3/44 Winchester

[SRiverrat11]

Okay. I'm learning. Could someone tell me the parts that show its sanded. I really would like to know.

[Bob Seijas]

You might look closely for cold blue, I knew guys who simulated old Park with it.

[SRiverrat11]

You might look closely for cold blue, I knew guys who simulated old Park with it.

Bob, I don't even know what "cold blue" is. Does it rub off? How can I tell? Do you know how it would stay parkerized over the pitting, or was it parkerized after the pitting? I'm still not sure anything's wrong with this rifle. I just have questions.

[browningautorifle]

That's what he's saying. Cold blue is a cream or liquid that can be applied to a somewhat prepared surface. Usually not that durable. Also if it was applied to a pitted, de-rusted surface, you get what you have now. Pits with finish in them. There's too many parts with pits to make me believe this is untouched. The edges of the stock where they meet the metal show a slight rounding. They aren't at the square edge they usually are with original wood. Also the inspector's mark is not very prominent, that indicates sanding. Those were nice and clear.

Now, all that aside, it's still a very desirable rifle to me. I had a Winchester recently and the only reason I parted with it was I got the right price for it... Very nice...

[SRiverrat11]

Okay, thanks Jim. I guess you can only do/see so much from the pictures. Would cold blue look evenly applied? Would I see any spread lines in it? The rifle looks like it has regular parkerizing, but I don't have that many examples. I guess I'm somewhat disappointed because I was told it was a vet bringback, and the photography I saw never showed the pitting. I am happy with what I paid. I know I could part it out for more. ........I never would.

[browningautorifle]

Cold blue can be either well done or poorly. The end result is exactly that. Can be smooth or blotchy. We're still guessing, but the pits tell us there was something amiss. You never did say, is the bore shiny or not? I got the part about it's strength but the condition was never clarified. Don't be disgruntled by the vet bring back story. Always remember, buy the gun not the story. And, it may be true... Doesn't matter, you have a great example there. And even though you didn't buy it for a shooter, it won't hurt to shoot it a bit.

[Bob Seijas]

Cold blue produces a very fine dark blue/black rust that can look like old dark Park, especially after oiling or rubbing on Cosmo. As Jim says, it isn't very durable but it doesn't have to be. It's easily seen on gray Park but hard to spot on dark.

[SRiverrat11]

Thanks Jim and Bob. I checked the bore last night, it had not been cleaned, so I cleaned it. It's sort of dark. The more I brushed and swabbed the shinier it got, but I ran out of time. I'll need to work on it more, but I think its going to stay semi-dark. Grooves are okay, visible, not well pronounced like a new barrel. Isn't there supposed to be a W on the barrel somewhere?

[browningautorifle]

Probably under the op rod on the right side. Just a W... I'm just anal about shiny bores is all. A dark bore will probably shoot just fine, but it speaks about the condition of the rest of the rifle. It all matches. Don't toss it over the side though. I did get rid of the Winchester also because it had a less than stellar bore, now I recall. Also I made money on it so away it went. it also had some mismatched parts that would have cost the world to put right...yours seems OK.

[Bill Hollinger]

I've seen cold blue poorly done that takes on a variety of colors like yellowish green, an iridescent blue, black and even a case hardening look.