What are these spots on my newly received Singlesix?

[ruggedruger]

I just received this Single Six via a Gunbroker auction. All looks good but for these spots above the trigger guard. What is it?

 

[BlkHawk73]

looks like some chemical or something simply made contact and had a slight effect on the finish. Oiling do anything for them?

 

[Jim Puke]

That gun has been blooded...

 

[CaliforniaKid]

It appears to be bad bluing and poor quality control. Or as someone mention it had something spilled on it. But its funny it discolored the gun but not the grip frame in the top picture. Have seen more and more of these lately.

 

[ruggedruger]

I don't know if the 'bloodied' comment was a joke or not. I don't know what blood does to the blueing, or if that's a term for a part of the gun's history...

I saw that the grip frame was not affected, and thought that the gun was converted from a non-Bisley, but the box has the correct model#, and the ser# matches box to gun. (It came in a new plastic box with modern label..?)

 

[rugerjunkie]

Blood will mess up bluing...

 

[jimd441]

Please pardon my ignorance, the gun appears to be stainless to me, so why all the comments on blueing?

Jim

 

[OldePhart]

Please pardon my ignorance, the gun appears to be stainless to me, so why all the comments on blueing?

Jim

The pictures are so tight and brightly lit that that was my first thought, also. After looking closer I decided it probably was blued...not very well blued, but blued.

There also seem to be a lot of somewhat course buffing marks - could be that they're being accentuated by the lighting but if not I'd kind of guess that might be a re-blued gun...and not very well done, IMHO.

 

[gramps]

The blued versions turn a plum color sometimes. Some people like it, some don't. Others will be along that know more than I.
gramps

 

[hpman66]

Is it going to be a shooter or a "Safe Queen"? If it is gonna be a shooter and it shoots accurately---who gives a rats rear end. If it is gonna be a "Safe Queen"(collector value)---how was it described on Gun Broker and did they mention the blemishes? I saw a brand new Ruger Bisley in .45 Colt that had gap between the grip frame and the cylinder frame(directly behind the hammer pin your top picture) that was shipped from the factory in that condition. How it got past QC, I never will figure that out.

 

[OldePhart]

How it got past QC, I never will figure that out.

Ruger doesn't have QC anymore...they've got great customer service, though! :roll:

 

[Nanchulla]

It looks like chemical color case hardening that went awry.

Is that a stainless gun? If it is, just take some varying grit of sandpaper and lose it.

 

[Stump Buster]

Birthmarks.

 

[jimd441]

Thanks for the clarification, I could have sworn it was stainless.

Jim

 

[OldePhart]

Thanks for the clarification, I could have sworn it was stainless.

Jim

Yeah...the only picture that kind of clarifies that it's not is the one that shows part of the wood grips. Without that pic I probably would had stuck with my initial impression that it was stainless.

 

[rugerguy]

try reoiling the gun, slather it down with RIG or any good oil or grease and wipe ,rub it in, then wipe it down, if that does not blend it in, you may just have 'hot' spots on the casting, if the 'mix' ( batch" was not mixed well, there would be areas that the metal is not blended, some call it "hot spot" I like to think of it as areas that the heat treat affects the metal and the final bluing will look darker or lighter ( plum) in spots, very common in Ruger castings............on some Smiths and Colts we use metal wax and polish it to blend in the discolorations...when the surface of the metal is "bone dry" these spots will stand out, keep it oiled (lubed)

 

[Mike Armstrong]

I've seen (and have) plenty of "plum" Rugers and other guns but I have NEVER seen one where the plum color comes in blotches like that. Normally the whole part is either plum, or not. If it's the result of variation in the cast metal frame, I would say that is a BAD thing, at least a new low for Ruger QC.

More likely an effect of the bluing surface contacting some chemical, IMO.