Medallions material

[spitdog]

What are those little silver s &w medallions made of on the grips. Is there a way to clean them up? I haven't bought any stocks yet but the ones I have seen look a little messy.

Thanks

 

[Alk8944]

Depends on the period of manufacture. Ca 1910-1920 are brass with a gold plating. 1920 +/- to current manufacture are brass with a nickle plating with an exception of ca. 1948-1952 which are nickle plated plastic. i clean them with metal polish like Mother's and the end of a Q-Tip. Be careful with the plastic ones a they will be damaged by many organic solvents such as acetone.

 

[spitdog]

Depends on the period of manufacture. Ca 1910-1920 are brass with a gold plating. 1920 +/- to current manufacture are brass with a nickle plating with an exception of ca. 1948-1952 which are nickle plated plastic. i clean them with metal polish like Mother's and the end of a Q-Tip. Be careful with the plastic ones a they will be damaged by many organic solvents such as acetone.

Thank you great info!

 

[JP@AK]

1920 +/-

Actually c. 1929, since from 1920-29 there was no medallion on walnut stocks.

to current manufacture are brass with a nickle plating with an exception of ca. 1948-1952 which are nickle plated plastic.

And let's not forget the rare steel medallions from roughly the same period.

Question: Did the plastic type actually show up as early as 1948? I rather thought they were associated with the conflict in Korea. Since 1948 is too early for that, there must have been a different reason.

 

[handejector]

I have only seen the plastic show up in a very short period of the Korean War. I don't think they used them more than a year. They did not work well because the circles break off easily.