plum color finish

[captn-tin]

Friend of mine has a wards pump action .22 made by Savage. The receiver, unlike the barrel is a "plum" color. Barrel is blue. Anyone know how this finish is applied? I have heard folks refer to plum color, but referring to older Colts.
Thanks....Bill

[otteray]

Isn't that simply oxidation over the decades? Some of my late 1800s long guns have that appearance, too.
Both Dulap's "Gunsmithing" and Bakers "Modern Gunsmithing" have formulas for the "browning" methods.
Brownell's used to make a "plum brown" concoction, maybe they still do.

[Fishslayer]

Some of the older S&W are also known for developing the "plum" color over time. Don't recall what causes it...

[dfletcher]

Plum color can be a recent bluing done wrong. If original to an older gun (+35 years or so) it's the result of age and IIRC a cast part. Remington bolt handles, Dan Wesson frames and some Ruger parts such as SA loading gates or the lever on a No1 rifle tend to turn plum. I've had a few DW revolvers and the frame is most always plum while the sideplate stays blued.

Whether it's accurate to say the bluing done those many years ago was wrong - I wouldn't say that, any more than Browning's use of "salted" wood was wrong. Sometimes hard to learn what will happen a generation down the road.

Some folks don't mind the look. On a small part of a rifle, doesn't bother me. But I don't care for it on a pistol. I don't know if rebluing is an option, or if once "turned" the color will always remain.

[Iskra]

My grandfather had a factory-accurized Colt 1911 Officer's from the '60's that was plum from the day it left Colt. He said it was a special process that they sometimes used to distinguish certain guns. He was a Colt collector (over 400 when he died) who usually knew what he was talking about. But then again, most of his collection was Commemoratives, so maybe he just had low sales resistance and was shoveled a load on the purple gun too haha

[GM4spd]

Usually the result of improper bluing salts during the process. Pete

[otteray]

I read that back in the Kentucy rifle Davey Crocket days, salt water, drying and carding to remove most of the rust, was the pioneer way.

[M1NM]

Got a Ruger No1 with plum receiver. According to a Ruger book it's a result of higher silicone content in the steel.

[JohnCCW]

^^^silicon

Could be patina/tarnish or color case hardening, although that is unusual on low cost firearms.

[captn-tin]

The plum finish on this receiver is just to perfect for it to be the the result of ageing,methinks. The barrel on this piece has not been affected. Who knows!
Thanks for all responses....Bill

[Staticsouls]

[sd joe]

Older guns made with nickel steel turn purple.

[Garand1911]

HK P7s were known to do this. A guy I know sent it back for re-bluing twice, came back the same way, he sold it ....stupidly.

[bsg]

guns by various makers have come with or developed a plum color on metal over time. some of my OldSchool w german Sig Sauer P series handguns have hammers that are plum color.