Colt 1903 High Polish Finish
- Thread starter johnm1
- Start date
highpower3006
New member
I don't know exactly when Colt started or stopped doing high polish rust bluing on their automatics, or for that matter if they used rust bluing at all as I am no expert, but I do know that very early on they were doing a very high quality polished finish on their 1911's. I believe they stopped it, at least on 1911's in mid 1912 or so.
This is a very early 1912 production (three digit serial number) original condition commercial Government Model that has a highly polished finish.
A disclaimer: This is NOT my gun, I wish it was mine, but it belongs to a fellow that goes by the name of beetle on the calguns forum
This is a very early 1912 production (three digit serial number) original condition commercial Government Model that has a highly polished finish.
A disclaimer: This is NOT my gun, I wish it was mine, but it belongs to a fellow that goes by the name of beetle on the calguns forum
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You can't "high polish" rust bluing.
The process is to allow the surface to rust, remove the accumulation, rust again, etc., up to ten or fifteen applications, and after the surface has rusted that many times, the polish will have been reduced.
Rust blued guns have a "lustre" rather than a reflective surface.
The finish on early M1911s I've heard described as "glistening oil finish", which was too bright and shiny for a military that had recently stopped wearing blue uniforms, and the finishes became progressively duller over time (not age, but process).
I've handled and shot a 1913 Colt M1911, and it was hard to tell what the finish looked like when new. My 1918 example looks rough, but under the grips the original finish is intact, and it's very heavily grained, and dull, because the amount of polishing was progressively reduced as production rate increased.
In 1918, Colt was making 1000 M1911s a day.
The process is to allow the surface to rust, remove the accumulation, rust again, etc., up to ten or fifteen applications, and after the surface has rusted that many times, the polish will have been reduced.
Rust blued guns have a "lustre" rather than a reflective surface.
The finish on early M1911s I've heard described as "glistening oil finish", which was too bright and shiny for a military that had recently stopped wearing blue uniforms, and the finishes became progressively duller over time (not age, but process).
I've handled and shot a 1913 Colt M1911, and it was hard to tell what the finish looked like when new. My 1918 example looks rough, but under the grips the original finish is intact, and it's very heavily grained, and dull, because the amount of polishing was progressively reduced as production rate increased.
In 1918, Colt was making 1000 M1911s a day.
I love mine. Its pretty, to me, and I can shoot it. I couldn't own that 1911.
I wish the sights were a little bigger. But I have a small collection of early century pocket autos. None of them have what I would call nice sights. Most with compromised finishes. Savage 1907 in both 32 and 380, Remington 51 in 380, H&R Autoloader in 32 and 25.
I wish the sights were a little bigger. But I have a small collection of early century pocket autos. None of them have what I would call nice sights. Most with compromised finishes. Savage 1907 in both 32 and 380, Remington 51 in 380, H&R Autoloader in 32 and 25.
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highpower3006
New member
^^^^Yep, that is what every original blued 1903 I have ever seen looks like. I have one from 1928 that has a bit of wear, but still retains strong original finish over most of it.
Bill DeShivs
New member
No, no-it doesn't.
spacecoast
New member
The early .32s and .380s were made with the high polish blue that stopped sometime in/around 1912.