Case Hardened Colors - Maintenance??

seb1999

How does one maintain the colors on a case hardened receiver?

Treat it like the rest of the weapon - light oiling or does it need special care.

Do these colors deterioate with age or cleaning?

Der Gebirgsjager

Should I answer this three times? (Just kidding!) I know of no special way to maintain or prevent wear of the colors on color case hardened receivers. The colors can be achieved by several different processes, but bluing will usually outlast them. Still, the reason why one sees so many old rifles with little or no receiver colors left is because the receiver is usually the balance point of a rifle, and hunters wrap their sweaty hands around them at that point when carrying them. As a result that's the point at which light surface rust occurs and where more intensive cleaning takes place; and the colors are scoured off over a period of time. Nevertheless, you will see many well used older S&W revolvers that came from the factory with color case triggers and hammers that still have most of their bluing, but the color case parts are now steel gray from wear, cleaning, and contact with fingers. Perhaps the colors of a casehardened receiver could be protected with a coating of a hard wax or lacquer, but as far as I know this is not widly practiced.

ATF

I have read that a enemy of case coloring is light ?

ATF

Dupont

A lot of the pedersoli copy's have case coloring on them. The case colors are protected with a Laquer finnish. Have also seen this type of finnish on reputable restorations. I have had a few rifles that were case, I generaly just oiled the finnish.
Although I have noticed that they due tend to fade over time!

Of course I can play the piano, as long as it has pedals!