Yellowing on my fraime

azguy · 05-08-2004, 02:25 PM

I got an old PA-63, it is in good shape, and shoots well. What has always botherd me about it is that the fraime has some sort of yellow tint near the pistol grips. It appears to be some sort of stain or varnish was put on it. I cannot seam to clean it off, and it does not appear to be able to scrape it off. Is this common? I cannot think of any type of oil or stain that can actually stain aluminium. Could it be some discoleration from some sort of heat dammage?? I don't know, I doubt it is heat dammage because the rest of the pistol looks clean. Any ideas?

jerry · 05-09-2004, 10:33 AM

wouldn't be able to tell w/o looking at it. You can allways upgrade the finish by sending it to someone like Robar

http://www.robarguns.com/DesktopDefa...d=4&tabindex=2

Dale · 05-09-2004, 01:41 PM

Like Jerry, I won't give a somewhat concrete idea of what it might be without seeing a pic of the whole gun.

Is the gun without bluing from wear, etc?

If so, is the WHOLE gun without bluing or just the frame?

If the frame itself is lacking bluing, and no other part is-and no other part has the discoloration, I would say the gun was stored in older leather (maybe an older holster) for some time and the discoloration is a chemical reaction from harsh chemicals used in the older leather tanning processes.

As a leather worker I've seen just that symptom.

But, once again, I'd have to see the discoloration, the gun, etc. to say one way or another.

05-09-2004, 02:06 PM

sounds like cosmoline :target:

azguy · 05-10-2004, 12:37 AM

The slide has blueing on it, the yellowing seams to be only on the fraim on the front of the grips, below the trigger guard. Overall the pistol is in good shape. Too late at night for a photo, am 1/2 way done re-finnishing my AK furntiure, I got to do photos of that too. I'll try to put one up latter, no garantee I can get a picture to show the yellowing it is faint and only shows up in the right light. The holster theary seams like the culpret. Thanks

azguy · 05-10-2004, 12:38 AM

What is casmoline???

Dale · 05-10-2004, 08:50 AM

Cosmoline.....a mixture of heavy grease they encase a weapon in for long term storage.

It's anywhere from a rusty color to amber color to yellowish.

I've cleaned many guns with bluing wear of the cosmoline coating but I've never seen cosmoline to stain but anything is possible, I guess.

05-10-2004, 06:15 PM

I thought it was stain on the grip Dale which to me sounded like cosmoline :target:

Dale · 05-11-2004, 07:40 AM

Not sure, LD.

He said it was a stain near the grips so I assumed he meant the metal grip frame.

I dunno.

azguy · 05-11-2004, 09:41 PM

No the yellow stain is in/on the fraim near the grips, but not on the grips themselves. In fact I took off the plastic grips in order to expose the gun fraim and clean it off. I tried a couple of gun cleaning solvents, including "Hoppe's No. 9", and "Gun Scrubber". The stain remained. I even tried steel wool, and brass bore brushes. Nothing seams to be able to take it off which makes me think that it is some sort of stain, as opposed to a type of build up or coating. I will try to get a picture to show the stain.

As a warning Birchwood/Casey "Gun Scrubber" disolved the plastic gripps on my Sig .380. They were not totally disolved but it did disolve the plastic enough for me to leave perfict fingerprints of my fingers imbeded in the plastic. However none of my other guns plastic parts reacted this way.

azguy · 05-15-2004, 02:17 PM

Here is a picture of the pistol broken down. The yellowing shoes up best in this picture.

azguy · 05-15-2004, 02:24 PM

Here is the picture Again.

azguy · 05-15-2004, 02:27 PM

I don't know why, but my pictures always seam to show up like cartoons, or sepeia type; never the less. That was my attempt to show the pistol and it's condition.

Dale · 05-15-2004, 05:04 PM

I can't tell from the photo where and how much yellowing there is.

I would suggest taking the gun to a reputable gunsmith and ask him/her what the/she thinks.

Sorry for not being able to help.

05-16-2004, 06:04 AM

I still say it's cosmoline :uzi:

jerry · 05-16-2004, 07:14 AM

I an see it now. Looks like it follows the outline of the grip on the edges? LD could be right on the cosmo. I think it would be other places? Unless that is specifically where it was missed when being wiped off with the grips left on. The other guess could be a chemical/heat reaction from the plastic grips. Do they look discolored or different in any way on the outside edge than on the rest of the grips? Still, to get rid of the problem your probably looking at a refinish job of some sort. Strong solvents haven't done it for you. MAbe automotive polish compound or a 3M scotch brite pad. Both pretty agressive

azguy · 05-17-2004, 09:27 PM

The picture came out horrible, but it does not affect how hte gun shoots, it only looks bad. I will keep her as is.

05-08-2004, 02:25 PM	#1
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136	Yellowing on my fraime I got an old PA-63, it is in good shape, and shoots well. What has always botherd me about it is that the fraime has some sort of yellow tint near the pistol grips. It appears to be some sort of stain or varnish was put on it. I cannot seam to clean it off, and it does not appear to be able to scrape it off. Is this common? I cannot think of any type of oil or stain that can actually stain aluminium. Could it be some discoleration from some sort of heat dammage?? I don't know, I doubt it is heat dammage because the rest of the pistol looks clean. Any ideas?

