Ok:

I'm now trying to decide whether to just build a gun for my daughter for her first big game rifle.(I know I can buy one cheaper)

A .308 because she will probably hunt elk as well as deer and when she is older, she can find ammo almost anywhere. I can handload light loads for her to start with.

Bolt action with a fixed magazine.

Douglas premium airguaged featherweight barrel in 20". Alternately, start with one of the new M70 Compact.

She wants a semi-fancy walnut stock with classic styling. (I guess my brain-washing worked!)

We both think that color case-hardened actions look pretty. If the blue is stripped, is there any reason why a new short-action CRF M70 can not or should not be color case-hardened? Is there any real advantage to using a M98 Mauser instead?

The Mauser is totally classic and beautiful compared to cookie-cutter actions. Nothing special at all about Win (yuck). Also an m1909 Argentine action is only $125.00. www.ellisonsmilitaryrifles.com

For a case color all you need to do is BUFF (not grind!!!!) the exterior of the Argentine. Screw in the barrel, headspace and you are good to go.

You want something special? Add double set triggers $150.00 and try to find a bolt release peep sight.

[This message has been edited by Roger Rothschild (edited 10-30-2001).]

I think he was refering to color case hardening, as used on antique guns like many of the Wincester lever guns and some shotguns like the LC Smith doubles. The answer is "No" , it involves heat treating at extremely high temps. The item is packed in a mixture of bone, leather and wood charcoal. It, and it't container is baked a over 1000 deg F, for quite a while. Then it is dumped into agitated water. The result is a rainbow effect and a super hard skin on the metal. Unfortunately warpage is a likelyhood. Other problem is that the steel for the bolt gun action was chosen with conventional heat treatment in mind. Simply dumping a modern red hot receiver in water will result in it being hard and brittle. It needs to be drawn, that will mess up the colors. All that said I have heard of a Mauser being done in colors. I think the steel was correct for it though. Some firms do color case hardening. Check with the guys that do restorations on Winchester and Colts. Turnbull etc. It is an art that few can pull off. I bet it would be brutally expensive too.

The Winchester 70 actions are I believe a chromoly alloy steel. I don't believe it is possible to color case harden this. If one were able to color it in the hardening process the temp reguired to draw or temper it to a usable hardness and to eliminate stresses would be high enough to also eliminate the color!
Even the M98s which are generally a low carbon steel, are not a walk in the park since I have seen some which were cracked.
Now, in theory one should be able to color a M70 receiver with a torch without going above a critical temperature but it never really looks quite right. Regards, Bill.

Yes I know what the case color is, I just wanted to express my opinion regarding the grinding of the action. I do not know why this is such a fad.

I'd vote for an intermediate Mauser action like a Yugo 48, etc. Getting a good one is easy and you're not destroying a "historical relic".

I have a Rifle Magazine from '97 that features a case colored Mauser in the Custom Corner. It's beautiful! Everything is colored (reciever, bolt, shroud, triggerguard). The color work was done by Doug Turnbull. If you want to see it, let me know and I'll scan a pic.

If my wife would let me, I'd hang rifle pictures in my bedroom (like a kid with girlie pics)...

The Model 70 does not lend itself well to case coloring or case hardening, that's true, but I'll sure take its over-all design and materials to that of a pre-war Mauser 98 any day of the week. Fluffy cosmetic features do not a high-performance rifle make.

AD

That IS a bit extreme isn't it Sam?

Never "buff" metal for color case hardening, it has to be polished by hand with stones and paper back on a file....

Color case does not require the amount of heat that case hardening does...Doug Turnbull will do a beatifull job for you...

Another option is have the safty, extractor, screws, trigger and bottom metal etc. color cased and the rest of the gun rust blues by Turnbull...a nice touch. there is always some risk of warpage, but I have never known Turnbull to warp anything as he is the absolute best...

Nitre blue is another beatifull option in combo with the above....

------------------
Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com