Ruger Two Tone Blueing,50th Anny BH,.357

[buck460XVR]

Originally posted by savit260:

I have a Colt from the 40's that has parts that have gone a little purple.

I'm more than certain that those parts aren't cast. :

There are other reasons bluing turns pink/purple. Contaminates on the metal's surface(many times parts heated for bluing were set on sand to cool....sand contains silicon.), improper temperatures were maintained during the process or the bluing salts themselves were wore out or contaminated. To me, the color change gives the gun character, like honest holster wear or age patina, but does not make a gun desirable. Kinda like a idiot scratch on a 1911. Not a deal killer, but something I'd prefer not to have. Traded the last of my blued Rugers (3 screw Blackhawk) off in the late 70's for a SxS grouse gun.

 

[Scorch]

Having blued many, many firearms, I can tell you that the purplish color is from the metal being very hard. Rugers, Winchesters, 1917 Enfields, and 1903 Springfields all commonly turn colors after they have been blued.

 

[Old Stony]

I have had some experience with problems bluing in the past too. I was told early on that some metals with a really high nickle content would cause the problem. Perhaps it is from the high nickle or perhaps high carbon content, but I couldn't say for sure. I think it does give the gun character though, like a birthmark that identifies it as an individual among a lot of clones.