Does anyone know the type of bluing that was used on a 52B made in 1949? Also is there anyone you would recommend to do this type bluing on a restoration?
Thanks,
Mark
Thanks,
Mark
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Winchester 52 Bluing
- Thread starter Raven 6
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Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
from a keeping a value of the firearm standpoint, a reblueing usually takes away from the value.
i don't know what type of blueing they had, but just 2 cents on "restoring" the rifle. they usually keep better value and collectability in its current condition.
same thing with refinishing the stock.
from a keeping a value of the firearm standpoint, a reblueing usually takes away from the value.
i don't know what type of blueing they had, but just 2 cents on "restoring" the rifle. they usually keep better value and collectability in its current condition.
same thing with refinishing the stock.
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
I'm not to concerned with keeping the value as long as the new finish looks like new. It has a pretty good scratch in the bluing on the barrel and I want to get that taken care of. This is one of those rifles that will not be sold so value to me in not monetary.
I'm not to concerned with keeping the value as long as the new finish looks like new. It has a pretty good scratch in the bluing on the barrel and I want to get that taken care of. This is one of those rifles that will not be sold so value to me in not monetary.
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
The barrel on a 49'B would be rust blue, the receiver should be a slightly different color (more shiny and darker). Right around late 1960 during the 52C series Winchester went to a Dulite finish on barrel (which is dark and shiny). I'm assuming that you own a B target and not a B sporter? ....if its a sporter than I would not touch a thing on it as I'm sure you know, they are rare, highly collectable and worth a substantial amount of money.
The barrel on a 49'B would be rust blue, the receiver should be a slightly different color (more shiny and darker). Right around late 1960 during the 52C series Winchester went to a Dulite finish on barrel (which is dark and shiny). I'm assuming that you own a B target and not a B sporter? ....if its a sporter than I would not touch a thing on it as I'm sure you know, they are rare, highly collectable and worth a substantial amount of money.
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
This is a target, sporters are very rare as you state. Now for the magical question, who would you trust to do rust bluing on a prized Winchester 52?
Thanks
This is a target, sporters are very rare as you state. Now for the magical question, who would you trust to do rust bluing on a prized Winchester 52?
Thanks
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: M.Williams</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This is a target, sporters are very rare as you state. Now for the magical question, who would you trust to do rust bluing on a prized Winchester 52?
Thanks </div></div>
I would send it to Turnbull Restoration...no one knows rust blue like they do.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: M.Williams</div><div class="ubbcode-body">This is a target, sporters are very rare as you state. Now for the magical question, who would you trust to do rust bluing on a prized Winchester 52?
Thanks </div></div>
I would send it to Turnbull Restoration...no one knows rust blue like they do.
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
Thanks for the information. I've already talked to Turnbull and they emailed back and said they didn't work on Winchester 52's, which I don't understand at all but????
Thanks for the information. I've already talked to Turnbull and they emailed back and said they didn't work on Winchester 52's, which I don't understand at all but????
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
C'mon the scratches arent that Bad! lol!
Mark try fords custom, fordsguns.com I had them do a couple 1911's and hard chrome some blasting cap crimpers and they all came out perfect.
C'mon the scratches arent that Bad! lol!
Mark try fords custom, fordsguns.com I had them do a couple 1911's and hard chrome some blasting cap crimpers and they all came out perfect.
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
I would have suggested Steven Dodd Hughes but his website says he isn't currently taking in restoration or repair work but perhaps he will recommend someone.
SDH Custom Gunmaking
Nice pictures of the Rust Bluing process
SDH Rust Bluing
I would have suggested Steven Dodd Hughes but his website says he isn't currently taking in restoration or repair work but perhaps he will recommend someone.
SDH Custom Gunmaking
Nice pictures of the Rust Bluing process
SDH Rust Bluing
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
Sir,
I can tell you several people who can make it look perfect, new. Each one will charge you more than a 52B target rifle is worth. Value of rifle is approx 1000 if otherwise nice, Rust blue will cost 1500. Get used to it or sell it and buy a better one would be my advice. If you have a cheaper job done, it will look like dodo.
Sir,
I can tell you several people who can make it look perfect, new. Each one will charge you more than a 52B target rifle is worth. Value of rifle is approx 1000 if otherwise nice, Rust blue will cost 1500. Get used to it or sell it and buy a better one would be my advice. If you have a cheaper job done, it will look like dodo.
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
^^^ Correct.
That said, you won't do any more harm to the gun than has already been done using a bit of cold-blue on a q-tip. Damage is done. Polishing it and re-bluing (without exactly matching the Winchester finish) will cause far more harm.
A bit of cold blue touching in the visible spot will at least make it go away... the gun is fully usable... and it won't have hurt the other finish or the stampings/markings, etc.
There are 52 restoration specialists as RTH says. They are expensive. Unless you really want to dump double into the gun than it's worth... touch it up as best you can, move on and enjoy a suberbly accurate rifle. Mine is a one-holer on a small bore range. I used to call it my 'money gun' because I won so many 50-50 shoots with it up at the old Edwards firing range outside Cols. Oh.
Of note, An interesting fact of rust bluing and case hardening is that environmental conditions of the area where it is done affect the outcome. When the Chas. Parker company moved from Meriden, Ct. to Ilion NY with the Remington purchase, the case hardening was never the same. Larry DelGrego Sr., the late master Parker Restorer, could never quite get it to match because of the different humidity, salinity, etc. Interesting... I would have thought that there was not enough difference, but he always claimed that the same equipment running the same processes by many of the same people was just never the same at Remington. And this was with bone, not Cynide, coloring.
