Back in the day, when things were done so as to put out the best possible product for the price, bluing was done in pieces, at the same time, in the same place, with the same materials and processes. "Back in the day" ended---or started to end in the mid 1950's---call it the end of the "5 screws". Not coincidentally, my most recent collection of targets started at the beginning, and ended at the end of the "5 screws".
From then on, things were done so as to put out the product at the lowest possible cost ----not immediately, that's just the starting point. Achieving this objective has matured as time passed until now we hear how bad this and that is----rather than how good it is.
What all this has to do with the finishing is unknown to me----other than it's part of the process. If there's a way to pinch a penny in the finishing process today, you can bet it's being done. Actually, that's what I'd bet---you can bet whatever floats your boat.
So much for that! There was a time when center fire Ruger products came out in different colors----on the same gun!!!!---especially the red cylinders. My memory has faded to the point where suspicion is warranted, but I recall the cause(s) was/were a combination of different alloys and different heat treating of different parts. Ruger wasn't in the business of putting out the product at the lowest possible cost, so they figured out how to finish their guns so they were all the same color. I don't know how much that cost them, but I applaud the effort----not to mention the results.
That brings me to a memory that hasn't faded. There was a time (2000 to 2007) when I came upon a dry spell where I couldn't find suitable examples of S&W's I was after------and not being able to buy guns was irksome ------BIG TIME!! I fussed and fumed about that to a friend, a BIG TIME Ruger collector, whose response was "Why don't you try collecting Rugers for a spell?" Why not indeed?!!
So I did! I didn't forsake S&W's----I snapped up every suitable example I came across, but it was slim pickin's!!
I ended up with a collection of Ruger "3 screw" single actions---one each of every single one of them---34 guns in all. I have no idea of what my cost was, but let's say $20,000 over the seven years. Then there came a time when I was running out of room in my display case, and something had to go. The Rugers went. They went down to David Carroll's for disposal. I inquired as to what he thought they might fetch. Not surprisingly, he had no idea but he knew folks who would. Those folks surmised something in the mid 40's, and I was a happy camper!
David dumped all 34 guns on Gun Broker at the same time (near as I recall), and they fetched $54,000 and change. I was, at once, flabbergasted----and a VERY happy camper!!
I did the same thing when it came time to liquidate my S&W collection so as to leave behind a pile of money rather than a pile of guns. This time there were 65 guns. I didn't haul them down there this time, I just called him on the phone-----"Come get this stuff, and dump it!" (THAT was painful!!) He did, and he did! It took three years and change, but that's attributable to his methodology at the time. Regular stuff goes to Gun Broker, special stuff gets sold one on one------and one on one for special stuff takes longer-----'cause they're special. I had NO IDEA how SPECIAL some of them were!! I also had no idea what I'd spent over the years---except for the special stuff. You remember each and every one of those because you never thought you'd spend that much for a single gun. The good news is there weren't that many special guns----or at least I didn't think they were special at the time------and at least not THAT special!!
Ralph Tremaine
