doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Opinions on who best replicates case colors

Yes, certainly. Especially the vividness of the colors. I'd speculate that once the lacquer or other coating wore off the brightness would start to deteriorate. In discussions with other members, I've made the point that you also have to consider the tastes of the Victorian and Edwardian periods, which were oriented towards bright primary colors and very eclectic mixes. My family has a history of restoration of Victorian antiques. Once I walked into the "Renaissance Revival" room of the Met, and it was like walking into my parent's house. I hypothesize the colors were very vivid at the time, as well as providing a complement for the high contrast of the Damascus and Twist patterns of the tubes. I recall a painting I saw set during WWI, which showed an artillery crew painting their gun like a huge Damascus tube, with very bright and eclectic colors.

I suspect the colors of the guns were spectacular when new, essentially what I call "Party Favor" guns. Too bad it was before color photography.

How about someone posting up some pics of known-to-be-original Parker Bros. colors the way they left Meriden? We will then have a benchmark. Others can then post pics of their Parkers that have been recolored by the various shops doing business today. We can then compare and make up our own minds as to whom is doing it best.

In the big picture, "It's all relative."
Dr Gaddy said they don't change.
Abrasion accelerates the removal of the layers. That's why we see color change over time.

This will take me down to 0 stars, but I say they do change.

They are layers of oxides with impurities frozen in situ at quench. Existing in an oxygen rich environment that attacks every other metal that will bind with it.
Some are delicate and relatively unstable, some aren't. And there are literally thousands of those little flaky oxides on the surface. All talking to Oxygen atoms.

Lacquer or oil, keeps the dance floor better separated.

I said relative, because the length of time it may take for us to see a color change may be longer than we can "see".

Another poster some years ago said he saw light damage to colored guns while at Winchester.
He said that the display guns were damaged, or less vibrant, after spending months in the lighted display cases. And he had to change them.

Because the scale is outside of our comprehensions, I have come to believe it doesn't matter. What we see is what they are, to each of our own eyes.

I watched a PBS special on Gems last night. Maybe the previous CEO of Apple ( who has a Ramann spectrometer in his living room for evaluating gemstones) could be contacted about all this.

I think stateside, I'd go with the sure thing. It's going to be sold as a collectible anyway, so use the guy that does every other one. Then that aspect is no longer relevent to future exchanges.

CZ,

I'd say you're right. Of course the colors change over time due to handling and fading. Same with pattern-welded tubes, but that's more of a continuation of the rusting process towards the more stable brown form. Once protective coatings are gone you'd have to expect it. Too bad the European practice of returning a gun to it's maker every so often for a tune-up wasn't practiced more in America.

Topgun,

If you're out there can you please post your pic of that Syracuse gun with the original case colors? I can't find the durn thing. (Now I remember, it's on my son's computer, off at college)

It's gonna be tough to find a Parker that has been hidden in a safe for over 100 years.

Regards
Ken

I think it's regularly known that case colors, or any other finish, looks different in protected areas. Who knows for sure, but under stocks and other nooks and crannies might not be the worst place to look. I wouldn't really count on the various protective varnishes, I think their color might be even much less stable even if it survived.

Nitrocellulose lacquer deteriorates with age, as well as yellowing. The gun would have had to have been periodically maintained, with the old lacquer removed and reapplied. Pretty rare, outside of a museum. It appears Renaissance Wax goes a long way as far as protecting protective finishes like lacquer. I use it regularly now on anything leaving my shop.

Bro. Tom's SAC

Ithaca Flues with original lacquer courtesy of Josh Loewensteiner



Lots more close to original colors, and re-colors here
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/12588446

Thanks Drew,

The album pictures of original colors are considerably different than many offering the service today, much more eclectic. Burrard's statement at the end of the text is very apt.

I'm not sure that all color deteriorates over time. I guess that some forms of protection, other than a lacquer covering, prevents most fading.