1920s vintage 1903 finishes

[mitchell6776]

Probably a question for John Beard...
When did SA start applying the asphaltum (?) coating over the parkerized finish on 1903s? When did this practice stop? I have come across 3 very nice 1920s vintage 1903s in the last year which I have picked up. I have a 1925 vintage rifle and two 1923 vintage rifles in really nice shape, and all three have the coating over a parkerized finish. One of the 1923 rifles is essentially factory new with full covering, and the 25 vintage rifle is pretty darn close. Seems like my 1920 vintage Mark I has traces of it in the small spaces over the parkerizing. Thanks in advance.

[Johnny P]

I have a virtually new original condition DCM Sales service rifle in the 1.211 million range with a 12-20 barrel that has the coating.

There are quite a few DCM Sales rifles in the 1.20 to 1.22 million range, with a lot of NM rifles starting to show up in the 1.23 million range.

[John Beard]

The earliest I have seen the asphaltum coating was on a Mark I rifle, but I no longer recall the serial number.

J.B.

[98src]

I have friend that has a 1919 NM rifle that has the coating. The serial number is in the Mark I range of course. I have owned a 1920NM and a 1921NM that had the coating.

[P51MUSTANG]

What exactly is the coating?

[JOHN COOK]

What exactly is the coating?

Asphaltum...


john in SC

[Ironlip]

Does Asphaltum have a black almost shiny appearance, like black shoe polish?

[John Beard]

Asphaltum is black asphalt-based paint. It was used back in the last century to paint automobile brass radiators. It is not glossy. It can also oxidize with age and turn a dark grey-ish color. Asphaltum is still used as a pruning seal when pruning trees because it suppresses wood deterioration and fungal growth. You can get it at Home Depot under the Spectracide brand pruning seal, as I recall.

J.B.

[P51MUSTANG]

Thanks for the great info as always JB......

[Sunray]

Read this. Slowly, it's kind of vague. Asphaltum predates the 19th Century by about 700 years.
https://texasbeyondhistory.net/coast...asphaltum.html
I like this definition the best though. "another name for asphalt". snicker.