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Thread: Springfield's Transition to Zinc from Manganese Parkerization.

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  1. #1
    Contributing Member jesse_'s Avatar
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    Springfield's Transition to Zinc from Manganese Parkerization.

    I've tried to do some research, but all that I seem to find are somewhat offhand comments about the arsenals switchover sometime in early 1944. That seemed late due to the number of zinc parked rifles out there, but after remembering just how many went through rebuild it makes sense for so many to be zinc.

    Do we have an actual date?

    Were receivers, bolts, and barrels switched over first (maybe that park line had the greatest throughput so switched over first)?

    Are there original transition rifles that have a mix of zinc and mang (I think that Carbines were like that). As a side note, there are transitional US web gear where both OD number 7 and OD number 3 was used for different parts of the finished good.

    I don't like refinishing anything without a knowledge of "what should of been".

    Warm Regards,
    Jesse
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    Legacy Member RCS's Avatar
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    Springfield M1 from April 1944

    I have what I believe to be an original April 1944 rifle that came from a veterans estate sale in a remote area of Wisconsin years ago. This is is complete as issued in 1944 and has seen service but still has a nice bore. The rifle has a lighter color as noted by my photos
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    Contributing Member jesse_'s Avatar
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    Thanks for the data point!

    Do you notice any black parts amid the grey zinc? Is the clip latch black/dark grey?

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    Contributing Member Bob Seijas's Avatar
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    Spring 1944

    Here's three neighbors:
    Real men measure once and cut.

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    Legacy Member RCS's Avatar
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    Jesse, I did remove the clip latch, the back is light gray. My photo shows the outside of the clip latch to be a darker
    color, but it is light gray and use in service plus the casting show different in my photo.

    also like to include the data on 270090

    Rec Leg D 28291 32 065 B <>
    Barrel 1SA 4 44
    bolt -12SA S-A1<>
    rear sight square lock bar
    stock SA GAW
    trigger housing -12-SA
    hammer 5 SA
    follower 12
    follower rod long fork
    op rod D35382 9 SA uncut
    Last edited by RCS; 04-12-2022 at 06:08 PM.

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    Legacy Member Jeremy's Avatar
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    Does this help? 2.76 SA. Flash washed it out a little but it's only pic I have handy


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    Contributing Member jesse_'s Avatar
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    Thanks!. That's a gorgeous rifle. That's as zinc as one gets methinks. Also, almost no or no green from the chromate conversion bath.

    But the oprod and lock bar look to be manganese.

    Have to ask, is it in original condition? I suspect that many depots didn't do the chromate rinse after park (to remove free iron that gets deposited on the surface as you park).

    Also, is that a curve cut -9 oprod or earlier?

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    Legacy Member Jeremy's Avatar
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    The top half of the rifle is for sure. Came out of the box at the CMPicon/GCAicon 2002? Anniston box opening party. It was an upper half. The stock was loose in the box and no trigger group. So I found one and assembled it and brought it home. Several looked at the top half and we all agreed it was original.

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    Legacy Member Ms15710's Avatar
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    It may not be terribly relevant, but nevertheless, here is a set of photos of my 2.76 SA as well; admittedly, I am very new to collecting M1icon Rifles and am trying to learn a lot more about them.

    Garand - Album on Imgur

    This is the finish on my receiver. In person, it has much more of a dark green-brown color to it. I do not know what the original parkerized finish on the rifle is, which is admittedly why I am posting this here, as well as to learn more about what original parkerized rifles tend to look like.

    Would manganese parkerizing give it that dark green look if it has been sitting for so long?

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    Advisory Panel browningautorifle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ms15710 View Post
    here is a set of photos of my 2.76 SA
    Nice lookin' rifle Mike...conjecture is the lubricants of the time or preservatives are what gave the greenish tinge. Yours has been handled lots and not abused so it has the glassy finish look to it that's unmistakable original park...
    Regards, Jim

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