Very NICE!
I didn't realize you are doing your own color case hardening. Very nice work. I just looked on your web page and case hardening is not listed as a finish, do you have a price list for it?
Thanks Murphy. We no longer Colorcase commercialy, when we did our prices were compairable to Turnbulls. I got very tired of polishing guns that didn't need polishing ( every customer says their gun is in Great shape an dosen't need polishing.....I've never seen an old that didn't
) Now I just do it for my personal projects.
The question I pose is THIS: Why would/should one actually harden a gun frame that's already been hardened in the past? Could it make it dangerous or susceptable to shattering when fired?
The only reason to reharden a part that is allready hard is to Restore the part to like NEW (or modify the part). When professionals do this they first Anneal the part so that it is soft, then it is casehardened or color casehardened. After annealing but before hardening is when people should have guns engraved.....makes for a much easier job for the engraver. Generaly mild steel will not shatter but if to hard or stressed they can definately crack.
4140 should be left to the professionals DO NOT do any backyard exoeriments trying to colorcase 4140. 4140 will shatter if not handeled correctly. I would bet that Doug Turnbull did some major consultation with a metalurgist before he offered colorcased 4140 to the market because the liability is huge.
Raven