DH restoration advice
 

I have a DH, the action was blued some time ago as it had started to wear off. I took the rest of the bluing off earlier this evening to see what was there. As I thought, there was no case color left. The action, and trigger guard are both silver now. The gun also has a stock that was broken and professionally repaired some time ago, it looks nice and I've had it checked by a stock maker. The barrels of the gun are perfect, Titanic steel, look new. I'm thinking of having the case hardening re done. Thoughts? The gun just looks odd to me without some case coloring. Thanks in advance.

The Spring issue of PARKER PAGES which just came out has an article on case hardening.

Hi-

Some more information on your DH (gauge, serial number, stock measurements, and most of all, lots of pictures might help our many expert members (certainly not this guy) to give you some advice re how to proceed.

Was your DH hot-blued? If so, that might be a factor-as it might have weakened the parts within.

All I can say is that most any DH with good tubes has worth. I did buy one 20 VHE (my first Parker) that had the receiver hot-blued and decided to have it completely rebuilt a few years back as sporting clays daily driver. I even opened the chokes, the only time I have ever done so. I spent more on this VHE than it will be worth for longer than I will live, but it is a great go-to 20.

Personally, I would not recase a Parker receiver. The silver finish looks age appropriate and you run the risk of warping the action. Why make a 100 year old gun look new?

I know Ed, I agree. I like the old stuff with character marks. I'd like to find the person who did the work in the first place and ask them why. It just doesn't look quite right. I'll post some pics later.

Anyone who thinks there will be case color under bluing when removed is fooling themselves since metal has to be polished to be blued.

You may find your gun may look even more odd with new case colors. But that is without my seeing the gun to give an informed opinion.

I agree with Brian Dudley. I own two nice Parkers with blued receivers and I am leaving them as is. New colors would take something away from both of these guns.

I'm not saying to not remove the bluing.

Any silvered receiver will look better than a blied receiver.

There yet may not be a need to re-color.

A 100 year old Parker with new case colors would be like me with brown hair.

Bluing a Parker receiver is akin to painting a Deere tractor hot pink. The problem with simply removing the Bluing is that the metal is totally unprotected from corrosion. To mechanically remove the Color Case for Bluing, you also remove the carbaceous hardened layer that protects the base metal.
If the engraving is not too compromised from the polishing, it will be from handling. Blued receivers can be properly Re-cased as long as the existing caustic salt staining is pacified.
In my opinion any D grade in reasonable condition deserves to be preserved and re-cased. It is important to understand that Case Color is not simply good looking. It is a finishing protective layer. If you are fond of a silvered, worn finish, rub off the colors with Flitz polish. Time will do the same thing.

Brad