Can any action be case colored like D.Turnbull offers?Anyone ever see a winchester pre or post model 70 action case colored?
Do you guys like case colored actions?

I Love the looks of a case hardened bolt action.

I too would like to know where to send a bolt action to be treated.

I only seem to see lever guns done this way.

There are heat treatment issues involed with color case hardening a bolt action reciever. Turnbull will only do it for certain people. I'm only parroting information I've read on other post's about this, but one thing I have first hand information on is that color case hardening isn't a very tuff finish. Even if I could get a action done with it I wouldn't. Of coarse if you're dead set on having one there is always Dakota.

Terry

As a shottygunner, I have several case colored guns and have one in the project phase that's going to John G at http://www.classicgunsinc.com/
for color case hardening. Turnbull is the leading color case outfit of our time. I've seen their work on revolvers, doubles and rifles and it is superb.

The heat treating process CAN warp an action, and that's why one should use a Turnbull or Classic (or another established outfit) to do the work.

The colors will wear off with handling but the protective and hardening properties do NOT wear off the surface of the gun. I have some old double guns (1861, 1885 and 1912) where the colors have gone to silver but the receivers are still very resistant to rust.

If the colors are clearcoated (shellac, tru-oil or clear epoxy) they will remain longer. A late model Italian O/U has been used extensively and the colors show no sign of deterioration.

I've seen bolt actions case colored and I thought coloring the steel scope mounts and rings was a beautiful addition.

1912 color case gone to silver

I have sent client guns to Classic Guns Inc. for seven years ( about 35 a year). I have always been more than pleased with their work and they are Very fast (usually about a week or so) and Very inexpensive($i75.) for a shotgun action. I know they will colr case Ruger #1 actions and bolt actions even if they are made of 4140. Ken Hurst

quote:

Originally posted by blackbearhunter:
Can any action be case colored like D.Turnbull offers?

How well steel takes case colors depends on the properties of the particular type of steel their made of. Doug could tell you very quickly how well they will or will not take case colors.

Personally, I like case-colors on a gun.

When my gunsmith was alive he located a man who by trade was a butcher but did color case hardening on the side ,I saw the pieces he did and the work was excellent.

Classic Guns is only about 15 minutes away from me, I had them do an Encore frame a few months ago - it was absolutely stunning.

I talked to John awhile about doing a couple of Mauser actions for me, just haven't got back over there to do one yet.

They put a coat of shellac/varnish, whatever on the frame. I've handled it, and used it - as well as a lot of other people pawing over it, no signs of wear/damage yet.

Fireball ---- the finish used over the color case is a violin varnish or lac. Having used Johns services for many years, I can testify it wears well ! Ken

Here's one I really like a lot:



It's an FN Mauser '98 in .270 that's been listed for sale on the NECG website for $4,400 for a very long time.

Scope bases done by Gene Semillion and case hardening by Doug Turnbull.

http://www.waffenjung.de/html/details.html

I think CC hardening is beautiful, I prefer it done to smaller components on a rifle as an accent- say the bolt shroud or cocking piece, trigger guard, rings. We know it wears off.

A question- I have read of the CC hardening process using charcoal (from leather) and bone meal (and sometimes cyanide), packed in a chamber (the "case"), and quenching the piece in water with air bubbles rising through the quench, this causing the mottling. Without the bubbles, apparently, the steel comes out an overall dull gray.

My question is, can the same effect be had by gas carburizing, then quenching with the air bubbles?

With all this talk of laquering over the color case finish, I have to wonder if something like a thin coating of Dura coat clear might make a better protective finish than laquer?

quote:

Originally posted by DPhillips:
http://www.waffenjung.de/html/details.html

Gee, for something that "can't be done", that rifle looks pretty nice..........

Tin Can

Several years ago I took a class on color case hardening at an NRA summer school. The instructor was John Hackley, who had considerable experience and skill in this area.
Later on I corresponded with an expert in this field in England, John Gaddis I think. He had done lots of research and experiments on the methods used by the old craftsmen in Europe. He was a contributing author for Double Gun Journal.

One thing I learned was that the air bubbles in the quench did not contribute to the swirls of color directly as once beleived. It aided the swirls and contrast of colors in-directly by oxygenating the water. You can run the air bubbles for about an hour (maximum saturation of oxygen) then turn the air off and the beautiful swirling of colors will be brilliant. Conversly you can turn the air bubbles on right before you quench and color contrasts will be very poor.

I don't know if anyone has attempted airiated water quench with gas induced carbon or not.

Tex, Dura Coat clear works well for protection of color case hardening of wear. Be aware that UV rays of the sunlight will damage the colors pretty quick.

quote:

Conversly you can turn the air bubbles on right before you quench and color contrasts will be very poor.

thanks for the info- the account I mentioned of CC hardening was from Frank De Haas, or from another amateur gunsmithing book. As I recall, the author had poor results, so I wonder if that was due to the aeration method you write about.

So to case harden without the intention of coloring, a stagnent quench might be used.

I know more about it than when I first opened the thread, thanks

Here's a Remmy 700 action I saw a while back, I think Jeffeoso probably has their contact info as I met them as his place during a stock turning party.