Steve,

I liken its present condition to that of a car with doors and a hood that don't match the rest of the car. I don't know why a previous owner decided that the lock plates, top lever, and trigger guard would be better off with a blacked finish but that's what was done. When I got it the blacking had been polished off of the lock plates but a look inside confirmed what I had suspected--that they had been blacked in the past and then polished off recently. That combination of blacked and "natural" parts is hideous in my opinion. I will have to find some brass black and see what it will do. Thank you for the suggestion.

- Jim