Tonight, I was shuffling around some 601 handguards.  I need a left-side that has quite a bit of the green paint worn away.  Well, I have this black handguard that has a couple of paint chips at the front and rear and there was some green showing through.  The rest of the handguard was completely black with only a very few tiny paint chips.  I thought someone probably spray painted it black years ago; and, I figured under the black was probably some well worn green paint.

I started stripping the handguard at the front.  My first surprise was the black paint was extremely tough to strip.  Just like the 601 green stuff.  For you guys who have stripped 601 green, you know what I mean.  There is something very tough about that paint.  Anyway, as I worked on removing the black paint, to my surprise, there was no green under the black... not a speck of green at all, except for the handguard cap area.  I can also see a paint chip at the very rear, with green showing through, so I know I'll find more green there.

I've seen authentic black over brown, and authentic black over green over brown, but this is odd (to me) because it seems like the "real-deal" black paint, but it's like someone took the time to remove the green before applying it.  The backside of the teeth are 601 green.  There are no signs of sanding on the handguard.  The brown material is in absolutely perfect condition.

I'm somewhat disappointed... I wasn't after a brown handguard; but, I guess I'll strip this the rest of the way down, at this point.  I'll have to try another one to find that weathered green over brown that I'm looking for (what started this whole thing).

Some photos are below.

John Thomas

Well I guess you could just sell it to me!

Brick

Holy cow, look who came out of the woodwork!  Sorry Mitch, I avoid selling things that take years to find!

I have nothing interesting to reply with, but this information is very interesting. The history of this type of hardware gets rewritten every time someone works on a set. I've just about given up on thinking I will ever find a set of brown hand guards.

The vertical grind/sand marks look like it had the green removed with a belt sander? Some normally round contours a little flattened?

If so I have one just like that---but the black wasn't super tough like you describe.

Some wet sanding, then clear----then more wet sanding straightened mine out nicely.

I've seen some of those handguards like you're referring to... stripped with a belt sander, and very thin at the teeth.  I believe forum member boywonder has one or more of these.  The handguard in my photos is not like that at all... the vertical lines in the photo are a little misleading.  In person, they are very fine and aren't pronounced, and are very uniform, compared what you normally see with sanding marks, and the handguard's overall contours are perfect.

John Thomas

Can you detail the process you used to strip the handguard?

yep i've got a few sets like that.  the aggressive sanding usually lead to some thin spots around the edges, also some flat spots in the finish.  pretty sure that was done in the commercial market, probably to prep them for a coat of black spray paint to make them easier to sell.

My three month old and two year old have been hording my time lately.  

Brick

SP1COLT,

There isn't much to detail.  I use CitriStrip stripper (multiple coats) and a brass wire toothbrush.  I apply the stripper, let it sit for about 30 minutes, hit it with the brass toothbrush, repeat until it's stripped.SP

John Thomas

They'll hoard your wallet too Brick!

Purty brown handguard Dr. Thomas.

Maybe someone wants a brown lefty and will trade you. Stranger things have happened around here.

Nice archeology there, JT.

Any more pics...

In the interest of keeping the minutiae flowing (good thread John), here's a picture of my well used lefty:

Great looking guard there. I love the brown under it. Man I want a brown set...

JT,
Very interesting thread and observations.  Thanks for posting pics.

Still looks like remnants of the Olive green paint can be seen in the crevices, which would have absorbed a lot of black paint when they were abused like that.

I can find a home for them, since it's clearly out of your comfort zone dealing with this.

LRRPF52,

I wish you would have said something sooner.  I figured the thing wasn't worth messing with, at this point.  It went out with the trash this morning.  Sorry.

For what it is worth, there was a recent sale on EBAY with the exact same handguard as yours, except it looked like the right hand side to yours.  That would have given you a complete set.  I can't attach pics to this and haven't figured out links, but if you check the listing number was 111436869245.  It already sold, but every now and then he sells a left or right hand piece that looks just like this one.  It was a $78 bucks which seemed sort of reasonable to me.  Stripped not painted the same as jntmjt1's.  Maybe it'll help.  Better than a poke in the eye.