Color Case Hardening

[Kevin]

I guess it's true, the internet never forgets. I was just curious about color case hardening. The other day, I was in a gun store and came across a New Model Vaquero. It was a 45 with a color case hardened frame. But the coloring was a little dull and the gun looked pretty tired, so I passed.

But, being curious about color case hardening, I was looking around Google, and came across this post from Bob Wright:

https://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/104666-a-word-about-color-case-hardening/

He has some pictures there as well.

Thanks, Bob, I hope it's ok if I copy that here.

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Posted October 7, 2017
There is a lot of palaver here, and elsewhere, about color case hardening. So here's my take on the matter:

The old case coloring used on the original Ruger Vaquero was a chemical application, from what I've heard, was almost like a decal or coating. And could be easily washed off with harsh solvents. Here is my Vaquero, dating from 1996. It has had about 3,500 rounds fired through it and cleaned with Hoppe's No.9 solvent and oiled after each range session:

This is my Cimarron/Uberti Model P. Not fired so heavily (yet) but cleaned in the same way. Uberti uses a hot salt bath to obtain the colorization, it is not the same process as Ruger used:

Here is a Ruger Super Blackhawk color cased by Doug Turnbull. He uses a heat process with bone and/or other charcoal additives to obtain the color:

This is a Colt New Frontier, which, so far as I know is truly case hardened.

Case hardening alone leaves a dull gray finish (think mill files) unless additives are added to produce color. Current Single Actions from Ruger and others are made of steel hardened through and do not require case hardening, so only a color treatment is necessary on these guns. As to durability, all case hardening, regardless of method used, will fade when exposed to sunlight and wear.

Which is best? The one that suits your fancy.

Bob Wright

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Bob has posted those nice photos, and others as well, here on occasion. He knows of where he speaks.

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Kevin]

Yes indeed.

The part that gets me, And I know he is correct, is when he states, regardless of the method, all case hardening will fade from use and sunlight.

I don’t have any color case hardened firearms, but I always thought the chemical method like Ruger used was more “fragile.”

 

[mohavesam]

To the OP, Ruger's method will indeed wear off on guns that get used. It is a dye job, made up to LOOK LIKE color case hardening. Examination under direct sunlight tells the tale.

True CCH, as Turnbull and other professionals apply, is a true surface hardening process. In that case (no pun intended), professionals with chemistry and equipment get the job done right.

 

[rugerguy]

and bottom line is the Ruger is a "faux" case color, NO Hardening,,and as well for the Ruger firearms being cast out of 4140 chrome moly alloy and that being a "complex" metal alloy cannot be "hardened", will become brittle...Turnbull, Tyler and others use a lower temperature to achieve the "case colors"......most companies that do TRUE "color case hardening" will not work on Ruger...I know of two here in Ohio, Springfield Case Color for one, will NOT after years ago finding out that it did indeed become "brittle", and we've seen, had and worked on some that were "brittle" and cracked.....Bobby T. as well as Turnbull do a fine job of getting the colors and they look awesome, but you can "see" the difference when put up against say a Colt or Winchester color case hardening, and the Italians ( Uberti for example) get some very vivid and bright case colors but they are allowed to used the old fashioned method of "setting" the case hardening which our EPA will not allow,,,,,,,,,,,,
yes, the Ruger "inked" process is NOT done any longer and if needed, the gun will simply be 'reblued' ( actually more of a black)Dulite and other the "bluing" formulas are different today,more black, more durable, almost a 'black oxide".....

 

[rimmer]

SO, is Uberti's case hardening for real or just like Ruger's?
I read somewhere that case hardening is not the whole frame but just a surface hardening, is that true?

 

[Bob Wright]

SO, is Uberti's case hardening for real or just like Ruger's?
I read somewhere that case hardening is not the whole frame but just a surface hardening, is that true?

Uberti's coloring comes from a bath in hot, molten salts then quenching. And it does not "case harden" but rather colors the steel. Modern steels, Uberti, Pietta, Ruger; all are hardened through and won't benefit from case hardening. Nor is Turnbull's finish true "case hardening."

As to case hardening being only a surface hardening, that is true. I have a Ruger Blackhawk that had the hammer and trigger case hardened in 1989 and the action has not changed since, even after over 20,000 rounds being fired through it. Older Smith & Wesson revolves has case hardened triggers and hammers for thish very reashon.

Bob Wright