Marlin 90 12ga with gold triggers

[sasquatch71]

The pictures of Model 90s Ive seen seem to have black triggers.Mine has gold triggers.Did they lose their color like the receiver or are the after market?

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Sasquatch71;

Your Marlin Model 90 has been refinished. The "plum" color receiver indicates this. The reciever of the Model 90 is made of a malleable iron that was not blued in the usual fashion and when it is blued in the usual methods, it turns that "plum" color. I suspect the original finsh was some type of anodizing process.
The gold trigger probably was plated at the time of the refinish job.

[sasquatch71]

I thought the receiver lost its color because the original finish didn't hold?Wasn't it originally some sort of powder coat process, not a true bluing?

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Sasquatch71;

The Marlin Model 90 first appeared in 1937, and I do not think powder coating had come into use yet. The original finish done outside the Marlin factory with some sort of blue-black finish that was applied by another company.
Anodizing is a type of plating that comes in a number of different colors, black, gold and clear to name a few. It would not surprise me if the original finish was anodizing since the receivers would not take a regular blue finish.
Anytime a Model 90 is refinished using a regular bluing process, it turns the "plum" or purple color your receiver shows. There are lots of purple receiver Model 90's out there. Gunsmiths trying to refinish the Model 90 do not know that the original finish was not a regular blue finish, and try to blue the receiver. They get a surprise when they get the receiver out of the bluing tank and see the now purple receiver.

[sasquatch71]

It is still a great shooter though.I think the plum color may be scaring off potential buyers though.