Need recommendation for somebody to blue a Winchester '94

[Woodtroll]

Folks,

My brother gave me his '94 Winchester to try to clean up for him (I have to give it back after I put all the work into it!). He wants it touched up, and then he is going to pass it down to two of our young nephews that are not well off but are outdoor enthusiasts. It was pretty rusty, and I have taken it down and cleaned up the pits, etc. the best I can. What I need now is for someone to put a finish polish and blue job on it. It is a post-'64, so I guess the receiver will need a bake-on coating or something similar.

There used to be a fellow down in Texas (I think) that advertised in Gun List and Shotgun News that was really reasonable, and gave discounts to NRA members. I have long since lost his ad, and don't know if he is still doing this anymore, anyway.

Does anyone know someone who could do a field-grade polish and blue job on this gun, for a really reasonable price? I figured with all the tinkerers on here, someone would have a good source.

Thanks for your help!
Regan

[Zed Stewart]

I can do it. I just opened my shop AND finally got my FFL Monday! It took 8 months for the FFL.

I can do a Gunkote finish for about $175 (if you choose a color I have), or $200 (if I have to order a new one), return shipped. This consists of a bead blasted finish and your choice of GunKote color. Then I cook it for a hour in my rifle oven.
I did my 94 AE Trapper and it turned out pretty nice. I made it a medium gray. I finished my buddy's Custom 700 in a dark earth. The OD green is a nice soft OD, not to dark. Black is always good, too.

I have a nice blueing solution that is not a hot blue but is much more corrosion resistant that Remintons parkerizing and is all but BLACK. It is good for economy-restricted projects. The bead blasting is the same but the time requirements for the finish application is much less. $125

Give me a call . It never hurts to discuss it.

Stewart's Smithworks 361-564-7142

[J Miller]

Zed Stewart,

Where are you located?

Joe

[Zed Stewart]

I am 15 miles north of Victoria, TX. UPS knows where I am! Call me.

[Charles]

I have not had good luck with most folks who blue. The polishing is often way overdone. I have had two rifles blued (400 brushed finish) by Accurate Plating and Weaponry. apwcoogan.com I will be sending him several more in the next year or so. I am sure there are others around, but this is the only guy with whom I have had experience in bluing that I would recommend. Even so I do 95% of the polishing by hand before I send it off.

YOu also need to check the date on that Winchester. Some from the 70s just won't blue for squat. With those some sort of coating or plating is the way to go.

[Hillbilly]

if they use it enough.... a well worn patina will take over. a few years of leather gloves, saddle scabbards and rough hands will get that Winny looking like a good old Indian nickle and the pits will buff right out.

[kimwcook]

IIRC, those receivers will take a good CCH.

[DPris]

From 1964 to approximately mid 1980s the receivers were made of a steel formulation that required a plating, after which the plating itself was blued.
After about 1985 (and possibly a couple years earlier) the receivers were returned to a standard forged steel process that takes bluing.

In deciding what you want done with yours, it'd be good to know when it was made. If it has a regular forged receiver, you can get it re-blued without too much expense. The key there is to find somebody who's a competent polisher, since the metal prep is a very important part of the process. Too much polishing and you acquire wavy lines and lose lettering.

If it was made with the '64-'85 receivers, that would help you decide on which alternative to use since bluing is not a practical option.

Denis

[Griff]

Contact Mike Hunter of Hunter Restorations or Classic Guns, Inc. if you want that fine arm done right. I'm not sure Mike will CCH those receivers, but Classic Guns sez they familiar with the original Winchester formula to blue them and get the color right and if you want a CCH, they will properly block the receiver so no warpage occurs when the heat is applied.

Some were plated with iron and used a standard rust blue. Winchester also used a "black" finish for a while. The majority used a special formula that Winchester used on these "scintered steel" receivers. Later versions were finished quite nicely, and the color is not too different from a rust blued example in the forged steel receiver. A standard rust blue will leave you with a "plum" color. In fact, if you look inside most of them when their stripped, you can see that plum coloring in the middle of the receiver, while the blue is rather dark and of a slightly different "feel" from a rust blued forging.

BTW, the forgings were brought back in 1983, with the AE. I've heard some claim to have top eject Trappers made in '82 that were forged receivers, but I haven't personally seen one.

[Alan Wood]

As I understand it there were at least 2 versions of post 64 metalurgies. When your reciever was made makes a big difference in what can be done. If my understanding is correct. One of them comes out looking like a plum if blued others actually look pretty traditional. So What year is this weapon?