barrel finish

[KEN S]

as I've said before,  I have a Burnside 65 carbine.  Springfield refinished and stabler put on then. 1938 sn.
   The barrel shows the usual brown finish, and is in great condition. shoots very well.
   when I take the forearm off, the barrel, under it, is polished mirror sharp.
  The sn matches, so I know it's original to the gun.
    question is...the finish is perfect mirror, the kind of finish a gunsmith can't do.  you'd need a large buffing wheel, and
the stuff we use won't do that.  it is exactly under the forearm...no overlap...so the whole barrel must have been that once.
   what was the original finish on Springfield refinished guns?   The address is half buffed off and the stabler identifies it as such.
   anyone with a similar gun, please look  under your forearm....

    Thanks...Ken
 

[Blair]

Ken S,

I believe the "mirror like" bright finish you are describing is what was termed as "Armory Bright".
It was used on most Armory made firearms up until about the M-1869/'70 model arms, when the Armory started using "rust bluing" as SOP on all their firearms.

I can not say what the US Armory was doing at the time your firearm was finished or re-finished by Springfield. However the bright metal finish under the forearm would be a very good indication how all the metal was re-finished at that time.
It is a finish that can be easily duplicated today without the use of a buffing wheel.
My best,
Blair

[El Supremo]

Ok:
Please excuse a bit of hijacking.
Thanks for the enlightenment, but what type of bluing was on the mill run 1860 barrels, if not cold rust, please?
I have seen cold rust blued and browned military arms that had no bluing/ browning under wood covered areas.  My guess was that finishing was left off of such areas to perhaps save time and materials.  I am NOT saying this applies to Spencers, just that I have seen it on other martial arms.  Thanks.
Kevin

[KEN S]

Armory bright makes sense.   no where in the books does it describe the barrel finish.  I plan to return it to that condition, carefully, and want to be correct.  thanks...Ken