Colts transition from bluing to parkerizing.

carp8695 · March 18, 2014, 02:05 PM

Hello...I might have a trying question here. I have been trying to figure out if my 1941 colt GI was blued or parkerized. I know colt started the transition from blushing to parkerizing that yr. The serial# is 731,397. Does anyone have the answer?

Chris_B · March 18, 2014, 06:48 PM

What's your pistol's finish right now? Can you supply a photo?

Colt began parkerizing in May 1941. Your pistol seems to have originally been blued but that is an educated guess; end of year 1941 was around 756000

Jim Watson · March 18, 2014, 07:28 PM

Clawson says 729993 was listed as Parkerized by Colt, but "routine Parkerizing was not initiated until about SN 734000. Bluing continued to be used on a decreasing scale through SN 760000. During the transition period blued and Parkerized parts were intermixed but the receiver and slide always required the same type of finish."

Sounds like blue is more likely correct, but not guaranteed.

What color is yours and is it uniform?
Got pictures?

RickB · March 19, 2014, 12:07 PM

My '42 pistol, 779k, has (had) small parts with a darker finish than the slide and frame, but I think they were all parkerized.

carp8695 · March 19, 2014, 01:28 PM

I will post a pic soon but it has been cromed.

carp8695 · March 19, 2014, 01:33 PM

I want to refinish my 1941 and can Parkerize it my self but never done any kind of blushing. Another thing is the markings are so crisp right now.

Don P · March 20, 2014, 10:10 AM

Quote:

I will post a pic soon but it has been cromed.

Quote:

I want to refinish my 1941 and can Parkerize it my self but never done any kind of blushing. Another thing is the markings are so crisp right now.

73 years of patina going down the drain. Seems the OP isn't sure what finish will be put on the gun, chrome, parkerized.
Parkerizing will need to be sand blasted with aluminum oxide first, then the parkerizing can be done. Blasting will un-crisp the roll marks.

As for the misspelled words spell check works

Chris_B · March 20, 2014, 05:16 PM

"Patina" is in my opinion over-rated. My prior hobby was vintage cars, they cost several times what a 1941 Colt costs and honestly? It's pretty hard to convince a collector in cars that "patina" is best. We put up with patina in old firearms. Some people think that's how an old gun is supposed to look and that's fine but compared to the original finish it's a sad substitute. People also say "its original only once", and yes that's true but unless the firearm came that way, patina is not original either.

Jim Watson · March 20, 2014, 08:30 PM

If it was chrome plated without washing the markings, it deserves a nice refinish, maybe a true restoration. 1941 Colts are uncommon enough not to bubba them up.

Bill DeShivs · March 21, 2014, 12:20 AM

Removing the chrome might be a problem at home.
The best bet is to have a professional do the refinish.

Chris_B · March 21, 2014, 08:33 PM

...and you owe us a photo of the '41 Colt!

carp8695 · March 22, 2014, 06:11 PM

https://m.yahoo.com/w/ygo-mail/messa...tl=us&.lang=en

carp8695 · March 22, 2014, 10:16 PM

Here's the pic.

carp8695 · March 22, 2014, 11:20 PM

Sorry for all the tried attemps.

carp8695 · March 22, 2014, 11:33 PM

Sorry for all the tried attemps.

carp8695 · March 22, 2014, 11:39 PM

I had everything to parkerize b4 I deployed to Iraq. And I'm sure I can handle it at home. I have reparked 3 M1's and they all sold over a grand. The Colt has a matching slide and the letters r still crisp.

Chris_B · March 23, 2014, 06:40 AM

If you like later on I can help posting photos. Right now I have to go to the supermarket before everybody, their brother, and his dog show up

Chris_B · March 23, 2014, 07:44 AM

To post here, the photos need to be hosted somewhere, I don't think you can upload from your PC. Even if you can, the most flexible method is to have them hosted online.

I use photobucket ( www.photobucket.com ) although I dislike how they have made so many changes in a comparatively short amount of time But it works.

You'd register at a hosting site- photobucket is still free for the basic service- and then use their 'upload' feature to put photos into your library. Then you'd click on the photo in your library. This takes you to a new screen, with code listed on the right side. You're interested in the 'img' code.

