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February 18, 2010
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So there is a Dan Wesson .44mag, 8" for sale on a popular auction site. The poster indicates it is a "rare puple frame". The frame does indeed look purple. Is this just a bad blueing job? I've seen some "purple" HK P7s and I've seen some stainless parts that were blued and turned out rather purple. This one is very purple.
What's the story? Was this an "option"? Has it been reblued?
"Life does not have to be perfect, just lived".
"Deserves got nothin' to do with it".
November 4, 2008
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SIGwolf, this will answer your question.
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February 18, 2010
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Thanks very much. It is as I thought. It's not a "rarity" as the poster implies. Or perhaps it is, a blessed rarity.
"Life does not have to be perfect, just lived".
"Deserves got nothin' to do with it".
Dans Club
March 2, 2008
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It's rare in that it doesn't really happen all that often. I would likely not purchase a Barney, but if I had one starting to turn, I would not sell it. Now, if the entire gun (shroud, cylinder, etc), Barneyed that would be a rarity.
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman "Were is the Self Help Section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
George Carlin
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Dans Club
February 9, 2009
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My only real Barney gun is my 357 Supermag, but it is my best shooter. Go Barney!!
A man cannot have too many SuperMags
November 4, 2008
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I saved a 15-2 from a condition of 90 percent surface rust that was caused from laying in the trunk of a car for years. I bought it for 90 bucks because it looked like hell. Once I restored it, the only issue was that the frame had barneyed pretty badly.
I since over the years have been feeding it a contstant supply of red fluid (ATF) and always keep it out of the sun unless loading, aiming, and shooting. The barney is hardly even noticeable anymore.
Kind a like a vampire. 
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November 17, 2008
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I have several barney guns. Here is my 22 which had the best and deepest bluing of any I have ever seen originally, but over the past 25 years it has turned like this. I still love it.
LB
Wisdom is merely the realization of how little one knows, therefore I am wise.
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January 24, 2009
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Palo, are you saying your Barney gun has gone back to blue?
I've got one Porkchop that is lightly Barneyed. It's mostly noticeable in the sunlight. When I bought my .357 SM (NIB & unfired), the trigger guard was beginning to Barney, but I can only see it in direct sunlight.
November 4, 2008
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No but it is less so now than it has been. It used to stand out, now it's only noticable in the direct sunlight. The blend to barrel blue is just better. It may not stay that way if I expose it to ultraviolet rays from the sun for long, I don't know. Is it possible that plumming can diminish with constant coats of ATF and oil with elimination of UV rays as it seems? 
September 13, 2009
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I actually prefer my blued handguns to turn to a plum color, especially my Rugers.
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January 24, 2009
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Yeah, a lot of the single action guys love it when their guns start turning colors, it add character. It's one of those "beauty in the eyes of the beholder" things...sorta like owning a Porkchop.
Palo, that's very interesting. This is the first time I've heard of anyone sucessfully being able to reverse the effect, even if it is only partially. I'll have to give it a shot on my Model 14 Porkchop & see if I have similar results.
September 13, 2009
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palo said:
No but it is less so now than it has been. It used to stand out, now it's only noticable in the direct sunlight. The blend to barrel blue is just better. It may not stay that way if I expose it to ultraviolet rays from the sun for long, I don't know. Is it possible that plumming can diminish with constant coats of ATF and oil with elimination of UV rays as it seems?
I don't think ( I know) ultra violet rays have anything to do with it. It comes from the bluing process and it's effect on the cast alloys in the frame. Ruger revolutionized the firearm manufacturing process by using investment casting and also owns Pine Tree Casting, a company supplying many manufacturers in the firearm industry. During the late 60's and early 70's, it's quite possible that Pine Tree was the only game in town for investment casting in the north east, which was where the major gun companies were based. The coloring is described in Ruger's book and how it eventually happens, due in part to what I've just described. It wouldn't surprise me if Pine Tree supplied the DW frames. I've seen Winchester and Remington rifle actions turn plumb colored and I actually had a Monson 15-2 years back that was turning a plumb color. Forged and lathe turned products are a thing of the past it seems but hey, I like my plumb colored frames.
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