brown color on cylinder.

[oldfart]

i was just cleaning my blue gp100, i noticed that if i shined a light at an angle on the cylinder the fluted areas have a brownish color on them. i haven't shot the gun, i was just checking and reoiling as needed. no other part looks like it. thanks for any help.

[Graybeard]

Without seeing it's hard to say but generally brown on a blued gun is rust in my experience. If it's unfired and only in the flutes I have no clue.

[Ken ONeill]

I found something similar recently on a new, unfired 50th Anniversary .44 Mag. Blackhawk flattop. Brown areas and splotchy bluing showed itself in the sunlight. Lots of fore and aft cylinder enshake, too. I've sent the gun back. You may want to do the same.

[oldfart]

the gun is tight with no cylinder movement, just the brownish color in the flutes of the cylinder. i can look at the gun directly from the side at it looks blue, if i tilt it sideways and shine a light on the cylinder there is a brownish hue on the flutes. i just got a response on another forum they said a lot of blue rugers have this, they call it a plum color. a number of posters have said there's is like mine if you look at it in the sun or light at an angle, they said ruger said it was ok but don't know why its that way. but the gun is tight so i guess it will be fine, just never seen this before.

[Ken ONeill]

"Plum" is generally found only on frames and gripframes. Although it has never appealed to me personally, many Ruger enthusiasts love it, and seek out such guns. What I have on my cylinder isn't the "plum" phenomenon. It's lousy bluing.

[oldfart]

i wished i had a camera to show a pic, the rest of the gun is perfect so i guess they just messed up on the cylinder.

[gunblade]

A lot of Ruger guns will have that plum color...I've even seen it on their bolt action rifles.  Has something to do with Ruger's finishing process but I can't remember the details.   

[WL44]

I'm assuming you cleaned out the flutes and that it's not old dried oil or something? I would use some form of de-greaser on it just to be sure.

[oldfart]

i haven't tried to clean it off, except using a oily rag to see if it was rust. what type of degreaser do i need to see if mabe it might be old factory oil and gunk? the gun is new and never been fired, but the fired casing is from jan. 2009 so it could have been sitting a long time without any wipe down before i bought it.

[WL44]

I generally use benzine, but someone may feel that is a bad idea. You need to be sure to oil after degreasing to so you don't get rust. Once degreased there's no protection.

[db22]

My M77 Mk II has turned plum-colored, on the receiver and trigger guard.  The barrel is still normal dark blue-black.  I just assumed it was because the bluing "takes" differently on parts that are cast, as opposed to parts machined from bar stock.  Come to think of it, my P95's slide isn't really very "blue" -- sorta plum-colored.  It's probably a cast part too.  I remember hearing that some S&W revolvers showed plum color on their cylinders, caused by a heat treatment not used on the frame.

[tjrod]

Once you start shooting it you will like it so much it won't matter.