BA barrel - The Carbine Collector's Club

I recently purchased this Buffalo Arms 10-43 dated barrel. Its a bit odd in that it's polished blue but otherwise the barrel appears unused to me. There is no wear in the muzzle, no signs of a front sight ever being put on, or a barrel band. Gas cylinder in the white with no signs of use or staking. Chamber in the white and no signs of use. The usual BA markings otherwise. Proof "P" 4.75" from the muzzle. Anyone have thoughts on original use or the polished blue finish?

https://imgur.com/a/HWA3wrp

Edited by New2brass - Apr 08 2020 at 12:24pm

Strip the blueing and refinish, can't hurt.

M1's are FUN!!!
TSMG's are more FUN!!!

If it were mine I wouldn't change a thing. One thing that I have noticed is any thing may be possible with a carbine part. Chamber being in the white would certainly suggest the barrel was blued before chamber work. It seems the more I learn about carbines the less I know.

looking at the gas chamber the edges look "soft" as if some polishing. Is the pitting below the blue?

Looking at the muzzle it also appears to have some work.

Maybe they chemically stripped the parkerizing?

Club Survey Saginaw Receivers

03manV wrote:

One cannot chemically strip Parkerizing, it is a layer of phosphate deposited on the somewhat etched surface.

I think I see evidence of fine wire wheel used to remove the original finish; in the areas that you point out. The blued barrel is too "shiny" for military use- JMHO.

are you sure on that? Approve

Club Survey Saginaw Receivers

Evapo-Rust from harbor freight will also remove parkerizing

Ok,

Like any general statement, I was wrong- but...

Parkerizing and similar phosphate finishes are achieved by the action of dilute phosphoric acid along with zinc or manganese to achieve a thin layer of zinc or manganese phosphate. The phosphate etches the metal and the phosphate coating actually adheres , i.e. is physically attached to the metal.

If one uses a strong enough acid to dissolve the phosphate coating, the metal will also be etched again- i.e. some surface molecules of the steel will be dissolved away also.

Note the instructions for the stripper caution the user to "keep a close watch"; or else you will dissolve away your part.

So yes if one uses a big enough "hammer" , i.e. strong acid- maybe like muriatic(HCl) or sulfuric the surface treatment and a bit of the surface is removed.

I do believe that in the case of the OP, the coating was physically removed(wire wheel).

Sorry for the oversimplification, but I "used to be" a chemist and knew then more than I can now remember! Ouch

Don

blackfish wrote:

vinegar works which is a very dilute (5%) solution of a weak acid. i even ingest it with with no harm. yum

Pickle juice!

I sit corrected.

Don

New2brass wrote:

looking at the gas chamber the edges look "soft" as if some polishing. Is the pitting below the blue?

Looking at the muzzle it also appears to have some work.

Maybe they chemically stripped the parkerizing?

There are a couple of spots with real light pitting and it appears to be over the blue (after the fact). Muzzle crown is normal, it's the picture. I was trying to show how sharp the rifling is, tooling marks are visible with no wear.

No strong evidence of brushing. It could have been chemically stripped.

At this point, hard to determine the circumstances I think and the most likely is an old refinish of an, at the time, new barrel. Threads have the blue finish too so it was probably plugged and dipped.