Hey There Kevin!
I was wondering when our resident Hi Power expert was going to make an appearance.
I do recall reading about Browning's issues with salt in the wood of rifle stocks. I never considered that there might have been fallout into the handgun line/grips.
That is an interesting observation and makes complete sense. Fortunately there is not a lick of rust on this example. I am guessing if it has not shown up in the last 4 decades, I am reasonably safe.
Doing a little research led me to Stephan Camp's website "Hi Powers and Handguns". Needless to say, perusing that site led me down more than a few rabbit trails about Hi Powers.
Thanks for your observations on the HP Kevin.
MS