doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What was the finish used on old American doubles?

What was the finish used on old American lower grade doubles ? Was it linseed oil? Shellac? or Varnish?
Thanks, Pete

Lacquer

Thank you Walter.
Pete

Thank you Drew,
But I can't help wondering if the old gunmakers could afford all that work to finish a low end double, it seems they would be investing too much labor to make a profit.

Pete

I just checked and the average weekly salary for a skilled worker was $29 in 1920. This is the principal reason why hand work such as engraving or stock fininshing done at that time appears to be such a bargian now. Another reason is a manufacturing facility such as Parker or L C Smith wasn't encumbered with overhead like we have today. When I owned and operated my own business I figuered I spent on average one day out of the week working for the government(s). With the amount of reporting,tax collecting etc. at the Federal, State and local level it took up an easy 20% of my time. This overhead has to be passed on to customers which further inflates cost.
I don't know the process used then but generally when lacquer is applied today it's sprayed on which is very efficient and cost effective
Jim

As Walt said, lacquer was commonly used and it would have been sprayed on. Low end, mass produced guns still retaining some original factory finish will often have it flaking off.

I've seen reference in pre-WWII gun advertisements to "Duco finish."

Duco was a trade name assigned to a product line of automotive lacquer developed by the DuPont Company in the 1920s.
Similarly, Remington used Dupont Imron to finish guns in the 70/80's.

Parker Bros. used shellac (French Polish) on just about all their guns. Customers could request an oil finish if desired.

I had a flaking Baker that I stripped to bare wood using only rubbing alcohol, so it apparently was finished in shellac. Similarly, I've dissolved added shellac off the top of the remaining varnish or lacquer original finish of other guns. This is the reason I start any stock cleaning with Murphy's Oil Soap and then proceed to Ammonia before resorting to mineral spirits or alcohol, and onward to hotter solvents. Sometimes, I find what I'm looking for under a layer of grime without resorting to a total strip and refinish.

Since I've had various original stock finishes dissolve in various solvents, I think it's safe to say that gun makers then, as now, used different finishes.

Shellac is a very poor "varnish". It would not last two weeks under constant handling. I wasn't there, but I feel pretty certain Parker used a modified linseed oil product on their stocks to resist water and handling.

"French Polish" is nothing but the process of applying shellac by rubbing it on in several layers. It is ok for interior furniture or some musical instruments that never are in outdoor use, but for a gunstock, it would be unsuitable.
JR