Belt Auction

Guns from the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's seem to have a very thick layer of high gloss varnish, why is this?

On the internet now, on GunBroker, Auction Arms, and GunsAmerica, they now give high quality close up photos of shotguns and rifles. I prefer older guns from the 1970's. I notice, however that in that era, they REALLY like high gloss varnish on their guns. They were very shiny. Was this put on to protect the finish of the gun, or was a hunting rifle just expected to be beautiful and shiny back then? And they would have white spaces on the butt pad, and end caps on the grip, and different wood on the tip of the forearm. I also notice they were willing to put recoil pads as a stock item on non Magnum rifles back then. I never see that any more. Why is that?

Public Comments

1. I wish they still did that today....back then people (and company's) didn't work solely for profit....(well mostly) but companies liked to create elaborate guns also...(if you look at older guns...there is a whole lot that are engraved and have high quality materials) nowadays they no longer have that level of care and intricacy for their guns....
2. People liked to make them purdy. Wood stocks are also easier to work on than synthetic ones and synthetic stocks are fairly recent. Thats also big problem with the Mausers and Arisakas I collect is everyone and their brother back in the day would sand and refinish or cut the stock back (most of them are garage Bubba done too, so they look like crap). If you find an unaltered Arisaka or Mauser you should buy it up.
3. Fashion. That's what sold well back then. Black plastic and pointless mounting rails sell today.
4. Some great answers here already. And I love gunplumber's. I really like the "epoxy finish" on the older guns. It protects the wood and gives it more class in my opinion. Today factories are turning-out guns made from cheap metal stampings, injection molded plastics and as gunplumber points-out, needless accessory rails. I'm sorry, but I just don't need a to mount a long eye relief scope, flashlight, laser, range finder, Vertical fore-grip, tactical sling and fuzzy dice from the forearm of my rifle.
5. A gun was both a tool and something to show off. White line spacers,rose wood tips.monte carlo stocks. People came to learn that wood swells and moves with humidity. Your rifle wouldn't hit to the same point of impact week to week. After entering camp you had to sight in your rifle. This is not nearly the problem it used to be.Also it is cheaper to have a plastic stock and a bead blasted finish than a wood stock and high polish blue.
6. It protected the wood and it was 10 times more pleasing to look at then the crap they have out now.
7. At 63, I am old enough to have seen all that as an adult! It was pretty gross, how "people selling things" got the idea everything should be repeatedly dipped in varnish or Varithane. Similarly, during the 1990's sellers wanted everything in the art world dipped in EVIL. Gross! Now it's stinking Zombies, imitating Michael Jackson, who may actually qualify by now if anybody wants to check! All proof positive that herd instinct is alive and well in that monkey species called the humans.
8. Folks back then,me included,used to value the workmanship and finish of a product. It didn't matter if it was a toaster,it was well made and had a nice finish. Those qualities seem lost today. I see new cars today that have a worse factory paint job than you would expect to get from a $199 Maaco special. Guns are the same way. Plastic has seemed to have replaced wood,and in some cases even metal parts. The recoil pads were just a way to lengthen the stock. It's still done today,but for an extra cost,of course!