Mauser with purple tint?

V

Vic6

Inactive
Hi guys, this is my first post on the forms. Thanks for accepting me, on with the question. I purchased this RC Mauser K98 in Nov. of last year and I have been wondering. Why is it that certain parts of the Mauser have a purplish tint to them.

Type of metal causing it? Poor job? I don't know what the correct answer is, maybe you guys might know.

A little background on the gun though, it was previously owned by somebody who tried getting the shellac off of it and did a terrible job. So I took the liberty of doing it myself. (There is still some on the bolt and on the end of the barrel but I just ordered something to remove it without causing damage to the metal/bluing.

Thanks for any suggestions or logical reasons why it is like this.
 

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Temperature of the bluing solution has some effect and the rest is the difference in the composition of the steel. Even some of the more modern guns such as the HK P7 have purple. Some like it , some don't !! :rolleyes:
 
One cause of a purple tint is running the bluing tank too hot.
Maybe Ivan wasn't watching his bath temperature close enough that day.
Soviet motto: "We pretend to work and they pretend to pay us."
 
Welcome to tfl vic6!

I have a Yugo M 48 Mauser with that exact purple on the extractor, only. The rest of the rifle has the normal blue.

The color of "bluing" depends on the metal itself, the chemicals used, the proportions, impurities, and the exact method (heat, time in the tank, etc.) used.

Blue (in different shades), black, purple, and even grey/green or brown are possible with different kinds of "bluing". Maker's standards, and military standards for finish, or refinish vary.

Sometimes, a certain method will produce a blue that "ages" to a purple color, or a purple tint. I have seen this on some civilian arms too.

I've never seen a Mauser action with that color before, but obviously you have one.

Welcome to TFL!
 
I agree. I never hot blued, but ran across a lot of purplish colored steel. It seemed to me that the parts had a lot of nickel in them that turned purple.
 
Some K.98k extractors have a purple tinge due to the tempering, but that receiver didn't come that way from the factory; it was done either by the Russians, or (more likely) by someone in this country after import. The cause has already been discussed.

Jim
 
Wow

Oh my God, thank you guys for the responses. I never had a problem with the color on there, I was just curious how it got there. But again, thanks for all the feed back. I really appreciate it.

This is a great website.

:)
 
It seemed to me that the parts had a lot of nickel in them that turned purple.
Click to expand...

^^^^^^

This is the second most prevalent cause of "purple" after incorrect bluing salts temp.
 
My first home hot bluing effort was an old Carcano bolt body I had .
That sucker came out real purple looking.
I kinda like it.
 
I have a Ruger M77V 200th Anniversary 22-250 that I bought new. The rifle was blue all over when I bought it but now I see a definite purple cast on the rear of the bolt. I never knew what caused it but it actually is very attractive.
 
This is a Russian Capture K98. When factory commissar comes to check on your work, you throw the empty vodka bottle in the bluing tank to hide it. When it melts, the manganese in the glass reacts with the salts and causes the purplish hue.

Better purple in Pinsk than blue in Siberia, tovarisch.
 
Quote:
It seemed to me that the parts had a lot of nickel in them that turned purple.

^^^^^^

This is the second most prevalent cause of "purple" after incorrect bluing salts temp.
Click to expand...

The Winchester Model 94 did not have a purple barrel and the M1917 rifles from Eddystone, Winchester and Remington were not purpled; that would be purble instead of blue or black.

F. Guffey
 
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