Parkerizing

It depends. Parkerizing is not a single process. Different materials are used that end in different colors. It can vary from light gray to black depending on the materials used.

Some parkerized guns turn green with age.
 
The colour of parkerizing depends on the chemicals used. Manganese based solutions give black. Zinc based solutions give shades of grey depending on the metal it goes on.
"...turn green with age..." Only after long term storage in cosmoline.
 
Parkerizing requires the metal to be dull for it to successfully take. This is opposed to a highly polished metal required for a first class blue job. So, one may bead blast a gun in preparation for parkerizing it but must buff it for bluing. This said, parkerizing results in a dull, phosphate coating on the firearm. You can darken a parkerizing finish but putting grease in the final dipping tank. We did that at Lassen College to make our guns a bit greener.

andrewsharpshooter - are you into history? I know there were two companies of Andrew's Sharp Shooters that served during the ACW.
 
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