I've got a BHP that I inherited from my Uncle. He brought this gun home along with a pristine 1940 Luger. The BHP is a nickel finish which is deteriorating. I know this is most likely a finish put on after WW2. I am thinking of having it refinished. Would the Carbonia blue be the correct bluing?
Originally Posted By xoldsmugglerx:
I've got a BHP that I inherited from my Uncle. He brought this gun home along with a pristine 1940 Luger. The BHP is a nickel finish which is deteriorating. I know this is most likely a finish put on after WW2. I am thinking of having it refinished. Would the Carbonia blue be the correct bluing?
I believe "Carbonia" blue was only used on prewar Colts & Smiths. I've never heard of what process FN used. Correct finish depends on who/where your HP was made.
If it's an Inglis HP (made in Canada for the Allies) correct finish is just parkerized.
If it's a prewar HP made at FN in Belgium it would be blued.
If it was wartime HP made at FN in occupied Belgium it may have been blued, but not well polished.
Post pics.
Actually the Inglis pistols looked like they were painted black. Dont think its parkerising, at least on my Brit issue model. The one Nazi made pistol I had was blued but the polish job was so bad it almost looked parked.
Originally Posted By kbar-04:
Actually the Inglis pistols looked like they were painted black. Dont think its parkerising, at least on my Brit issue model. The one Nazi made pistol I had was blued but the polish job was so bad it almost looked parked.
The original finish on an Inglis HP was parkerization. Oddly, they didn't put serial numbers on until after they were dipped in the park tank and the serial numbers were "etched" into the frame with a pantograph device.....making the numbers appear "in the white".
That is how they were originally issued during WWII.
Inglis HP's that were issued to both Canadian and British forces were painted when they were "rearsenaled" (often stamped FTR for Factory Thorough Repair). The substance used to paint over the original parked finish was called Suncorite (apparently toxic stuff if you breath the fumes or inhale the dust when removing it).
If your Inglis serial numbers do not contrast with the rest of the firearms finish.....it isn't original.
Thanks for the info. Mine is a nazi stamped one. Does anyone know how to find the date produced for these? Anyway, i'll try to post pics if i can find my camera.
