Haenel 28-R - original finish?

[RichardH]

Can m'learned friends confirm whether the trigger blade was originally bright or blued.

Google seems to give me both options

Thanks

[ccdjg]

All the minty ones I have seen have had a bright finish trigger. Hope this helps.

[Mark D]

I think that there may be both



This one was blue !

[Phil Russell]

My 28 (not the R version) is well worn but the trigger shows no indication that it was once 'bright' and the remaining finish suggests it was once blued.
Cheers, Phil

[RichardH]

Hmm a dilemma.

David you would appear to have the casting vote!

Thanks guys

[slug-gun]

All my (original) Haenel 28's, including a 28R, have the polished steel trigger. Can't really remember ever having seen a blued trigger on these?

[ccdjg]

Photo's can be ambiguous as the bright finish darkens with age and use, and then cannot easily be distinguished from blueing without inspecting the gun in the flesh. The triggers on my two 28-R examples (.177 and .22) were never blued, one having a brown patina and the other still bright. So my findings concur with those of Slug Gun.

[Mzee]

My 28, s.n. 8297, has a blued trigger, a bit worn, but blued.

[Unframed Dave]

Decisions, decisions? Which way to go, what would the collective do? I've never felt the need to have any of my collectables done, but this one has been polished bright by its previous owner and I know it would end up suffering long term, especially in my somewhat ancient abode.

Dave

[ccdjg]

Decisions, decisions? Which way to go, what would the collective do? I've never felt the need to have any of my collectables done, but this one has been polished bright by its previous owner and I know it would end up suffering long term, especially in my somewhat ancient abode.

Dave

Well, the Haenel 28-R is a sigificantly rare and highly collectable vintage pistol, so IMO it would be a shame to leave it in its currently very much non-original condition, i.e. silver bright. Having it re-blued would help protect it and would return to something more like its intended finish. Worth the investment I think.

[Unframed Dave]

Yep, that part of the decision has been made, just the trigger blade, blued or not?

Dave

[slug-gun]

It may be that those Haenels with blued triggers have been refinished at some point, and the blueing team forget to leave the trigger burnished? Rather in the same way that nickel/chrome plated pistols often end up having their rearsight blades plated as well, instead of being left in their original blued state?
Just as thought?

[ccdjg]

Yep, that part of the decision has been made, just the trigger blade, blued or not?

Dave

Well Dave, you know what Chris's and my opinions are but the choice is ultimately yours.

To me a Haenel 28 or 28R with a blued trigger would look about as right as a Webley Senior with the same.

[Unframed Dave]

Okey - doke. No blue for the trigger, could you take a "before" picture please Richard.

Cheers


Dave

[pegasus]

Okey - doke. No blue for the trigger, could you take a "before" picture please Richard.

Cheers


Dave

Here is an option, if it is too shiney you can force a patina on it. You can do it quickly with ferric acid, but if you don't already have some it's not really viable for just a trigger blade.
Instead use household vinegar and salt,

Half fill a half pint glass or other suitable container with vinegar, add a couple spoons of salt and suspend the trigger blade in it,

The longer you leave it the darker it becomes, 24 hours will give a black finnish,
When you take it out, wash it and then rub it down with fine steel wool and oil, it will then start to get lighter in colour turning into a gunmetal grey, just stop when you reach the colour that matches the rest of the pistol, and if you don't like it keep going till its shiney again.