You already found the answer. Time is money, money is saving by not doing a follow up polishing.
Colt is not the only company that does that.
Colt is not the only company that does that.
Why doesn't Colt polish after applying rollmarks?
From what I understand the rollmarks are applied after final polish and before bluing. Do they save that much by not doing a quick polish to even out the letters? Many of the new guns (autos and single actions) look like the marks were pressed into mud. The gun below is Colt's top of the line auto 'from the Custom Shop.'
Perhaps Colt's way to address this was the recent elimination of rollmarks on most of the 1911 style guns.
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Perhaps Colt's way to address this was the recent elimination of rollmarks on most of the 1911 style guns.
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Why? Cost savings of course. My research shows that Colt did polish Government Models after roll marking up to the Series 80's. Those were the first with "feathered" or raised edges. On other of Colt's models (revolvers and others) they left the raw unpolished roll marks going all the way back to the pre-war WWII days, mainly on top of barrel addresses. But on the Government Models it was always polished until the 1980's.
![Material property Metal]()
![Material property Metal]()
![Material property Metal]()
This is a Colt Model 1911A1 from the last of the blued pistols. On this one they missed the M1911A1 U.S. ARMY until after the pistol had been finished. They pulled the pistol and had the marking applied through the finish. The marking shows some raised metal, as well as a slight halo around the markings from being applied through the finish. Normally the raised metal would have been removed in the final polishing stages as the military pistols did not get a high polish finish, and the wood polishing wheels were capable of removing a lot of metal while still keeping everything flat. You only have to look at the final polish of the Model 1917 Revolvers to see how much metal could be removed in this manner.
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Hey there weagle99;
I like the heavy/sharp roll-mark on my Colts because it's just one good way of determining whether or not the firearm has its original finish. I like it because it equates with newness, and for real, "NIB".
Just my opinion.
Bud
I like the heavy/sharp roll-mark on my Colts because it's just one good way of determining whether or not the firearm has its original finish. I like it because it equates with newness, and for real, "NIB".
Just my opinion.
Bud
From what I understand the rollmarks are applied after final polish and before bluing. Do they save that much by not doing a quick polish to even out the letters? Many of the new guns (autos and single actions) look like the marks were pressed into mud. The gun below is Colt's top of the line auto 'from the Custom Shop.'
Perhaps Colt's way to address this was the recent elimination of rollmarks on most of the 1911 style guns.
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FOR SALE
One used, Colt Gov. Model cheese grater. Worn out from grating hard old cheese. $5.00
Bud
One used, Colt Gov. Model cheese grater. Worn out from grating hard old cheese. $5.00
Bud
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