Receiver finish
 

Maybe a stupid question, I’m new to the Parker world.
Were all grades of Parker’s color case hardened? When new was the engraving on the higher end guns plainly visible? It would seem that the dark colors of case color would not allow the engraving to be seen. And were they always engraved very lightly or is it from use and wear that the engraving seems very light?

Yes, all Parkers were case hardened. And pretty much any other maker of the era as well. The steels used at the time needed to be case hardened for proper function and durability.

Depending on the era and more especially the engraver, some were very lightly/finely engraved. While another engraver might engrave more deeply with somewhat bolder strokes and cuts. I have a very nice DH made in 1898-9 that has some of the finest, most delicate engraving I’ve seen, and no, it’s not worn a bit.





.

Were the very deep relief engraved guns like the Whit 1s originally color case hardened? I sure don't see any vestiges of case colors in the two I've saved pictures of.

Attachment 101678

Attachment 101679

Attachment 101680

Attachment 101681

Attachment 101682

Attachment 101683

Attachment 101684

Attachment 101685

Attachment 101686

AAHE 16

My point in posting these pictures is that the high relief engraving was plainly visible when color case hardened. Less so on grades 6 down to 2 with lighter, finer engraving.


.

My DH 90739

Granted, it is somewhat worn but very lightly and finely engraved nonetheless.



.

Good Lord that’s beautiful!

Dean have your barrels been refinished

Dave, while I wasn't there, it would be my assumption that all guns, irrespective of grade, were case hardened. Color Case Hardened is somewhat a misnomer, because the case hardening process is a heat treatment for mechanical properties (Tensile, Yield Strength, and hardness) The colors achieved in the process are a secondary byproduct. There are other ways to heat treat for mechanical properties, but when heat treating a finished, machined part, Case Hardening is the most practical, because the process virtually eliminates the possibility of the scale that results from either Normalize & Temper, or Quench & Temper. The temper cycle of these two processes is effectively a stress relieving cycle. Ductility, reported as Elongation, and Reduction of Area (of a tensile test bar) is inversely proportional to hardness; hence, receivers which are Case Hardened, while having surface hardness, have low ductility, nearer the outside edges. The core of the section may be somewhat more ductile, but thinner section are going to be borderline brittle (Remember the cracks of the pre-13,000 Lifters at the junction of the standing breach and water table?)
As to the absence of colors on the highly (and heavily) engraved A1 guns, I am guessing they were polished off, or eliminated in a French Gray process. I am certain they were there when the part was retrieved from the quench bath. The surface of the water table (engine turned to some) was almost certainly done after the heat treatment, and also would have removed any colors from case hardening.

Edgar, wonderful post. A thumbs up "thanks" won't suffice for that information.

Well said Edgar.

I take issue however, with your statement that "the colors achieved in the process are a secondary byproduct." If that were the case, Parker, as well as virtually all other gun manufacturers, would not have refined and guarded the formula of the types and ratios of organic material that the receiver and other parts included in the crucible were packed in in order to achieve the colors that are usually definitive to a particular manufacturer.
In my opinion the colors produced in the case hardening process became as intentional as the case hardening itself.

This is not to detract from your very learned description of the hardening process, but only meant to shed light on the intended resultant colors.

Your pal, Dean





.

On the DH yes. The late great Russ Bickel did them.





.

I wouldn't expect anything else from you.

As an engineer by profession, It is my view that the case hardening process is a heat treat process, not an esthetic procedure. It is part of the process of a manufacturer, so that function and durability are incorporated in the final product. This is the Primary purpose, and proof of the process is by testing the surface hardness of the product, by achieving some measureable result. Today, that would be by Brinell, or, more appropriately, Rockwell testing. This test is specific.
Aesthetic, eye appealing colors are subjective and might vary from one person to another, but certainly it was known that the colors were appealing, and procedures to closely reproduce those colors from piece to piece were important. The idea that the process was a 'closely guarded secret' is intriguing, and even legend, but other than Colt Patent Firearms, I never read anything elsewhere stating it was so. We just want to believe that. Was it true? Maybe. However one only needs to look at other makers to know they too knew how to do it. Charles and Walter wanted first to be sure the gun was sufficiently heat treated to withstand use, and second to see that it was eye pleasing.

Okay, I'll go along with the color being a by-product of case hardening and even "secondary" when viewed in that context. But I didn't say the process was closely guarded, but that the "formula and ratio of organic material packed into the crucible with the parts" was closely guarded by each manufacturer.

Good discussion Edgar and I bow to your expertise.





.

Thank you gentlemen for answering my question so thoroughly.
What a great resource this forum is for these fine guns.

Beautiful gun Dean

The DH is mine but the AAHE 16 belongs to a friend.





.