In the case of the Rugers and they being "cast" , the make up of the "casting" batch , the metals/alloys used in 4140 chrome moly steel, Ruger Had issues with this make up, 'mix", the amounts of what ever, in the "batch" they called it, some of the metals blue or NOT in different degrees or shades, and sometimes certain ones came to the top and you would get the so called "streaking" like lightning streaks in the surface of the metal, as to the temperature that is true but is wrong when its other makes of guns, wrong temps or metals like "nickel steel " used in Winchester, another animal altogether...I learned all this long ago when we had our first shop, Cleveland Bluing Co., in here in OHio back in the early,mid 70s....and dealt with various gun companies and all the makers of bluing salts, and all the changes that have happened over the years ,changes in the formulation ( makeup)...also got to know and meet and work with some of the folks at these companies, yes guys like Dan Wesson ( THE OLD MAN HIMSELF), and Bob Shea from High Standard, they were my "mentors" back then, wish I could have learned what they forgot .... many other folks we got to know and work with in the industry and now been retired since 2002, passing time, taking care of my wife these days....:rolleyes:
anyway LOTS to learn and know about the metal used in firearms, especially 4140 Chrome -moly steel , a "complex metal" and one that does NOT take to "case color HARDENING',,,Turnbull and Bobby Tyler "case color" but skip the hardening or the metal gets 'brittle' and and I have seen, and worked on ,some Rugers that folks tried to "case color harden" over the years, NOT a good thing to see what happens.......:unsure::whistle:
Bottom line is Ruger collectors love "plum" and streaks, , others do NOT, as it is "flaw" after all, and yes tells me that these other guns were done at the wrong temperature or NOT left in the tanks long enough, to "TAKE".........:cool::rolleyes:;)
