finish on period revolvers

[trappedonrr]

I have just acquired a remington revolver. The Blueing on it is definitely not period correct. What I am trying to figure out is what is the correct finish for period revolvers?

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

IMHO, that is a hard question, unless one has owned or been around period revolvers to compare and contrast.

In brief and to over-generalize...

Bluing was a hot chemical salt process as is today, but the net effect or appeance was a "flatter" or "dry ink" looking black than the "wet black ink" look used by the Italians. (With the special factory order of a "wet blue ink" blue as used as a pricer finish by Colt, etc., so noted.)
There are some gunsmiths that reproduce CW period blues.

Remingtons were "blued all over" save for the brass trigger guard.

Colts, on the other hand, had blued barrels and cylinders, but color case hardened farmes and loading levers. And brass trigger guards and either iron or sometimes brass (or silver plated grip frames).

However, the Italians use a cyanide gas faux simulated color case hardening which appears different than the period version.

Other period makers seem to follow the same as Remington or Colt.

CHS

[trappedonrr]

So far in my studies I have found out that cold-rust blueing was around that period. Bad news is that there is no more solutions for that. Browning was done at that time, but I have not seen it in period pieces.