Rust blue on the whole gun, Lloyd-mine is turning plum.
The last time I spoke to Steve Bodio, he was down to two shotguns-a Halifax Darne in 16 gauge, and a really ancient looking model 17. I think he was spending more time shooting the Remington. God, I trained that guy well.
The two barrel Remington model 17 trick is easier to pull off than the two barrel Ithaca model 37 trick. Just buy a second barrel.
I've owned this copy of the model 17 since September 17 (my girlfriend at the times birthday) of 1977. The original barrel had a vented Cutts on it, and it was unpleasant to shoot, very loud. Stan Baker asked me what I hunted with it (grouse and woodcock) and where I did that hunting (eastern MN and western WI) and told me it would be fixed in a month or so. It came back with his screw in chokes, shortened to 21", backbored and with a lengthened forcing cone. Damn, does it throw nice patterns. That recoil pad was installed hasily by myself when I had a guest coming from out of town, and as I took the gun out of the safe for him to use, the old recoil pad fell apart! I've shot bushel baskets of birds with it, and longingly remember the time in my life when it was my only repeater. A lot of times I wish it had stayed that way, 'cepting of course then I wouldn't have needed to meet all you guys.
I say leave it be, Lloyd. Use it without too much concern for the finish, you have other guns to worry about condition on.
This is a picture of the business end of barrel number one. Stan Baker had a two step swaging process that worked pretty slick.
The Remington 17s were Duco lacquer in the era (1933) mine was built, as far as I know, Lloyd. The really early ones may have been varnish, I suppose.
Best,
Ted
