If youre looking for a book on the step by step process on how to CCH firearm actions, dont think one exists., although, there are lots of good books on the case hardening of steels, Ive got a good dozen in my library. Most are over 100 years old.
Case hardening firearms follows the same rules as case hardening other low carbon steel components, if you know the type of steel, depth of case to be achieved there are lots of charts out there. The key for most gun folks is of course getting the right colors, and that takes practiceand lots of it.
Kensal Rise brought up some interesting points, a few I would like to address:
FACT: Any gun frame that is potentially subject to this treatment is probably over 100 years old, or close to it. Thus, without expensive professional analysis, the steel composition is unknown.
Reality: If the steel was originally case hardened then one can b pretty well assured that it was Case Hardening Steel i.e.low carbon. Researching turn of the century steels, its pretty easy to determine what the steel composition was. Additionally I have taken a few firearm frames and had the Metallurgical Testing done. Yes its expensive but its good confirmation.
FACT: The parts in question have been subjected to a similar treatment before. However, the precise details of that process are unknown.
FACT: It is totally unknown how much carbon was infused into the steel surface by the original color case process because that process is a cipher.
Reality: We know the process, its only a cipher if you dont know what going on. Very much like bluing, for the uninformed, it may seem like black magic, but for the folks that do it and understand it its not a huge mystery. Steels to be re-cased need to be properly prepared..Ie. .annealed. Annealing will help diffuse the carbon into the steel, as well a providing other benefits.
V/R
Mike
