese phosphate with blue trim is your best bet, and will look the best.

Why not just clean it and leave it as it is, it is part of the gun's legitimate history. As we used to say in the '70s, a new finish on an old rifle is like putting an 80 year old guy in a leisure suit. He may look okay but it is just plain silly.

:nono:

Need pictures!!

what would you rather have, a rusty, crusty 1966 GTO, or a nicely painted, restored, new correct seat,s rebuilt engine, that turns heads.???
first car is would sell for 3 grand. restored? 35,000 grand...
on the other end.
a nice original unmolested rifle, car, bike ect...should be cleaned, and cared for....and played with carefully. it will always be worth more then any restored example.
but this rifle has been refinished at some time.....so making it nice....will improve its value....if done right.

Question for Chuck. What parts would you polish and blue and which would you use the manganese phosphate on? Thanks.
john

the original question was to reblue said rifle, so i would have to hand polish the intire rifle...
if you wanted it phosphated and blued..
i would blue the bolt assembly, tang screws, rear sight assembly, front sight blade, bayonet lug screw, trigger assembly, and parkerze the rest in manganese phosphate.
keep in mind that some Winchester 17 bolts are hardened Nickle steel, and dont blue well..

you guys are slow but good,funding has forced me to leave it as is for now. a repark and blue of small parts would surely look nice. i have a 1947 ind chief, if i left it alone i wouldnt be riding it. thank you for all the wonderful ideas

Always glad to help. Don't forget us in the end. If and when you re-do it pics before and after would be nice.