Please explain the classic blueing process, along with the polishing and stamping that gave the great finishes from the mid 1900's.

Particular questions.

1) how was it polished before the blueing (What materials/machines)

2) Was it stamped before or after blueing (were S&W insignia and barrel markings done at different times?

3) how was it polished after blueing (what materials, machines)

4) were there multiple blueings with polishing in between, like putting an oil finish on a stock?

Thank you in advance

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

Until an expert comes along...

1. Polishing was done with successively finer grit grades of polish on a variety of wheels, many of them cut to match the curvature of the area being polished.

2. Stamps were applied before bluing. (You can read all sorts of stuff on the surplus 1911 collector's boards about which marks were applied before and after finish. But commercial guns are stamped in the white.)

3. Bluing is a micro thin surface oxide color, any polish applied after bluing would just remove it.

4. One pass (except for rust blue which is not practical for production line operations.) Polish the steel to the degree of shine you want, degrease, blue, clean, oil, and that is it.

Here's a link to Lee's posting of "the process" that may interest you.

Raw Steel to Smith & Wesson (Pic HEAVY)

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Even fifty years ago, labor was afforable and materials were expensive. A skilled polisher and fitter could afford to spend time on a gun and a gunmaker had a vested interest in producing a high quality product.


Fast forward to 2011, labor is expensive, cnc machines are cheap and parts can be assembled with very little fitting, thus they are assembled into whatever works.

I've had a gun professionally restored, not reblued. The work is first rate and as close to pre-war factory work as possible. I think it was well worth the price to have a gun put back to original and enjoyed as it was intended.