Sounds like the Winchesters 94 with serial # 2,700,000 or higher. Winchester plated those receivers with steel to get them them to blue but the bluing action eats up the plating. I have been leaving the receivers alone and bluing the barrels and everything else (hot salts) I've talked to suppliers of bluing supplies and they do not have anything to blue those types if receivers. My customers do not want to take the chance and have a purple receiver either. They do not like the receiver to be painted either by baking lacquer or molly coat black. I have painted a number of receivers that are aluminum in flat or glossy finish and no one has complained yet. Hopefully someday I get one in that I can experiment with different bluing methods and if nothing works then I can air brush on one of the baking lacquers.
Aderondacker
Aderondacker
