1886 High Grade

[Lemi]

Could any one tell me what the finish is on a 1886 High Grade 1-3000 receiver is made of. I have looked at the Winchester Commemorative and they are apparently coated and engraved. My 1886 is beatifully finished and engraved. But wonder if the frame is solid steel and clear coated. Thank in advance.

[Rangr44]

IIRC, the name for that finish is "French Grey".

While, on some firearms, French Grey can simply be coated bare/polished steel, AFAIK it's usually a plating process.

Plated French Grey is a soft looking, hard gray-metal finish which is superior to stainless steel in its corrosion resistance, wear ability, and operational "slickness".
The exterior metal surface is prepped by blasting with a blend of very fine aluminum oxide and glass bead media - which is what actually what causes the deep "French Gray" look after plating is complete.
The final French Gray surface is a two-part metal plating process that bonds to steel at the molecular level, resulting in a hermetic seal that protects against corrosion while beautifying the firearm it’s applied to.

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