It is not jeweling. Machine builders typically utilize scraping to establish accurate points of contact on the gibbs and ways of machine tools. They are looking for multiple points of contact as opposed to a continuous contact, and use scraping to get there. When it is applied to a gun that has no need for accurate contact points, it does help to retain lube, and looks good.
Jeweling involves the use of a metal circular brush, chucked in a mill or drill, valve grinding compound, and a step and repeat process to cover an object with circular polishing marks. Scraping is a hand procedure, done with a flat steel tool.
I’d be willing to bet the guys that scraped in the action on a Darne knew what they were doing, and the decorative stuff was performed by the FNGs. The decorative stuff just needed to look good, and scraping for accurate contact on machine tools, or, in this case, a sliding breech gun, is a lifetime Journeyman skill set.
I can jewel. If I put you in front of my drill press with the brush and a can of Clover, you can too. Different deal.
Best,
Ted
