WW I Winchester 1897 bolt finish ?

[tatou]

Hi guys,
Simple question like the title says.
What would have been the original finish of a bolt on a WW I 1897 trench gun, out of factory.
Blue or polished bare metal ?
Thanks for your help

Information

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[browningautorifle]

There's a half dozen guys here that will give you info for sure, I think they all came blued from the factory. Canfield's book shows all black, no silver.

[Woodsy]

I had a M97 riot gun with all original finish that was made in 1920. All parts were blued.

[tatou]

Thank you guys, i appreciate the help and infos.
This is also what i believed but wanted to know for sure.
If anybody has any other or contradictory informations please feel free to share it.

[browningautorifle]

If anybody has any other information

There are a few others here you can expect to hear from...I hope...

Got pics?

[James B.]

Mine has blue finish on bolt. Just looked at my WWII M97 and it's blue also.
JB

[Bruce Canfield]

The bolts were blued.

[tatou]

There are a few others here you can expect to hear from...I hope...

Got pics?

Oups … old tread… sorry i just saw you asked for pics so i figured i would show the end result.
This was an old beat up 1897 Winchester that had already been cut up so i decided to make a trench gun out of it.
The finish had already been tempered with so no real harm was done.
New wood, metal was refinished and a repro heat shield installed.
Attachment 108326

[browningautorifle]

Good choice too. Where did you get your repro heat shield, I had one I was going to do that with a Mod 12 but found the job wasn't going to work out right so I sold it on CGN I think... Don't remember who get it...about a year ago I think. Yours turned out right, nice...

[tatou]

Good choice too. Where did you get your repro heat shield, I had one I was going to do that with a Mod 12 but found the job wasn't going to work out right so I sold it on CGN I think... Don't remember who get it...about a year ago I think. Yours turned out right, nice...

The heat shield came from Parts For Antique Guns, in Georgia. I had already bought one for a M12 a couple of years before and was pleased with the quality.
They are the only one that have the ''rivets'' holding the heat shield to the bayonet lug. Other's are tack welded i think.
The only negative i could give them is the screws… they are very very soft and strip easily. So new ones are a must.

I gave all the metal to Nick at Vulcangunrefinishing and he did a great job on it. He also made the new screws needed.
The gun wasn't functioning properly and needed some work on the inners, he took care of that too.
I did the wood myself. I bought new wood from Macon Gunstock in Missouri.
The butt comes ''semi inlet'' and requires a great deal of fitting but the wood is beautiful. Worth it imho.
Those early M97 were finished with varnish so i finished mine with wipe on polyurethane.
Not 100% original (the whole gun isn't anyway) but i just like the looks of it over simple varnish.