case color restorer

[Alligator]

Has anybody tried the case color restorer kit Tony Galazan is advertising? I know one of the members of the Fox Collectors was experimenting with a chemical solution that would give some subdued colors without any heat application I believe. My 16 gage hammer gun is an even patina grey/blue with no pitting and hasn't been polished. In looking at some color illustrations of the "O" grades in the "Parker Story" the color seems subdued and it's possible that is most of what may remain on mine. I would prefer a "cleanup/mild restore" of some kind to a full color restoration which I don't plan to do at this point. Thanks! Lee

[B. Dudley]

My guess would be that this is something like a cold bluing type solution. Some reading I had done previously described the process used by Ithaca factory repair gunsmiths when a customer would return a gun due to wear of colors. They would use a cold blue applied in a particular pattern with a Q-tip.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

I've played with cold blue and browning which will for a time enhance the colors of an action. Over time those colors faded and so I removed them.

Now when I want a gun recased I send it to Brad Bachelder who thus far was done an outstanding re-case hardening on quite a few guns for me.

[G. Wells]

i think this came from an old Doublegunshop post, and includes the essentials from the Ithaca factory.


To Repair or Restore Color Case
1; This is a serious problem on guns that have been used extensively.
Equipment Required:
a. Cold blue (we use 44-40)
b. Q tips (cotton swabs on a stick)
c. torch or other heat source
d. Paint remover (we use Kwick�)
e. Fine steel wool
2; Procedure:
(1) Remove everything from the receiver.
(2) Remove lacquer from the receiver using Kwick� or other liquid paint remover
(3) Wash receiver in a good solvent or boil with detergent.
(4) Using your heat source, heat the receiver to a point where liquid cold blue will dry almost instantly, (about 160°F)
(5) Using a Q� tip, draw squiggly lines or whatever is necessary to match existing color hardening.
Note* If you have polished the receiver to bare metal, space your lines about ¼ apart on the first pass, then fill in on a 2nd pass.
(6) Using fine steel wool dipped in oil, remove the oxidation from the receiver. Be careful not to remove the color.
(7) Wash in good solvent. Do not touch before applying lacquer.
(8) Spray with acrylic plastic from Koloid
(9) Reassemble gun & return to a satisfied customer.
Note** This procedure does not affect the hardening. It only restores the color.

Note this statement; "draw squiggly lines or whatever is necessary to match existing color hardening". When I used this process I did not draw squiggly line similar to cyanide hardening, but did blobs etc to look more like a charcoal job. Again I am not absolutely certain on this but I think the Perazzi frame was likely not made from a carburizing grade of steel, but a heat treatable alloy. True carburizing/case hardening is not generally suitable for a steel having excess of about .2-.25% carbon, ala SAE 1020 etc.
Note that if using a "Torch" as the heat source a concentrated heat is not used, but part should be heated as uniformally as possible up to the desired temp. A simple propane torch is quite adequate, acettylene equipment is unnecessary. It could be simply put in the ordinary kitchen oven with the temp turned down about as low as it would go.

[B. Dudley]

Yes, that is where I may have seen it. That was supposed to have come from an Ithaca Gun Company training manual.

[Alligator]

Thanks guys! I think I will do a good liquid clean job after I finish the restock, see how it looks, and then determine if I am going to leave it as is, do something like this, or have a real recoloring done. It's just an "O" grade but a darned nice one! The barrels are either original finish laquer and all or are an old refinish. There are a couple marks and dimples that look to be introduced after finishing. Lee.