You guys are very knowledgeable on factory finishes....so I want to get this nailed down. I know that most all US WW2 rifles were parkerized....ie. 03, 03A3, Garand, Carbine, 1917, and so on. I have a Canadian Long branch 303 #4mk1, and it is also parkerized. Was this just the Canadians that used parkerizing, because I thought the British normally just painted everything black???
Also, what were the original finishes on:
1. German K98 Mauser
2. Mosin Nagant
thanks guys!
Military Rifle Finishes
Military Rifle Finishes
Mosin Nagant was blued to my knowledge
Military Rifle Finishes
volfandan,
The finish on the K98k was blued also. The early rifles had a high quality, dull military blue finish with very good polishing on the steel. As the war progressed, and the need to speed up production, the polishing became less and less, but the bluing still pretty good until late in the war. Late war will be thin, spotty, reddish, and just a lack of time to do the job corrrect. Near the end, the phosphate finish became a better alternantive to bluing as the rougher surface would hold the oil better.
The finish on the K98k was blued also. The early rifles had a high quality, dull military blue finish with very good polishing on the steel. As the war progressed, and the need to speed up production, the polishing became less and less, but the bluing still pretty good until late in the war. Late war will be thin, spotty, reddish, and just a lack of time to do the job corrrect. Near the end, the phosphate finish became a better alternantive to bluing as the rougher surface would hold the oil better.
