Armory Bright??

[satx78247]

Friends,

On another post here a member mentioned "Armory Bright" finish, i.e., NO finish except polished metal parts on a WBTS-era contract rifled-musket.

Does anyone know when the US Government arsenals and the civilian government contractors stopped using "Armory Bright", rather than browning/blueing firearms??

yours, satx

 

[hawkeye2]

Springfield ended the armory bright finish with the introduction of the Trapdoor conversions. The '63 was starting a change of the finish with a casehardened lock and hammer and blued bands. The '63 Remington contract Zouave was the first muzzleloader by a civilian to move away from armoury bright that I'm aware of. The 1841 Mississippi featured a brown barrel, casehardened lock and hammer and brass hardware. Non of this applies to the various breechloading carbines bought from contractors or imported pieces.

 

[Artificer]

Back in the early 1980's, I was allowed to read an original 1863 Confederate Ordnance manual in the NPS Library at Chatham Manor. It discussed whether or not to leave the barrels and locks that had been blued or browned in that state or remove the finish with brick dust or other abrasives, to make them appear supposedly in a more military fashion. Bottom line, the Manual demanded the Arms be left in their original condition and only arms that came bright were to be so polished. Thus they forbade the somewhat common practice of removing the finish on blued or browned guns.

Gus

 

[satx78247]

INTERESTING. = I would have thought that the OPPOSITE would have been true in Dixie, as Armory Bright is SHINEY in the Sun & might well give a person away to the enemy.

yours, satx

 

[Artificer]

I have read more than one piece of original documentation where Confederates in Look Out or Signaling Towers, tall buildings or even trees; spotted the movements of enemy forces from the shine given off by their brightened barrels. So that was a factor NOT to strip the browning/bluing off their weapons.

The Ordnance Manual also mentioned that the bluing/browning helped keep the barrels and locks from rusting as quickly, so that was part of it as well.

Basically, the only time the Manual allowed brightening the barrels was when/if the bluing/browning had become so rusted that brightening it would keep from serious corrosive damage/pitting. Of course it was not said in exactly that manner, but that is what they meant.

Gus

 

[satx78247]

THANKS. - You are a wealth of GOOD information.

yours, satx