Painted Diana model 2 mystery??

[ggggr]

I recently got a parcel of bits and amongst them was a wooden gripped, British made, Diana model 2. It is painted a silvery grey colour. Even the trigger is painted and does not display signs of the paint wearing off. I know that there was a shortage of Nickel and Chrome during the Korean war and that Motor Cycle manufacturors painted the wheels rather than chroming them at that time. Has anyone ever come across a silver painted one or not? I cannot see any trace of Blue on this one and althoug some slight rust is coming through, the paint is not flaking.
While I am at it, I need a barrel and nut as this one had been broken/ cocked up and soldered on and you would have to assembe the gun by trying to wind the piston/sear bit nto the barrel in the cylinder. So if anyone has a dead one-----I am guessing even the plastic gripped bits would fit, please give me a shout.
Thanks

This morning I took the grips off and removed the trigger to have a look at the paint. I even scratched a bit of the paint on the trigger housing and it was bright steel underneath, not blue/black. Most of the trigger is silver but not most of the bit inside the trigger housing, that to me, suggests the trigger was painted in situ or in some sort of jig. There is no sign or blue/ black on the inside ways of the trigger housing. Interestingly, the underside of the cylinder that you can see in the housing is painted silver. This suggests to me that the sides of the housing were masked, the pistol painted and then the trigger was either pre painted or painted on the gun. There is no sign of paint on the trigger or sear pins.
If pushed, I would have to say in the absence of blue/black, that this is a kosher painted gun------------maybe as I have suggested, done during the nickel/chrome shortage of the Korean war.

[webman]

Hi Guy, I once bought a 1930s Diana Boys Model which was painted silver. I used some Aldi paint thinner on it, and underneath was a very nice chrome-type finish, which was pretty good, and had been protected by the crappy paint job. Maybe the same has been done to your gun, as it has obviously been seriously messed with by a gun-butcher!

Regards,

Ian

[gc93]

hi im going to say yes to the silver /grey paint finish , there was 2 at Melbourne on Saturday on a table .almost looked like they were galvanised or zinc'd . ive only ever saw blued /blacked or bright chrome finish before..