Just to be clear, My comments were not intended to represent myself as a gunsmith, experienced or otherwise. A gunsmith is truly a craftsperson. Any temperature ranges I quoted are from experience from production methods used in the heat treatment of steels, in a cast state. Ultimately, the desired hardness and ductility was the determining factor is arriving at them. The colors were a byproduct of the surface hardening to prevent wear of the newly engraved surfaces. Machining and engraving is done while the part is in a softer, annealed state, and the final combination of the parts hardness, strength and ductility aren't achieved until all heating/ cooling cycles are done. The craftsman are those that take the basic information, and modify it to the desired end. The temperature ranges I quoted are, in fact those used by Colt, as explained to me by their personnel, when arriving at an alloy for their boxes. It's important to note that they were the first normalizing cycles the parts were exposed to, and not necessarily those a gun being restored would see. As the old adage says "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". Anyone who is able to replicate the colors imparted as the original manufacturer offered up, in my book, is the guy who gets my vote, and Brad Batcheldor's work, in my estimation, represents the best i have seen out there.
As many of us have seen in the last few weeks, The upcoming James Julia auction has a half dozen Colt Calvary models coming up, whose colors are as close to original, if they aren't actually original. That I believe they are actual Colt restorations, it makes no difference, as their work today is no different than it was 120 years ago. Long before they had a department called 'The Custom Shop', my dad had Colt restore a martial piece, and it looks today just like those shown in the Julia auction, no more, no less.
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