The Mini-Maglight Test

[Dwight Gruber]

I have some questions concerning the use of the Mini-Maglight. The Simichrome thread, being off-topic and having devolved into jocularity, is here in its last serious incarnation re-started.

I have been examining my Lugers, practicing up to see if I can develop an "eye" for this technique. My results are ambiguous.

Is there a difference in the results obtained from rust vs. salt bluing? Is there a difference to be exhibited from bluing of the different grades of steel used in Luger manufacture? Just how all-encompassing should I expect the rust effect to be?

As controls, I have a 1900AE with old, worn reblue; and a nice, fresh Thor black salt blue.

All the rest of my Lugers are relatively bread-and-butter, nothing more than 85%-90% except for a u-block Police, solid 95%+, with all other evidence indicating that they are all original finish. The thing is, the toggles, side plates, and barrels on these guns do not exhibit what the descriptions of this test lead me to expect.

Where there is wear, or chemical-browning on places like the grip straps or the area where the frame rests on the thumb-web, the effect is very clear under the light. Other areas on some of the guns are slightly browner, "warmer", than the control pistols. It is by no means over-all.

The S/42, on the other hand, has almost none of this surface rust, except where the surface is pitted (and -not- blued over); the Police shows almost none at all. Now the surface is not quite the skim-milk-clear effect of the Thor rework, but it is close enough to make me question the observation. For that matter, even the 1900AE has areas where surface rust is not visible.

Out of curiosity I examined my Radom and my Astra 400 (with an obviously re-blued slide), and under the light they both exhibit a soft, brown, overall patina, completely uncharacteristic of any of my Lugers.

So, what am I missing here [img]confused.gif[/img]

--Dwight