So there may be other factors in the process than just re-rust bluing. Restoration is a slippery slope on some guns.
OP... please post some pictures. I love to see 52's!
Cheers,
Sirhr
^^^ Correct.
That said, you won't do any more harm to the gun than has already been done using a bit of cold-blue on a q-tip. Damage is done. Polishing it and re-bluing (without exactly matching the Winchester finish) will cause far more harm.
A bit of cold blue touching in the visible spot will at least make it go away... the gun is fully usable... and it won't have hurt the other finish or the stampings/markings, etc.
There are 52 restoration specialists as RTH says. They are expensive. Unless you really want to dump double into the gun than it's worth... touch it up as best you can, move on and enjoy a suberbly accurate rifle. Mine is a one-holer on a small bore range. I used to call it my 'money gun' because I won so many 50-50 shoots with it up at the old Edwards firing range outside Cols. Oh.
Of note, An interesting fact of rust bluing and case hardening is that environmental conditions of the area where it is done affect the outcome. When the Chas. Parker company moved from Meriden, Ct. to Ilion NY with the Remington purchase, the case hardening was never the same. Larry DelGrego Sr., the late master Parker Restorer, could never quite get it to match because of the different humidity, salinity, etc. Interesting... I would have thought that there was not enough difference, but he always claimed that the same equipment running the same processes by many of the same people was just never the same at Remington. And this was with bone, not Cynide, coloring.
So there may be other factors in the process than just re-rust bluing. Restoration is a slippery slope on some guns.
OP... please post some pictures. I love to see 52's!
Cheers,
Sirhr
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
I think you will find the late B model targets were blued conventionally with the "Dulite" process as Winchester called it. For some reason Winchester started using the rust blue process("Browning" as Winchester called it), on the C model barrels in the early 50's. This process was dropped 12/19/60 by notification on Product Change Notice. Reason for change was cost. At the time, the only other firearm that used this process was the model 21 shotgun. Subsequent to this notice, the "Browning" facility was torn down in the plant, and a small unit was provided in Custom shop to brown the 21's.
The only exceptions to this that I'm aware of was the Bull Gun model, which had the barrel sandblasted first then Dulite blued. This gave it a non glare finish. Why this was done on the Bull Guns only, I have never been able to determine.
This non glare finish is sometimes mistaken for the "mottled" finish applied to the stainless steel barrels, i.e., 220 Swift Model 70 etc.
Steve
I think you will find the late B model targets were blued conventionally with the "Dulite" process as Winchester called it. For some reason Winchester started using the rust blue process("Browning" as Winchester called it), on the C model barrels in the early 50's. This process was dropped 12/19/60 by notification on Product Change Notice. Reason for change was cost. At the time, the only other firearm that used this process was the model 21 shotgun. Subsequent to this notice, the "Browning" facility was torn down in the plant, and a small unit was provided in Custom shop to brown the 21's.
The only exceptions to this that I'm aware of was the Bull Gun model, which had the barrel sandblasted first then Dulite blued. This gave it a non glare finish. Why this was done on the Bull Guns only, I have never been able to determine.
This non glare finish is sometimes mistaken for the "mottled" finish applied to the stainless steel barrels, i.e., 220 Swift Model 70 etc.
Steve
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
I have just purchased this from a fellow Hide member and haven't taken possession of the rifle yet (next weekend). It has a scratch in the barrel and I would like to have it repaired. I may have over stated my intent, I would like to repair the scratch or have the rifle re-blued to look new, not necessarily a full restoration as in factory new, my mistake on stating it that way. And who knows it might not look as bad once I see it in person. This is my second 52, the first one I had to sell years ago when I was first married to cover life (if your married with kids you know what I mean). This one is the exact model and am probably over excited to have another one. Thanks everyone for your input.
I have just purchased this from a fellow Hide member and haven't taken possession of the rifle yet (next weekend). It has a scratch in the barrel and I would like to have it repaired. I may have over stated my intent, I would like to repair the scratch or have the rifle re-blued to look new, not necessarily a full restoration as in factory new, my mistake on stating it that way. And who knows it might not look as bad once I see it in person. This is my second 52, the first one I had to sell years ago when I was first married to cover life (if your married with kids you know what I mean). This one is the exact model and am probably over excited to have another one. Thanks everyone for your input.
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rth1800</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Learn something every day. There is some kind of new besides factory new. Sounds like a nice 52 is headed for a Bubba blue tank. </div></div>
Perhaps we let this thread die, I have gotten the information I was asking for. Now I've got to go find BUBBA to see if he has a tank he can blue my barrel in, sure hope old BUBBA knows how to fix them there chemicals
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rth1800</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Learn something every day. There is some kind of new besides factory new. Sounds like a nice 52 is headed for a Bubba blue tank. </div></div>
Perhaps we let this thread die, I have gotten the information I was asking for. Now I've got to go find BUBBA to see if he has a tank he can blue my barrel in, sure hope old BUBBA knows how to fix them there chemicals
Re: Winchester 52 Bluing
M.W,
Congrats on the 52B purchase. Nasty barrel scratch or not, I am sure it is a shooter
Drop by my 52 link and post a pick. Always good to see another 52 out there getting used.
Regards,
DS
M.W,
Congrats on the 52B purchase. Nasty barrel scratch or not, I am sure it is a shooter
Drop by my 52 link and post a pick. Always good to see another 52 out there getting used.
Regards,
DS
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