VH Made in 1942

[Autumn Daze]

Nathan,I would venture a guess that the gun is a Delgrego refinished gun,Maybe a long time ago. In that second to the last picture I see a line that could indicate a sleeving job. Maybe its just the photo.Is there a 3 day inspection?

[Dean Romig]

I agree with Dave in picking up on that line across both barrels possibly being indicative of sleeved barrels.
I'm also curious about what appears to be polished rust pits on the side of the chamber area of the right barrel.
If you decide to buy it be absolutely certain you get a "no questions asked" three-day inspection period.
We're not trying to find fault with the gun but are simply pointing out possible areas of concern.

[Bill Murphy]

Nothing could make those lines in the barrels except a sleeve job. Sleeved barrels will take half the value from a gun like this. The gun is also probably restocked judging from the quality of the wood. The gun is very nice, and, if it is a Del Grego full redo and restock, it would be worth a couple of grand, if the barrels were not sleeved.

[Autumn Daze]

Bill,I have never seen a Del Grego gun that was sleeved. Did he do/had done this kind of work?
Other than the case colors the stock cheeks and the fluting on the nose of the comb looks very Del Grego to me.

[Bruce Day]

General comments, not particular to this gun:

The Color Case Company did lots of cyanide re-case jobs. I'm sure there are other shops. Cyanide process case hardening is a common industrial process.

Fred Wenig and Fajen's before him, turned out rough finished and machine inletted Parker stocks and forends by the hundreds, if not thousands, with downwardly fluted comb noses. They would turn out a completely checkered and finished stock for several hundred dollars for many years, Wenig work was higher cost. Their typical stock was of Iowa and Missouri black walnut stump wood.

Many, many people did barrel sleeve work, Lefever did hundreds.

Many bright cyanide case color jobs are not DelGrego work at all, but some people like to claim that a gun they are selling was redone by DelGrego because of a commonly considered good reputation.

[Autumn Daze]

I have an Ohio Case Color gun and it is definitley bone charcoal. Did they revamp their process and are now doing cyanide?

[Bruce Day]

I don't know Dave. I know they did cyanide process.

Interestingly, I believe its Turnbull's web site, cyanide color case hardening can be made to be almost imperceptible from bone charcoal colors. So these gaudy colors that some do not like do not have to be that way and the color result is much dependent upon the technique of the cyanide process technician. Don't ask me how its done, maybe a mix of artistry and magic. I have also seen worn cyanide colors that are imperceptible from worn bone charcoal case colors.

[Researcher]

Those case colors look just about perfect for a Savage-era Fox-Sterlingworth.