No4 Rifle WW2 metal finish?

[Schnitzelmahn]

Hello!

I am currently working on restoring a 1943 Savage No4mk1* - it is a barreled action that I will be putting New NOS wood onto. My concern is that once i put NOS hardware and furniture on the rifle, it might look a little strange with the receiver looking quite worn. Also the hardware i got does not match the grey parkerized receiver...just nitpicks but leads me to my main question:

I have heard that units in the second world war would apply "blackening" to rifles. From what I have heard this is not a factory applied finish, but something that goes over it. I have no idea what this finish is, whether it is blueing, paint (suncorite?), or some other process. I figure this might be my way of getting a rifle with metal that looks good and colour matching while still being historically accurate.

Would anybody know what this "blackening" process was?

thanks!

Information

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[browningautorifle]

You're talking about Suncorite paint, which was applied over bluing.

[Schnitzelmahn]

thanks for clearing things up for me! I have heard that suncorite is a postwar thing, ive also heard the opposite.

[Peter Laidler]

Sunkorite was a mid war process. But to be done properly, it was applied over a bead blasted or tumbled sinish, phosphated and then painted with over cured and hardened sunkorite paint.

[Seaspriter]

I am currently working on restoring a 1943 Savage No4mk1*

I have a 1944 Savage No4Mk1* with its original finish -- which was phosphated (Parkerized). As this was a battle gun, and there are places where the finish has worn very thin. I suspect one thing that may have been done is to apply cold black over worn areas, which can be done easily in the field.

[dseder]

When I was bringing my father's No4 Mk1/2 (F) back to configuration I found that I had two options - one was to send to Brian Dick for suncrolite application (he had a little left over - not sure about now), or using Brownell's Aluma-Hyde. The suncrolite, plus shipping the rifle, etc. was a little more than I was wanting to pay, having just purchased all the wood, hardware, etc. from him. I decided to try the Aluma-Hyde - in my opinion it went on easy, looks absolutely great, and looks almost authentic.

[Schnitzelmahn]

alright thanks for the input, the gun already has a parkerized (phosphate?) finish, so my guess is that i can apply my modern "suncorite" stand in over top of that once I've properly cleaned and degreased it?

[Flying10uk]

I think that if it was mine I would just leave the metalwork as it is and just replace the wood. Obviously, once you have refinished the metalwork you can't put it back to how it was if you decide you don't like the result. I have replaced the wood on a couple of Le-enfields and left the metalwork as it is. There are scratches and dings to the finish but that's what you would expect on a rifle more than 70 years old.

[Brian Dick]

Savage rifles were never Parkerized, (phosphated), at the factory. The receiver bodies were sandblasted and all the metal parts were blued using the Dulite process, much the same as at the S.A.L. Long Branch factory except the Canadians didn't sandblast the receiver bodies. The sand blasted surface gives a Parkerized look but it's just bluing and no where near as durable as Parkerizing. Long Branch switched to Parkerizing at some point in 1950 in the 93LXXXX serial number range. All of their factory weapons were Parkerized from then on including wartime rifles that went through rebuild/FTR. You'll still see a mix of blued and Parkerized barrel bands and other small parts throughout production as they used the parts on hand during assembly. The MoD started phosphating, painting with Suncorite 259 and baking in 1944. The Sten Mk.5 SMG was the first weapon to be produced new at the factory with the new rustproof finish if memory serves and it became the standard finish on British weapons up until it was finally declared obsolete 4-5 years ago. Quite a service life! It's the ultimate rustproof finish and tough as nails.

[Schnitzelmahn]

I think that if it was mine I would just leave the metalwork as it is and just replace the wood

Feel as though the worn metal work isn't going to match my NOS stock set and hardware (which is black, not sure the finish) My goal with the project is to restore the rifle as it would have looked going into WW2 when it would have seen battle.

Savage rifles were never Parkerized, (phosphated), at the factory

The MoD started phosphating, painting with Suncorite 259 and baking in 1944

Good to know - would you by any chance know when in 1944 this practice was adpoted? Would rifles used in normandy have been finished with suncorite? I guess given this date rifles in the Italian campaign would not have been finished this way?


So the question remains since suncorite is toxic and hard to get, what modern alternative should I use? Ive heard of BBQ paint, the Brownells spray, car paint, etc. Any input on which offers the best protection while still not requiring too much special equipment to apply?