Hello from PA

[GasGuzzler]

So the OP's rifle has some of the features of my OLD .357 and some of the features of my mid-90's Puma .454 Casull. The .454 IS lettered on the tang (unlike the .357) and has similar wood (although I just refinished it) but I have the ^*&^*#@$#@ safety bolt (.454) and the dovetail front sight (.454). My .357 is as I described above.

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND WITH THE TOPS OF THE LUGS ARE ALWAYS "UNBLUED" (I blued both of mine).

[Archer]

From what I've seen the tops of the locking lugs on the Winchesters were often but not always polished and unblued.
My guess is that the tops of the lugs, or perhaps more accurately the corners of one or both of the lugs may ride on the races in the bolt and show wear over time if blued but if they are polished any such wear blends in.

[Reese-Mo]

Could be something to do with old metal formulas, heat treatment and bluing? Now just for old style cosmetics?

[GasGuzzler]

Not sure. The sides, etc. of the lugs are blued, just not the tops...and the tops are super high polished with no blue where the rest of the lugs are generally more roughly machined.

[Reese-Mo]

But were they blue on the old original Winchesters? This I don't know! Why are bolt bodies polished?

[Archer]

But were they blue on the old original Winchesters? This I don't know! Why are bolt bodies polished?

From the pictures I've seen some were polished. I don't know if the ones that seem blued were refinished or original. Some of the polished ones were sure to have been factory.

I know 1894s post 64 were polished locking lug sections on every one I've seen and I doubt they were using stainless. They weren't mirror bright like the tops of the lugs on the 92s/86s.

My Modern Japanese 1886 is polished.

[Reese-Mo]

My Japanese 92 is polished on top. Maybe just cosmetic touch....

Just tossin out ideas....