Posted by Mike Poindexter on March 13, 2008, 9:13 pm
I have an FWS from 1947 in what appears to be unfired shape with 100% blue, case, and finish. the gun has some closet dings, including a couple of spots where the wood finish has chipped out with no dent or gouge to the wood. The finish looks a lot like a nitrocellulose lacquer sprayed on, because it also covers the pg cap and the sides of the buttplate. I can discern no underlying finish under the chipped out flakes. My question is, what were the factory standard finishes on the field grade guns post-1913? Shellac, french polish, varnish, laquer? Did the postwar (II) guns change from pre-war? Rule's book on the pre-64 70's goes into great detail on the stock finish, and the Parker Story describes a french polish as standard, but Brophy's book doesn't get into that detail. Anybody ever research the subject here? Thanks.