Phosphating a Scrubbed Bolt Carrier

BOS1938

BOS1938

Active member
New to the forum and was wondering if you all know of anyone that re-phosphates G/K43 bolt carriers.

I picked up a nice shooter DUV 44 with a late war non-serial numbered Walther bolt carrier. Unfortunately, it looks like the carrier was scrubbed at some point in time. I'd like to get it phosphated once again to match the receiver. Thanks for any leads!
 

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Very difficult finish to replicate. Many variations in color and texture exist. Can you post pictures of the scrubbed carrier and the parts the have original finish you want to duplicate.
 
biggymu said:
Very difficult finish to replicate. Many variations in color and texture exist. Can you post pictures of the scrubbed carrier and the parts the have original finish you want to duplicate.
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I figured so. Pictures now uploaded!
 
Most of the DUV rifles I can find pictures of show a web on the top center of the carrier. It looks like someone ground that off of yours.
Many of the photos show the worn colors as a mottled grey/black. This color could be achieved a number of ways. I have had luck using a home parkerizing kit that uses a pre dip blackening solution. You could play with that and under develop the parkerizing. Then give it some artificial wear and oil.
Phosphoric acid will darken it.
Touching up something like this is a bit of an art.
You could only improve it. It seems pink in the photos
 

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You need to replicate the metal surface/texture as best you can before any finish is applied. Not even sure how you'd go about it either.
 
biggymu said:
Most of the DUV rifles I can find pictures of show a web on the top center of the carrier. It looks like someone ground that off of yours.
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I can confirm this. I've got a DUV 44 e-block and it's got that web on the carrier.

luftpirate said:
Why would somwone grind that in the first place? SMH
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You see all sorts of weird garage attempts to pretty up or "fix" perceived problems with these guns. I've seen polished receivers more than once, basically taking out the rough forging and giving it a smoother, more conventionally appealing surface.
 
swjXE said:
You might as well ask, why does Bubba exist? It's a very deep philosophical question.
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Honestly it makes perfect sense to me. Same reason a broke as hell grad student version of me sanded down and thew a bunch of BLO on a dogshit awful WASR-10 stock twenty years ago: because it was a cheap rifle, and the wood looked like garbage, and I wanted the thing I owned to look nicer than that.

50 - 70 years ago these were cheap guns, either the thing that someone got for free on a battlefield or the imported surplus junk being sold dirt cheap in every sporting good store in the country. That's a perfect combination for someone who is either poor or frugal to grab something cheap and functional and try to make it nicer.

Same thing with old cars. If it's 1980 and the used '68 Mustang you just bought has a few rust spots and the paint is getting sun-faded, why not spend a few extra bills and get it re-painted? Get that thing looking snazzy, turn a few heads. A collector in 2023 is tearing his hair out at losing another "survivor" with original paint, but back then it was exactly same as fixing up some 2010-era hooptie today.
 
Cyrano4747 said:
I can confirm this. I've got a DUV 44 e-block and it's got that web on the carrier.



You see all sorts of weird garage attempts to pretty up or "fix" perceived problems with these guns. I've seen polished receivers more than once, basically taking out the rough forging and giving it a smoother, more conventionally appealing surface.
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Is your e block blued? The receiver of the OP’s rifle looks more blued than phosphate? Blue would be much simpler.
 
biggymu said:
Is your e block blued? The receiver of the OP’s rifle looks more blued than phosphate? Blue would be much simpler.
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I think mine looks blued because of the semi-blue LED lighting I have in the gun Safe. It's definitely phosphated.
 
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