Case Colors
 

Looking at this Trojan 20 Gauge. The seller says that it was refinished years ago. I know the pictures are not the greatest and is probably very hard to tell, but to me it looks like the case colors may have been "torched" and not applied in the traditional method. Does anyone have an opinion on this? Thanks, Steve

That doesn't look like torched colors to me. I've never seen torched colors like that and so even.

I wonder what gun that trigger guard came from.... by the engraving it looks like it came from a Grade 1 hammer gun.


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Maybe it was torched years ago ?

It looks like some variation of torch work to me but nothing recent.

No sort of colors there at all.

The frame has been hot blued.

Beware... hot blued frame usually means hot blued barrels too.

It looks to me like the frame was colored using nitre salts. You can get varying colors from straw to dark blue or peacock blue depending on how long the frame is left in the salts and how highly polished the parts are. Someone who knows what he is doing can get different colors loosly mimicing case colors.

Not to stray from topic here, but the colors obtained by nitre salts is dependent strictly on temperature. Not time.
Well, yes if the salts are a given temp and you put the given part in and then remove it before it comes up to the temp of the salts, it will reach a color different than normal for the temp of the salts.
But... what I am getting at is, if the part reaches the temp of the salts, it will turn that color for that temp range. Regardless of how long the part is in the salts.

The same goes with flame bluing. The part will change the range of colors as the temp increases.

Nitre salts can also give nice black colors in the 750-825 degree range.
This is the proper finish for Parker trigger guards, and triggers, ssbps, etc...

In fact, I nitre blued a large lot of parts this afternoon.

I agree with what you have said. The normal method when trying to produce faux case colors is to heat the salts to 600 degrees and then placing the frame in the salts and then lifting the frame clear of the salts every 30 seconds or so to view under a strong light. The process is repeated untill the desired colors and contrast are achieved.

The 20 bore frame does show some variation in colors, althought slight. This is why I contend that the frame was done with nitre.....albeit a poor job.

Hard to tell from the pics, but it looks like cold blue with a little bit of heat