What does it mean when someone says a firearm is "in the white"?

Question

I've heard people talking about gun metals and finishes before, the phrase "in the white" has come up. What does this mean?

Answer 1

I lost count long ago of the various options for a finish on firearms. From the military "Parkerization", a grey finish which is "camo" in it's own way and seemingly very durable, to luxurious Colt blue, they all have the same problem of easily wearing thin simply from holster-touching. Hard chrome plating then electrically made black, seems to be the toughest option, but there have yet to be offered to the general public any really good processes, reliably resisting routine wear. I wonder about possibly some new titanium-based chemical, such as Titanium Nitride, as used so successfully to coat drills, but if it were practical for firearms, wouldn't someone be doing it by now? Maybe the "golden color" looks garish to folks. Also there are some new advanced polymers which show promise for armoring tools. So anyway, some firearms are shipped with no surface modifications at all (in the white), for those who feel they can beat the non-system, and perhaps someone will! Plastics in the "Kevlar family" need further development in bonding to metal. Regards, Larry.

Answer 2

Some firearms are sold "in the white" (i.e. unfinished) so the consumer can apply his/her own finish.

Answer 3

Unfinished.  That is it needs to be blued or parkerized.

H

Answer 4

Bare steal, before bluing or any other finish is applied.

Answer 5

It means that no bluing or browning has been applied to the metal surfaces.