Craig;
Yes out here. As I posted on the other thread tempering of a heat-treated part begins taking place around 350F. The hotter it goes above that the more it is tempered (Softened). Virtually the last smidgen of hardness put in by the heat/quench process can be tempered out without ever re-crossing the critical temp.
Colors which are artificially produced at temps below 200F are not temper colors & have no affect on the heat-treatmant. Temper colors, such as those produced by the concentrated flame of an accetylene torch "DO" affect the heat-treat as do those put on uniformally by a high heat process as charcoal bluing. Guns so finished were not normally Case Hardened & were designed around the constraints of a soft steel body.
It is noted that the late Selma AL gunsmith Ralph Walker advocated this torch method of coloring. He had several other practises with which I strongly disagreed as well.
ED; I have fully refrained from making any personal attack on this subject BUT;
"...the case colors on this gun were restored via a controlled, low heat, chemical process. the receiver was not heated beyond critical temperature."
"IF" your definition of "Low Heat" is any temp below the critical temp then you purely know not whereof you speak. The original hardness as I pointed out above can be totally destroyed without ever reaching that critical temp. This is all verifiable.
