Colt Slide, Two-Tone?

[slimjlm]

I have a Colt GI slide that appears to be Parkerized with a hot blue front.  It had been "upgraded" by it's previous owner with some new loose sights and even a dab of careless filing for clearance.  Its not too bad and I will straighten it all up and then refinish, but is the Two-Tone finish particularly valuable or otherwise desirable? If not its going to end up glass beaded and blued.  I've not worked with enough GI .45's to know better, so please tell me if I'm ruining something good. 

Says "COLT'S PT. F. A. MFG. CO. HARTFORD, CONN. U. S. A. "

[Mikey]

I'm not so sure it came from the factory in two tone - usually that refers to the frame in one finish and the slide in another finish.  I think the coloration might be due to some heat being applied but I love to be proven wrong.......

[slimjlm]

I had originally thought it was from a heat treat operation, but with further investigation it dosent appear so. I have been told that it was parkerized from the factory, then after finish wear from use it was decided that it would be cheaper to only refinish the worn area, mainly the front of the slide.  so it was cleaned and dipped in hot blue at the armory.  Got the impression that this was not entirely uncommon on GI guns.  

And yea, it's not what i would really call 'two-tone' either, i just couldnt come up with a better description...

[williamlayton]

I am not a fan of parkerized---but lots of folks like it.
I do like deep heat treated blues.
I do like two tones-and like hard chrome.
I do like some of the new wonder finishes also.
Blessings

[bearmgc]

I'm not a 2 tone fan in the 1911. Either deep blue or stainless. But whatever works.

[slimjlm]

It's not really two-tone, (there is no frame, only the slide!) it just has the front of the slide refinished.  Was trying to find out if it's rare or valuable, but it appears we don't know...  It's irrelevant as I've since bead blasted it all off for reblueing.  

But I do like real two-tone pistols, and dark almost black parkerizing, and love stainless and chrome / nickel guns.  And duracoat makes over 200 colors, easy to apply and they really look like the finish they are supposed to replace.  The gun blue looks like a nice deep colt style blue and will outlast a good hot-blue job by many years.

But thats just my experience.

Thanks

[Flint]

Military issue Colt M1911 types were heat treated at the front only in order to strengthen the impact area of the tubular area surrounding the recoil spring where the slide stops against the frame upon recoil.  It would prevent the slide from peening or distorting from frame impact in that area.  They did not heat treat/harden the slide behind that point perhaps for production speed or cost, but it does happen to keep the rails that ride the frame from cracking if someone squeezed the slide to tighten it up. Keeping the rearward portion softer may not have been deliberate, but hardening the front was.  In any case, those slides are easier to squeeze to tighten the slide to frame fit than slides that have been completely hardened.

Civilian slides were heat treated full length to make the bluing an even color throughout for cosmetic reasons.

It does, however, make a two-tone blue or Parkerize on the Military slide.  Unless you were to re-heat treat the entire slide to even out the hardness, simply reblueing the slide will not change it, it will always blue differently in the front.

[slimjlm]

Flint, Thanks thats just was I was looking for!  I'll post pics of the refinish

[williamlayton]

I would opt for hard chrome--it will bend out evenly and gives the best protection and wearability of any finish----looks good also.
Blessings

[S.B.]

Jim, is the new front sight silver soldered on the slide, by chance? You can tell by taking slide off frame removing bushing and looking into the muzzle end. Gunsmith's years back use to use the tang end of a wornout file to heatsink the metal so no temper was lost(military armourer show me this at Camp Perry many moons back).
Steve

[slimjlm]

Both of the sights were 'replaced' before it got to me, and I use that in the loosest sense of the word.  The rear would slide around during handling and the front was just floppy.  I peened the rear dovetail until it fit nice and tight, and cleaned the front sight and mounting area for staking.  Bead blasted, blued, then final install of sights.  It turned out quite nice, thanks everyone!