You copy the code- for photobucket currently just clicking the code will copy the code - and then you paste the image into a message here (I have screwed up this code below on purpose so you can see what it looks like)

URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Chuck_Older/media/19031911-1.jpg.html]IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/Chuck_Older/19031911-1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

And if you copy it without screwing it up on purpose, it ends up doing this:

March 18, 2014, 02:05 PM	#1
carp8695 Junior Member Join Date: March 17, 2014 Posts: 8	Colts transition from bluing to parkerizing. Hello...I might have a trying question here. I have been trying to figure out if my 1941 colt GI was blued or parkerized. I know colt started the transition from blushing to parkerizing that yr. The serial# is 731,397. Does anyone have the answer? Last edited by carp8695; March 18, 2014 at 02:35 PM. Reason: misspell

March 19, 2014, 01:28 PM	#5
carp8695 Junior Member Join Date: March 17, 2014 Posts: 8	I will post a pic soon but it has been cromed. Last edited by carp8695; March 19, 2014 at 01:34 PM. Reason: misspell

March 21, 2014, 12:20 AM	#10
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,987	Removing the chrome might be a problem at home. The best bet is to have a professional do the refinish. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

March 22, 2014, 10:16 PM	#13
carp8695 Junior Member Join Date: March 17, 2014 Posts: 8	my colt 1941 Here's the pic.

March 22, 2014, 11:20 PM	#14
carp8695 Junior Member Join Date: March 17, 2014 Posts: 8	1941 colt Sorry for all the tried attemps.

March 18, 2014, 06:48 PM	#2
Chris_B Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2007 Posts: 3,101	What's your pistol's finish right now? Can you supply a photo? Colt began parkerizing in May 1941. Your pistol seems to have originally been blued but that is an educated guess; end of year 1941 was around 756000

March 18, 2014, 07:28 PM	#3
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,545	Clawson says 729993 was listed as Parkerized by Colt, but "routine Parkerizing was not initiated until about SN 734000. Bluing continued to be used on a decreasing scale through SN 760000. During the transition period blued and Parkerized parts were intermixed but the receiver and slide always required the same type of finish." Sounds like blue is more likely correct, but not guaranteed. What color is yours and is it uniform? Got pictures?

March 19, 2014, 12:07 PM	#4
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	My '42 pistol, 779k, has (had) small parts with a darker finish than the slide and frame, but I think they were all parkerized.

March 19, 2014, 01:33 PM	#6
carp8695 Junior Member Join Date: March 17, 2014 Posts: 8	I want to refinish my 1941 and can Parkerize it my self but never done any kind of blushing. Another thing is the markings are so crisp right now.

March 20, 2014, 05:16 PM	#8
Chris_B Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2007 Posts: 3,101	"Patina" is in my opinion over-rated. My prior hobby was vintage cars, they cost several times what a 1941 Colt costs and honestly? It's pretty hard to convince a collector in cars that "patina" is best. We put up with patina in old firearms. Some people think that's how an old gun is supposed to look and that's fine but compared to the original finish it's a sad substitute. People also say "its original only once", and yes that's true but unless the firearm came that way, patina is not original either.

March 20, 2014, 08:30 PM	#9
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,545	If it was chrome plated without washing the markings, it deserves a nice refinish, maybe a true restoration. 1941 Colts are uncommon enough not to bubba them up.

March 21, 2014, 08:33 PM	#11
Chris_B Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2007 Posts: 3,101	...and you owe us a photo of the '41 Colt!

March 22, 2014, 06:11 PM	#12
carp8695 Junior Member Join Date: March 17, 2014 Posts: 8	https://m.yahoo.com/w/ygo-mail/messa...tl=us&.lang=en

March 22, 2014, 11:33 PM	#15
carp8695 Junior Member Join Date: March 17, 2014 Posts: 8	1941 colt Sorry for all the tried attemps.

March 22, 2014, 11:39 PM	#16
carp8695 Junior Member Join Date: March 17, 2014 Posts: 8	parkerizing I had everything to parkerize b4 I deployed to Iraq. And I'm sure I can handle it at home. I have reparked 3 M1's and they all sold over a grand. The Colt has a matching slide and the letters r still crisp.

March 23, 2014, 06:40 AM	#17
Chris_B Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2007 Posts: 3,101	If you like later on I can help posting photos. Right now I have to go to the supermarket before everybody, their brother, and his dog show up

March 23, 2014, 07:44 AM	#18
Chris_B Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2007 Posts: 3,101	To post here, the photos need to be hosted somewhere, I don't think you can upload from your PC. Even if you can, the most flexible method is to have them hosted online. I use photobucket ( www.photobucket.com ) although I dislike how they have made so many changes in a comparatively short amount of time But it works. You'd register at a hosting site- photobucket is still free for the basic service- and then use their 'upload' feature to put photos into your library. Then you'd click on the photo in your library. This takes you to a new screen, with code listed on the right side. You're interested in the 'img' code. You copy the code- for photobucket currently just clicking the code will copy the code - and then you paste the image into a message here (I have screwed up this code below on purpose so you can see what it looks like) URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Chuck_Older/media/19031911-1.jpg.html]IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v441/Chuck_Older/19031911-1.jpg[/IMG][/URL] And if you copy it without screwing it up on purpose, it ends up doing this: