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<  16ga. Guns  ~  Refinished Plum Color?
putz463
PostPosted: Thu Dec 19, 2019 3:04 am  Reply with quote
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Location: West MI

Picked up a sweet little Marlin 90 actually Ranger 103.11, 28" DT that has been refinished and IMO they did a very nice job. It has the the plum color on the iron action body instead of blue. I understand the nuts and bolts of why the plum/purple color is there and on a 16ga somewhat of a badge of pride. Wondering how it will age; does it turn to a brown patina over time or will it remain plum with normal care?

[URL=https://www.jpgbox.com/page/58620_600x400/] [/URL]

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Sorry, I'm a Duck Hunter so shouldn't be held strictly responsible for my actions between Oct 1st and ice up.
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bobski
PostPosted: Thu Dec 19, 2019 6:12 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 18 Feb 2018
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Location: va, ct, mo

my alloy plum guns have stayed the same plum for over 30 years.

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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Thu Dec 19, 2019 12:37 pm  Reply with quote
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I can rust blue guns with browning solution instead of bluing, and while boiling, they will turn a plum color and stay that way if desired. I actually really like the plum color on barrels, as opposed to blue, especially when paired with darker, reddish wood. Very rich.

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Purple16
PostPosted: Thu Dec 19, 2019 6:01 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Jan 2019
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Location: Idaho & South Dakota

Nickel steel will be plum color when blued.

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dannypratt
PostPosted: Thu Dec 19, 2019 9:20 pm  Reply with quote
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My father's 1969 Browning Auto-5 Light 20 was brand new in the box when he got it, and its barrel (not the rib) has been Purple Plum since day one....looks very sharp.

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4setters
PostPosted: Sat Dec 21, 2019 10:46 am  Reply with quote
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p463,
I have a Ranger 103.11 that I acquired in the late 70s, that probably has never had any metal refinishing. It has a 4 digit serial #, in the 3000 plus range, so its probably an earlier model. Unlike a number of later Model 90s/103s which have a rich plum colored original receiver (apparently), mine is about the same blued color as the barrels, although it is "thinner". It really doesn't show plum coloration. I've always suspected that the later models have a different steel alloy in the receivers, but that's my guess.

By the way, Hootch, my 103.II is a prairie quail/pheasant hunters dream with M/F and barely over 6 pounds. I have stacked up a lot of both with it over the years.

(I did refinish the stock several years ago).

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2i3nY3a] [/url]DSCF6912 by Michael Widner, on Flickr

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1954 Win M12 IC
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1959 Beretta Silver Hawk
Ranger 103-II M/F
Browning A-5 Sweet 16
Browning Citori Invector
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putz463
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2019 2:43 am  Reply with quote
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Nice looking piece 4setters, thanks for sharing. I figured with this choke set up it would be a fantastic Pheasant gun. Betting the Ducks aren't going to like mine much either.

Got it, so looks like this plum color is here to stay w/usual care, thanks for the input.

FWIW; this gun is in the 7k serial number range and I don't think the blueing and plum is OEM since the barrel stamp looks as though it has been buffed to the point where you need to look for it and the finish is too nice for a gun this old but the knurled top "rib" looks fresh machined and not buffed out at all?!? Wood looks great with minimal nicks and dings but the sharp (looks OEM) checkering has a light coat of finish over it. Regardless, before messing with the chokes and possible pistol->English convert will load up some spreaders for Grouse close and make any "mess with it" decisions while waiting for late Goose to kick in.

With this in hand dreams of a DT Rizzini Pathos might be fading a bit.

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rdja
PostPosted: Mon Dec 23, 2019 12:40 pm  Reply with quote
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My 16 ga Marlin 90DT also did not have the plum color until I had it refinished. I had choke tubes put in it and ran 28ga loads thru it for my daughter, with an old pair of ChamberMates. Figured that a lighter gun was easier for her to handle and the 28ga made soft recoil. It was not long before she moved up to a 20 gas semi-auto.
That Marlin was the first real gun (other than a BB and a single shot 410) my dad gave me, used of course. It has an A3## serial number. Went thru it and tried to smooth up the trigger pulls, changed springs and it helped a lot, still could be better. It does shoot significantly high compared to my other guns so I don't shoot it much anymore, it sits in the safe and will likely stay there, have no desire to sell it. My SxS Beretta 16 ga and the new A5 handle almost all of my 16ga shooting.
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