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

To be honest with you Steve, for the right price it looks like it would make a dandy hunting gun with a round or two of clays thrown in.
First and foremost it's a 20ga.,looks to be in decent mechanical shape and did I mention it's a 20? Nuff said.

Over temped hot blued frame.

The barrels would have to be checked to make sure they were not hot blued, but there is a good chance they aren't. In that case it would make a good shooter. Nitre bluing of the frame does no damage. I am 90% sure the frame was nitre blued. I have done it in the past on worn Trojans where the persons I was doing it for wanted their guns to look new. If carefully done the proper way, it looks ok. As the gun wears, it begins to look more like case colors, provided it is done so dark blue is not not the dominant color.

One more point, the colors wear at about the same as case colors. It is not a durable finish.

Looks very similar to the torch colored receivers I saw at Lefever Arms in Lee Center,NY back in the mid 1970's.

When I first saw it I thought it had been blued then rubbed out to give it an aged look. I would look for weep holes in the under rib as evidence on hot blued barrels.

Frank Lefever and Sons used the torch method?? I had a PH 12 case colored at Lefevers in the early seventies, and, while not the most attractive job, it didn't appear to have been torch colored.