byf 45 a-block
- Thread starter Bob in OHIO
- Start date
joryfreeburg
Senior Member
Nice rifle Bob. Love the stock chatter
DukeIronHand
Senior Member
Nice pics.
I’ll presume you have some pro or semi-pro camera setup to get such nice ones?
I’ll presume you have some pro or semi-pro camera setup to get such nice ones?
Bigdibbs88
"Ach du lieber!"
very nice grab
Bob in OHIO
Senior Member
Nope. All hand held, natural light using a 15 yr old Fuji camera with a macro feature.
heavy_mech
RKI- Reasonably Knowledgable Individual
That's a great late walnut piece Bob. Still possible to find some gems on GB flying under the radar. Not a common occurence for sure but it does happen. Congrats!
Bob in OHIO
Senior Member
Not under the radar, just willing to be the high bidder...
heavy_mech
RKI- Reasonably Knowledgable Individual
Oh ok. Thought maybe you got a bit of a sneak? Sometimes you just gotta pay to play.
Bob in OHIO
Senior Member
I wonder whether you are seeing "wear" or just a weak phosphate... Feb '45 doesn't leave much time for war wear....
heavy_mech
RKI- Reasonably Knowledgable Individual
Totally agree. Weak base metal concentrate as zinc supplies are depleted. Less time spent cleaning/seperating the accumulated sludge from the solution and probably less time in the bath. Some are so weak/thin they almost look untreated.
Must be as you and Heavy say, the high points of the bolt knob and safety/shroud shining in the sun looked almost like raw metal. Weakest phosphate I've seen, which in itself is a good reason for liking this rifle.
heavy_mech
RKI- Reasonably Knowledgable Individual
Yeah we've all been there. When I first saw some I thought either they were fake or stripped. But when you take the process, where they were in the war from a material aspect and the pressures they were under it's easy to put it together. The phosphate finishes in their own right are an entire topic. Alternatives, weak solutions, and even really strong finishes all play a part in the puzzle.
While I'm far from an expert I have played a bit with both zinc and manganese phosphate coatings and those really thin almost transparent finishes I'll chalk up to 'time in the tank'. The amount of material deposited is MOSTLY time dependent even though there are other variables at play. I think it came down to them just continually shortening the 'time in the tank'. Of course I think those other factors also play a part.
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