I have a L57 Sako action and I'm having it re barreled to 7MM08. I also wanted it re blued and I'm not sure why the bottom metal has a red tint to it. My Dad bought it in 1957 I think from Montgomery Wards!!and it has always had the red tint the action is dark blue. Any ideas or will it always have this red tint? Bill

Bottom was probably cast. Takes a little more effort and time to get the red out. The blend of the steel can cause it as well.

A good bluer can do it.

Yep; Rust blue it; that will take care of the red tint thing. It can't turn red if rust blued.

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Rust blue it; that will take care of the red tint thing. It can't turn red if rust blued

Now that you pointed out your steam method going to have to try rust bluing again.

I can remember when I was doing hot bluing and had to put the heat to the tank to boil off the water to slowly raise the temp. Only way I found to eliminate the red in some metal. If memory serves the Springfield was a royal pain to get right.

Those older Sakos like the older Weatherbys and Rugers used a high vanadium steel which tends to turn a purplish brown color. Some people claim that adding potassium to the tank will blue it but I never had any luck with it. Generally a higher polish has a greater chance of turning blue/black. You can also try shocking it several times between the cold water tank and the bath.

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Originally posted by ramrod340:
Bottom was probably cast. Takes a little more effort and time to get the red out. The blend of the steel can cause it as well.

A good bluer can do it.

Is anyone positive whether the L57 has cast bottom? I would like to straighten mine and am not sure about the heat and cast?
Mike

The very early ones with round cocking shrouds and in the bow floor plate releases have machined trigger guards. Later L46-L57-L61 with tapered flat top cocking shrouds and button releases and the 461-579 etc are cast. They may crack between the bow and magazine if you try to "straighten" or bend in that area, but can be welded with nickel rod.

My Smith said he could blue it no problem.. We'll see...

I encountered that problem with P-17 Enfields and immersed them in ice water (carefully) several times during blueind and that worked [most times)
MP

Don't hold me to these exact numbers. Going from memory and been 30 yrs since I owned and ran bluing tanks.

As I remember I normally blued at 295F. For the high nickel etc I would start at the 295F and let the heat rise to around 310F. Don't recall trying an ice bath. The increase in heat and the resulting long blue time seemed to work. I believe I got the hint from Brownell's Gunsmith Kinks. I was also using home made salts.

As i understand they (Sako) only made around 10,000 L57 receivers this one is 3XX so it is very early. I don't think it is cast.

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I don't think it is cast

As others have said the steel alloy content can cause the same thing.

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Originally posted by cooksey:
As i understand they (Sako) only made around 10,000 L57 receivers this one is 3XX so it is very early. I don't think it is cast.

Most of the L57's were made from late 1957 through early 1960 when the L579 supplanted them, although some were shipped from the factory as late as the late 1960's. However, the numbers were not sequential in chronology and the only way to tell when one was made is to check with the Sako Collectors Club using their factory records service: http://store.sakocollectors.com/

Where the L461 actions made from castings? Or machined from a billet/ forged steel?

Or are you talking about the bottom metal?