Real Deal Case Colors

[Bruce Day]

The way they were made.


Now I'm no expert, but I have wondered why we usually see color differences between the trigger plate and frame on internal hammer guns and the sideplates and frame on external hammer guns. So I have asked around and the responses from people who do case colors is that the frame must remain soft(er) than the plates in order to withstand firing shocks, so they are treated differently during the case hardening process. As a result, the plates retain color longer when exposed to wear.

Bruce Day, Parker beginner and aspiring neophite

[B. Dudley]

Wouldn't the parts be all assembled during the CCH process?

[Bruce Day]

No. Not at all. Each type of part is packed into the case hardening crucible separately. What I have learned is that the crucibles containing the various parts are not subjected to the same furnance time.

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

What I have learned is that the crucibles containing the various parts are not subjected to the same furnance time.

Are you certain of that? I received regular orders from Colt, in West Hartford for these "crucible". In the case of Colt, they were a 5x5x10" box, cast in a martensitic alloy (called CA6-NM, for those that care) I have been in the heat treating department at Colts many times, and, at least in their case, the boxes aren't unclamped until back to room temperature.

[Ruff Hunter]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

No. Not at all. Each type of part is packed into the case hardening crucible separately. What I have learned is that the crucibles containing the various parts are not subjected to the same furnance time.

I must respectfully disagree.

Every pro I have ever talked to case colors their frames fully assembled, right down to the screws in the timed position. I have seen a couple examples of frames that were case colored while disassembled, and the results were poor and obvious. Picture a jig saw puzzle of colorful scenery with several pieces force fitted in the wrong places. The colors didn't flow or match across the seams, top lever and screw heads. Definitely not professional results.

Dr Gaddy and CSMC case colored fully assembled frames, and Dr Gaddy used stainless steel perforated shielding to concentrate colors and regulate patterns with great success. I have copied his methods with good repeatable results too. The factories didn't do that, according to Dr Gaddy, because they quenched many frames at once and that held the charcoal against the frames during the quench, which is criticial to achieve colors other than gray.

For guns like Parkers where vivid colors and jagged patterns are not desired, I have devised a different process where the steel is kept fully embedded in the charcoal mix during the entire quench. I have only tried it on one Parker, my own mismatched G grade shooter with decent, but not perfect, results. Photo below.

I suspect that colors first wear off the bottoms and edges of guns for the same reason why bluing wears off trigger guards, triggers and safety buttons first--because those areas all receive the most handling wear. Also, the application of more protective lacquer in some areas over others could have something to do with it too. Additionally, some prior owner of the gun might have deliberately polished the colors off certain areas of the gun while leaving them in others to achieve a desired "look".....who knows?

In any event, I do find case coloring to be a fascinating process, and look forward to learning as much as I can about it.

[Bill Murphy]

Deleted. I asked the same question and got my answer. Thanks.

[Dean Romig]

The parts were strategically placed in the crucibles with bone, shards of hide and various other biologic 'packing' around the parts. The frame was not placed in the crucibles as an assembled unit.

[edgarspencer]

After my last post, I decided Bruce is right, in that the parts, after the normalizing cycle at 1650-1700 degrees, get a temper/stress relieving cycle, at under 1125 degrees, in a controlled atmosphere furnace, and not in the boxes they are normalized in.
Dean is correct. They are individually heat treated. The secret to the color is in the packing, and composition of carbon bearing packing material.
I never hear anyone mention it today, but one of the old materials was horse manure. No $hit !

[Dean Romig]

Most any carbon bearing material can produce the desired results.

My neice, an aspiring artist, fired this pretty piece of pottery packed predominantly in salt-marsh straw. So here we have a new twist on color heat treating.





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[ed good]

edger: your temperatures regarding hardening and tempering are most interesting and specific. are they specific to colt's process only?