Finish on Savage #4?

[me2]

What did Savage use for metal finish?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[jmoore]

Some sort of phosphate conversion finish seems the rule. "Parkerizing" or similar, but what EXACT commercial name I can't remember! Anybody? Seems like they ran a coarser bead blast than many other makers.

[krinko]

Savage used the Dulite blueing process which has several odd characteristics.
Among them:
1.Under magnification, air bubble holes can sometimes be seen.
2.When it ages, it can go grey and look like Parkerizing.
-----krinko

[Amatikulu]

And, you can still find the Dulite process

http://du-lite.com/

[jmoore]

Note that Du-lite offers two Phosphate finishes:

Zinc phosphate:

http://www.du-lite.com/store/scripts...p?idproduct=44


And manganese phosphate:

http://www.du-lite.com/store/scripts...p?idproduct=43

I think it's the zinc phosphate variant that was used.

---------- Post added at 12:42 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:40 AM ----------

Although they offer the manganese phosphate as the "proper" WWII finish.

[me2]

Thanks for the answers! Will likely never re-do a finish but nice to know just what they used. Surprised to see Du-Lite is still around, must be a pretty good finish if they have been in business for so long. The complete setup for the process is a bit on the pricey side.

[jmoore]

Du-Lite finishes are also common on M1 carbines and M1911s, IIRC. The appearance varies from the various weapons mfgs. due to surface prep variations and processing differences. It makes duplicating a particular weapon's finish a bit of an art, which most folk don't get exactly correct- fortunately for the "condition" collectors!

[Brian Dick]

The original Dulite wasn't phosphate, just bluing. The sand blasted preparation of the receivers made many think it was Parkerizing or phosphate but it's just the same as the lightly polished finish on the barrels.

[jmoore]

Ach, so. It doesn't appear on first glance that Du-Lite currently offers a regular bluing chemical, or am I just missing it? The stainless steel blacking surely isn't what was used!

[Brian Dick]

I'm pretty sure they offer bluing chemicals as well as Parkerizing phosphate but the Dulite of today is really in name only. Paul Krogh, who is the premier Thompson mechanic here in the USA, uses it to match the original finish or wartime Savage and other TSMG's. He told me that it's just bluing. I think Long Branch wartime production rifles were also blued with the same specification chemicals. They just don't sport the sand blasted finish on the receivers.