After closer inspection (still!) I was sure the bluing on my newly purchased '94 Marlin deluxe was not original. The key being a purple hue to the receiver, hammer, and lever. So I made the decision to bite the bullet and strip them to send off for color casehardening, as they were originally.
Broke the gun down, and turned the barrel off. Got out my trusty Rustoleum rust remover and applied it to all the parts. After 15-20 minutes I rinsed the parts in hot water and got a big surprise!
Whoever did the hot bluing didn't polish out the parts before bluing! The remnants of case color remained on all the parts! Not vivid or new looking, but very appropriate for the condition of the wood stocks. I decided to simply coat the parts in oil and reassemble the gun.
I prefer the faded case colors to new case colors, or the hot blue. It has a nice appearance that fits the rest of the finish well.