05-09-2004, 10:33 AM	#2
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,901 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	wouldn't be able to tell w/o looking at it. You can allways upgrade the finish by sending it to someone like Robar http://www.robarguns.com/DesktopDefa...d=4&tabindex=2 __________________ I'm a down home back woods redneck

05-09-2004, 01:41 PM	#3
Dale Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Too Dang Hot, Arizona Posts: 4,284	Like Jerry, I won't give a somewhat concrete idea of what it might be without seeing a pic of the whole gun. Is the gun without bluing from wear, etc? If so, is the WHOLE gun without bluing or just the frame? If the frame itself is lacking bluing, and no other part is-and no other part has the discoloration, I would say the gun was stored in older leather (maybe an older holster) for some time and the discoloration is a chemical reaction from harsh chemicals used in the older leather tanning processes. As a leather worker I've seen just that symptom. But, once again, I'd have to see the discoloration, the gun, etc. to say one way or another. __________________ "It confuses me how some people can vigorously go against the 2nd. Amendment and still call themselves patriotic"-me

05-10-2004, 08:50 AM	#7
Dale Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Too Dang Hot, Arizona Posts: 4,284	Cosmoline.....a mixture of heavy grease they encase a weapon in for long term storage. It's anywhere from a rusty color to amber color to yellowish. I've cleaned many guns with bluing wear of the cosmoline coating but I've never seen cosmoline to stain but anything is possible, I guess. __________________ "It confuses me how some people can vigorously go against the 2nd. Amendment and still call themselves patriotic"-me Last edited by Dale; 05-11-2004 at 07:41 AM.

05-11-2004, 07:40 AM	#9
Dale Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Too Dang Hot, Arizona Posts: 4,284	Not sure, LD. He said it was a stain near the grips so I assumed he meant the metal grip frame. I dunno. __________________ "It confuses me how some people can vigorously go against the 2nd. Amendment and still call themselves patriotic"-me

05-09-2004, 02:06 PM	#4
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	sounds like cosmoline :target:

05-10-2004, 12:37 AM	#5
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136	The slide has blueing on it, the yellowing seams to be only on the fraim on the front of the grips, below the trigger guard. Overall the pistol is in good shape. Too late at night for a photo, am 1/2 way done re-finnishing my AK furntiure, I got to do photos of that too. I'll try to put one up latter, no garantee I can get a picture to show the yellowing it is faint and only shows up in the right light. The holster theary seams like the culpret. Thanks

05-10-2004, 12:38 AM	#6
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136	What is casmoline???

05-10-2004, 06:15 PM	#8
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	I thought it was stain on the grip Dale which to me sounded like cosmoline :target:

05-11-2004, 09:41 PM	#10
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136	No the yellow stain is in/on the fraim near the grips, but not on the grips themselves. In fact I took off the plastic grips in order to expose the gun fraim and clean it off. I tried a couple of gun cleaning solvents, including "Hoppe's No. 9", and "Gun Scrubber". The stain remained. I even tried steel wool, and brass bore brushes. Nothing seams to be able to take it off which makes me think that it is some sort of stain, as opposed to a type of build up or coating. I will try to get a picture to show the stain. As a warning Birchwood/Casey "Gun Scrubber" disolved the plastic gripps on my Sig .380. They were not totally disolved but it did disolve the plastic enough for me to leave perfict fingerprints of my fingers imbeded in the plastic. However none of my other guns plastic parts reacted this way.

05-15-2004, 02:17 PM	#11
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136	Here is a picture of the pistol broken down. The yellowing shoes up best in this picture.

05-15-2004, 02:27 PM	#13
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136	I don't know why, but my pictures always seam to show up like cartoons, or sepeia type; never the less. That was my attempt to show the pistol and it's condition.

05-15-2004, 05:04 PM	#14
Dale Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Too Dang Hot, Arizona Posts: 4,284	I can't tell from the photo where and how much yellowing there is. I would suggest taking the gun to a reputable gunsmith and ask him/her what the/she thinks. Sorry for not being able to help. __________________ "It confuses me how some people can vigorously go against the 2nd. Amendment and still call themselves patriotic"-me

05-16-2004, 06:04 AM	#15
Logansdad Guest Posts: n/a	I still say it's cosmoline :uzi:

05-16-2004, 07:14 AM	#16
jerry Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 10,901 Images: 9 Blog Entries: 1	I an see it now. Looks like it follows the outline of the grip on the edges? LD could be right on the cosmo. I think it would be other places? Unless that is specifically where it was missed when being wiped off with the grips left on. The other guess could be a chemical/heat reaction from the plastic grips. Do they look discolored or different in any way on the outside edge than on the rest of the grips? Still, to get rid of the problem your probably looking at a refinish job of some sort. Strong solvents haven't done it for you. MAbe automotive polish compound or a 3M scotch brite pad. Both pretty agressive __________________ I'm a down home back woods redneck

05-17-2004, 09:27 PM	#17
azguy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Yuma, AZ Posts: 136	The picture came out horrible, but it does not affect how hte gun shoots, it only looks bad. I will keep her as is.