Color of Remington Reciever

[marsche]

I bought an M1917 Remington. It has an original barrel and a great bore. The blue is excellent and very deep and dark from the rear of the receiver ring going forward toward the muzzle and from the front of the sight ears going to the rear toward the butt. However on the left of the receiver it is green in color. I saw a couple other M1917 rifles that looked just like mine on Internet auctions. All were Remington and all had the same green color in the same place along the left side of the receiver. Does anyone know the possible cause? The difference between the blue and the green color is striking and distinct. I thought of several different ways this could happen but was wondering if anyone knew the real story.

Thanks,

Marsche

Information

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[Jim K]

I don't recall seeing anything like that. My Remington and others I have seen are a glossy black (not shiny, but not dull, either) all over.

M1903A3 receiver Parkerizing often is quite green; not just a greenish tinge like most M1 receivers, but very definitely green, but I have never seen that kind of finish on a Model 1917.

The only think I can think of that would cause a green color in that way would be heat.

Jim

[Chuckindenver]

the phosphate they use on A3,s isnt the same as the type used on 17,s.
the A3,s actually used a light grey, that turned green after with curing oil they used, and largely from being in grease for 40 years.
the darker colors on the ends of a 1917 is from being anealed, they did this at both ends to keep them from cracking.

[Jim K]

The greenish color is not from oil, Cosmolene, hand grease, dirt, or Irish leprechauns, since I have two early M1 rifles which have greenish receivers and they are green everywhere, even under the rear sight where no oil or Irishmen ever got. Also the receivers are green but the barrels are black, so I question how the oil was kept from getting on the barrel and turning it green.

There have been several explanations of the greenish cast; the most sensible is that it came from the type of phosphating used. One guy was sure that SA made the rifles, then laid them out in the sun for 3-4 months to turn them green. For some reason, I doubt that.

I could buy the annealing explanation, but my 1917's don't show any green color or annealing, and I have never seen any that did. They are blue or blue-black except for the ones Parkerized as part of a rebuild in the WWII era, and the Parkerizing used doesn't show a green color.

Jim

Jim

[marsche]

I am not sure if I know how to upload a picture but I will give it a try. Look at the photo. The two white arrows show where the blue (black) stops and between it is a greenish color. The blue just suddenly stops. The rifle over-all is very nice and it has an original May 1918 barrel. It is a 3 GM-K rebuild. Like I mentioned before, I have seen several others that are green in the same place and all of the ones I saw were Remington.

I uploaded an picture in an attachment. Hopefully I have it figured out right so it is available to the users of the forum.

[Chuckindenver]

the green tint is from a chromeate{spelling} in the curing oil in parkolubrite phosphate, the barrel is a different type of steel and not hardened and thats why its darker then the rest,
i refinish the barrels and receivers together at the same time, the receiver allways comes out lighter then the barrel,
M1 Garand receivers are not the same as 1917 receivers.
1917 receivers are made with 3% nickle steel. Garand receivers are not.
Garand recievers are heat treat hardened, 17,s are not.
all those come into play when the coating is applyed.
the picture of the 17 above clearly shows the ends anealed, from what i was told by Nick Ferris, they dipped them in a hot lead type mixture to soften them to prevent cracking.
they also anealed some Garand recievers at the rear to soften them so the bolt wouldnt slam into the shooters face or shatering if it had a failure,
they are dark on the back end of the recievers.
1911A1 pistols were hardened at the end of the slide, and at the slide catch cut, and saftey cut, also giving them a 2 tone look.

[Chuckindenver]

heres a couple pics, one is of my Eddystone 1917 you can see the light center, and the darker receiver ring and tang, said rifle is parkerized.
second is a Winchester M12 trench gun, the small spot at the corner of if the bolt opening, is from being hardened in that small area, its called the thumbprint model 12 for that mark, and done on later 12 trench and riot guns.
i have a 1911A1, and the Garand as well, but they are deaper in the safe.

[Chuckindenver]

by the way, all but the very very early Winchester 17,s were annealed to prevent cracking.
even the blued rifles, sometimes you have to take them out into the sun to see it, but its there.
if i remeber right only SA made garands were annealed, id have to do some more reading.
My HRA isnt, and my Win13 isnt.

[Tom Doniphon]

Both WWII Springfield and Winchester Garands were annealed.

Some were annealed after assembly and issue as well as during repair. It's believed some Springfield receivers (and perhaps Winchester's too) were annealed at the factory once the cracking problem was discovered.

When the new type of steel was used during WWII, it was no longer necesssary to anneal receivers. That's why no post War M1s show annealing.

[Dan Wilson]

Okay, what your seeing is the annealing of the receiver.

Here is a pic with both a blued and parked receiver and you can see the difference in the finish on both of them.

Dan