[mrerick]

Is the bluing you mention the lug under the chamber on the receiver? It's interesting... I'll check to see if Sturgess has any observations on this... He does! On page 744 he mentions:

"Interior of frame and receiver rust blued from the end of 1936 production instead of being masked to remain polished in-the-white."

He also mentions this on page 1135 as a cost saving change implemented in October 1936.

The blued lug finish is identical to my 1936 midway into the "i" block. It's rails are either in the white, or worn to in the white.

This was one area where they might have been trying to save time and money before moving to salt bluing later in the year 1937.

I have two 1916 DWMs. *Both have the lug surface blued and the receiver rails in the white.*

My 1917 DWM Arte has the lug surface and rails in the white.

My 1924 vintage DWM Alphabet Commercial has the lug blued and the rails in the white.

On all these rust blued guns the frame rails are in the white.