Might This be Patina?

[Tip]

Anyone else here seen this on other OMs?...
I have a 45 year old .41 Remington Magnum Blackhawk that exhibits what appears to be oxidation, or a patina, on the sides of the hammer.

The reason I ponder this, at all, is to decide whether or not I want to remove the hammer and polish the sides to the original bright "white" finish.
As a one-time numismatist, I would never dream of removing patina from an old coin. I realize firearms are not coins... Nonetheless, I like aged patina; cold bluing on a hammer -not so much. If this isn't bluing, for example, I may just leave it alone.

Is there a way to tell if bluing was applied to the sides of the hammer?

 

[RoninPA]

How many people owned this gun before you? If someone in the past did a cold bluing on the hammer, they did a BAD job. Even without removing the hammer to do the bluing you can get more covered that what is shown. Without seeing it close up, I would not hazard a guess what caused it. There are many on the forum that are WAY MORE knowledgeable than me about OM's so they should be able to help figure it out.

 

[hittman]

First picture looks like maybe the entire gun was re-blued ..... with the hammer installed.

 

[SATCOM]

Tip,

Your old Blackhawk looks like a used old Blackhawk. Hammers are often discolored on the sides. This discoloration can be brought on buy the oils and acids from our skin and reaction with oxygen. Oxidation affects most everything. Your hammer has an even oxidation where oils, acids, and other chemicals from the skin of your hand (thumb) come in contact with the steel and the air surrounding it. So yes it is patina. Many remove it many don't.

Looking at the cylinder with loss of blue only on the high areas says some possible holster usage. How about the end of the barrel?

As for opinions about a reblue, too little of the gun and specific areas are not shown for that.

Nice gun, just as it is.

SATCOM

One of my OM Blackhawks in .41 magnum (40-11840) had a hammer discolored on the sides until I replaced it with a Super.

 

[Tip]

Tip,

Your old Blackhawk looks like a used old Blackhawk. Hammers are often discolored on the sides. This discoloration can be brought on buy the oils and acids from our skin and reaction with oxygen. Oxidation affects most everything. Your hammer has an even oxidation where oils, acids, and other chemicals from the skin of your hand (thumb) come in contact with the steel and the air surrounding it. So yes it is patina. Many remove it many don't.

Looking at the cylinder with loss of blue only on the high areas says some possible holster usage. How about the end of the barrel?

As for opinions about a reblue, too little of the gun and specific areas are not shown for that.

Nice gun, just as it is.

SATCOM

One of my OM Blackhawks in .41 magnum (40-11840) had a hammer discolored on the sides until I replaced it with a Super.

Thanks SATCOM, & others.

You're explanation is the most plausible. This is certainly a well-used revolver. It's got the smoothest trigger of the five that I own, both Ruger and Colt. Since I have the ability to examine it first-hand, I can attest to it having its original bluing, overall.

It's a likely candidate for future cosmetic work, to be sure.

 

[Cholo]

I've never seen a SA trigger that looked like that without some human *help*, and bad help at that. I've seen them tarnished and rusted, but nothing like that. The screws have already been turned, so you have nothing to lose by taking the hammer out and either removing that, I don't know what you'd call it, and getting it back to normal, then cold blue it yourself or leave it as is. Hey, it's your gun :mrgreen:

 

[Hondo44]

I've seen a ton of 'patina' on unfinished or bright sided hammers from sweaty thumbs. Patina is just a fancy word for what is actually oxidation/tarnish on other collectables, but is a mis-nomer for guns like saying a gun is in mint condition; guns are not minted. They are machined and finished and their 'patina' is really mild corrosion of common metals like hammers and guns, that are subject to corrosion.

Corrosion on hammers is always brownish, not bluish, and seldom goes all the way down to the grip frame ears nor does it have a finite line where it ends like yours. I've seen a few hammers that have been cold blued and they appear like yours. The gun itself does not look reblued to me.

RoninPA asked if other people owned it before you?

Patina
noun:

1. a film or incrustation, usually green, produced by oxidation on the surface of old bronze and often esteemed as being of ornamental value.

2.a similar film or coloring appearing gradually on some other substance.

3.a surface calcification of implements, usually indicating great age.

 

[Salmoneye]

I've seen them tarnished and rusted,

You mean like these?

:mrgreen:

 

[rugerguy]

I have to agree with some of the above, seems far MORE than any "natural" patina, and too many 'rounded' edges throughout the gun, implies it was reblued at one time, even the screw heads are more polished out than the usual "old model" screws.....the flutes and notches of the cylinder are 'rounded' .........as said, the real question is of the "original" owner ( owners?)
Bottom line, I would not hesitate to remove that hammer and polish it( as well as "square up" the edges and the flats)....keep it oiled...........still a GOOD gun and they are great shooters :wink:

 

[Armybrat]

...still a GOOD gun and they are great shooters :wink:

That's what I think too.

 

[Tip]

Salmoneye, nice Gonçalo Alves grips!
(Does the other panel look that nice?)

Not reblued.
Thanks for your opinions, nonetheless, gents.

These Pictures Don't Do It Justice.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

On my gun, it's "honest wear" with "classic patina".

On your gun, it's "abuse" and "rust".

 

[Tip]

^^^^
What HE said! Lol!

 

[NH Rugerman]

Hammer looks to have been cold blued at some point but the light seems to be playing tricks in your photos giving the appearance of wear, that considered, the rest of the gun looks right and original to me....totally up to you whether you refinish the hammer sides or not...but my opinion is that it is NOT patina....

YMMV!

 

[Tip]

Hammer looks to have been cold blued at some point... my opinion is that it is NOT patina....

I wholeheartedly agree!

I thought this is interesting. Can anyone comment on the "44" mark inside the cylinder frame, forward of the trigger?

Anyone know what this pertains to?

No More Bluing on Sides of Hammer

 

[Ale-8(1)]

At the time that gun was made, there were still two centerfire frame sizes. Everything but the .357 guns were on the "large" frame, marked as you show. The "small" frame was marked with a "3" as I recall for the .357 guns.

 

[Tip]

So, all large frames were marked "44" no matter if they eventually became .44s or .41s, et cetera?

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I'm not sure about "all" of them. It's not safe to say "always" or "never" with Ruger.

 

[Hondo44]

Don't know what the 44 is.

Hammer looks great now. Good job.

 

[Tip]

...Hammer looks great now. Good job.

Thank you, & thanks to everyone.