The "45" in the inside of the sideplate should be one digit off from the beginning of the gun's serial number. Does the serial number degin with "44"? It's hard to tell from your photos.
Also, the gun appears to be heavily oiled, so the finish is hard to determine, but from the rounded surfaces, it appears to have been reblued at some point. Really fine steel wool, ("0000" or finer) and a little oil will help remove surface rust, but as rich states, you are probably seeing undersurface red, which is mornal in salt blueing.
Last edited by alanint; 10-07-2012 at 05:20 PM.
|