Lots of discussion, figures I’ll add my two cents.
I always anneal the frame of a case hardened gun when it comes in. Besides normalizing the steel, annealing has a few side benefits; it removes that hard case, making parts easier to polish, it also converts rust to a powder that is easily brushed off, it also makes it possible to re roll tang marking (no way am I using a roll die or stamp on a hardened frame), and makes life easier on my engraver if there is any touch ups that are needed.
Case Hardening is an age old process, the effects are well known to those willing to do the research.
Warpage is going to happen, it might be undetected but will happen, key to minimizing warpage is knowing the correct temps (parts & quench water), proper blockage and knowing how to drop the parts into the quench.
I've only seen one frame that was significantly warped & the buttpalte cracked when the gunsmith tried to install it.
That CCH job was done by another shop( I won't name names) and the gun's owner sent it down to me to "fix". Just by looking at the colors on the frame, the frame had been held too long at temp, quenched at too high a temp & the quench water probably had saline in it.
After annealing,about 5 hours to straighten the frame, and a bit of welding then polishing the frame & parts were re case hardening. Expensive lesson for the owner, I didn't ask what he paid to have it case hardened the first time, but I'm sure it was too much.
Color Case Hardening is a pretty low risk operation, if the person doing the case hardening understands the process.
That abomination called torch coloring…is just that an abomination. You don’t have a clue what you are doing to the metallurgy of the part. Just heating the part to 400 (straw) will start to change the properties.
Don’t know anything about “painting on colors”, I guess it’s like those Beretta “painted” fancy stocks.
Mike Hunter
Hunter Restorations
http://www.Hunterrestorations.com
