Anyone have any re-parkerized pics to show?

[aconway]

If you do post, who did the parkerizing for you? Is it a process a person could do themselves/ I'd like to see some pics if I could..
B.Adair is doing mine and I cannot wait to get it back...:)

[mayagrafix]

I just had a Government Model M1911 refinnished in black. Pics are in the next section "Pre WW-2 Commercial Models", "my new girlfriend". The process requieres removing the old finnish with a rotary sander tool, in this case with hemp based sandpaper. Then, I think the slide and frame are dipped into coating material and baked. My pistol did not have original finnish.

[191145]

Here's a re-Parked carbine and an original Remington Rand. The pistol looks a little greener, but the carbine doesn't really look that gray - it also has a greenish cast to it. The carbine was done about 15 years ago by Jim Gravitte of Pro-Tech Engineering. http://www.huntingpictures.net/photo/003504

[canuck]

Here's my reparked A1
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/canuck/000_0014.jpg
I can't tell you much about the procedure as I had a friend of a friend do it for me, but I will say that I wish I would have left it in it's previously refinished condition(blued) as the guy that did the repark loused it up - he took way too much metal off when he blasted it and I ended up with a two-tone finish at the muzzle end of the slide
Oh well - live and learn

[Scott Gahimer]

That darker color on the end of the slide is normal. It just sometimes shows up more distinctly when a pistol is refinished. I can't see your pistol well enough to say about how much metal he removed.
Here is a picture of an original finish 1943 Colt. You'll notice the front end is darker on it too. Different lighting and camera angles also contribute to how much the darker color will show.
http://tinypic.com/fyiu5x.jpg

[John]

The darker color at some areas of the slide (front end, around the slide stop notch) is normal, it's due to the heat treating of those areas to become harder in order to withstand the extra stress at which they are submitted.

[aconway]

Pretty, pretty....:) I hope mine looks half as nice as your orginal. It had quite abit of pitting. I know Bill will re-letter areas if he has too. Can't wait to get it back.

[Scott Gahimer]

Colt's began hardening the front ends of the slides to prevent wear and deformation on commercial pistols about 1925, and on military pistols beginning in 1937. So, provided your military Colt was made 1937 or after, the end of the slide should be hardened.

Slide stop notches began being flame hardened to prevent wear and deformation about February 1943 at Colt's, and shortly thereafter by the other pistol contractors. Clawson further states this change took place at Colt's about s/n 880,000.

Normally the hardened front ends of the slides don't show much on the blued 1937-1941 military pistols until they get some holster wear on them in that area. Some pistols show the hardened areas more than others, as is the case with the pistols I show here. The hardened areas on the 888xxx gun show up a lot better than the 878xxx gun. 888xxx's slide appears to have not been sandblasted as much, too, leaving a slightly smoother finish. Flash photography and a bit of oil on the surface makes the hardened areas show up more. I've done that in the first 4 photos so you can see the hardened areas better. The last photo is the same (Colt 888293) without flash. The hardened front end is barely visible in that photo.
Here, both Colt pistols show the hardened front ends. You'll notice Colt 878739 does not have the hardened slide stop notch, but Colt 888293 does. This supports what Clawson states in his book. There is some overlap with the 880xxx number because the pistols were not necessarily completed in the exact same order they were numbered.

BTW, I'd recommend purchasing Clawson's book "Collector's Guide to Colt .45 Service Pistols Models of 1911 and 1911A1 3rd Edition" from Karl Karash for $37.50 shipped to the door here in the USA. Canadian shipping may run a little more. Karl can be reached at kxk1@juno.com. You won't find a better book, or at a better price.

http://tinypic.com/fyo9ea.jpg
http://tinypic.com/fyo9r6.jpg
http://tinypic.com/fyo9y9.jpg
http://tinypic.com/fyoabo.jpg
http://tinypic.com/fyoakh.jpg

[Ric4509]

Gorgeous looking 1911s.

[canuck]

Wow, those are great looking pistols Scott. I had heard about the hardening process causing the two tone look but I guess my refinisher haden't as when he got it back to me he was very apologetic about it and explained that he had done the blast/park process THREE times trying to get it right!! I'll get some close up pics in the next couple of days and show how the blasting damaged the lettering.
Cheers... Darron

[Scott Gahimer]

Darron: I'll look forward to seeing your photos. Thanks.

Scott

[bgiven]

aconway.....

Were you able to determine if your Ithaca was a Navy ????

Bob..
Former Canuck..
Also from Alberta.

[canuck]

Here we go...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/canuck/100_4217.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/canuck/100_4216.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/canuck/100_4215.jpg

And this is the same gun before the re-park...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/canuck/100_4013.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v335/canuck/100_3854-1.jpg


Actually, the lettering doesn't look all that bad in the pics!
If you look closely though you can see the lettering kind of "wash out" at the edges and the GHD inspector's stamp is almost gone, I like the color though and I guess for the $75 I spent on the job its worth it to have it back to a more authentic look.
Cheers... Darron

[Scott Gahimer]

Darron: It's looks like the first guy that refinished it in blue may have done some, or even most of the damage.
I agree, it looks a whole lot better now. You improved that pistol well over the $75 you spent on it. Thanks for the additional photos.

[exitwounds]

Darron, are there any British Proofs on the barrel. The pistol looks great for a $75 repark job.

[canuck]

Hey EW, Thanks to you and Scott for the kind comments- I actually feel a whole lot better about having the job done now!!
The barrel is a HS, with that and the fact the gun was in blue, I didn't feel I would ruin any "collectability" by having the repark done.
As an aside, this being the first (of three)1911 style pistols that I've bought, I must say that tearing it down and putting it back together after the re-park was a great learning experience (those stripped grip screw bushings can be a b**** though!!) aconway.. sorry for the thread hijack - hope to pics of yours when its done!!