Plum color
 

Just some thoughts and ideas

I saw at a gun the other day in a local gun shop, it was a 1939 42 code...8788 u, all matching numbers including the firing pin, but the receiver had that brown plum color and the rest of the gun was the normal darker bluing color.

Large Stick E/63 and the late military acceptance mark on receiver,
small Stick E/63 and late military acceptance mark on barrel

I checked the barrel alignment mark and the ser# and it all looks right ,except for the stark contrast, between the receiver and the rest of the gun.

I've seen that brown plum color on other guns and on some small parts of
guns, but never quite like this before where just the receiver was plum.

Have any of you guys seen this before and what do you think ?

I'll try and get some photos if there is any interest

jamese, yes, it is found occasionally, comes from the harder parts not taking the salt bluing correctly due to hardness, time of immersion in the salts bath, temperature of the salt bath, etc. Here is a picture of a Luger I used to own. It was not only plum on the receiver but other parts as well. Mine was a 1938 S/42 next to a 1939 Mauser you can see the color difference. I find these an interesting historical "mistake" by the bluer. It is very common to see EJECTORS and EXTRACTORS of Mauser Luger made after 1937 this color.
http://members.rennlist.com/lugerman/PlumLugersmall.JPG

CLICK HERE for larger image

Jamese, It's not uncommon to see some of the harder parts (receiver, extractor and ejector) of later Mauser production salt blued PO8s come out with a Plum colored tint, due to poor tempeture control of the salt bath. Tom H.

I have a byf 42 that has the same pattern, kinda fond of the plum myself.

Thanks for the info,
the gun is priced right and I think it would like a new home in my safe

Jamese,
Isn't life interesting. I have 4606u, Code 42, dated 1939 with a plum colored receiver. Guess the same guy was running the blueing process or running the heat treat ovens as yours. Mine is about 98% blue with a matching mag (#1) that I picked up at a Phoenix gun show 2 years ago for about what you'd pay for a 1920 commercial today.
I like the plum color a lot too and this piece is one of my keepers.
Lyn