OT Continued Case Hardened Color Discussion

[Jughead]

Then, am I to conclude from the below thread that all case colored hardened color on a weapon will eventually be gone with time?

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[Chuckindenver]

unless they are stored and protected correctly,,,yes.
salts in your hands will remove it real fast.

[Johnny Peppers]

Some of the gun makers coated the color casehardening with lacquer to both protect it as well as intensify it's brilliant colors. Winchester offered an option they called "Extra Finish" color casehardening, in which the colors were more brilliant and intense.

[lenb]

It's too bad these case colored finishes are so prone to disappear with age. I have a really nice, original finish first year production Winchester 1886, where the original blued finish parts seem to have held up well, with just a little patina in places, but the case colored receiver is nearly all silver gray. The exception is the area under the lever that was more protected from sunlight and hand oils. It still retains some color.

Johnny, did Winchester offer the Extra Finish option back then?

Len

[Johnny Peppers]

The color casehardening option on the lever guns was dropped some time before 1900 if I remember correctly. Case colored receivers on 1892 and 1894 models are rare.
The color casehardening is just like the blueing. The more use it gets the more it wears. I have a Model 1892 made in 1895, and while the color casehardening on the buttplate and lever are worn, the hammer is still brilliantly colored. It doesn't just fade over time without use if properly maintained.

[lenb]

Good point, Johnny, I should have stated with age and use, as I've seen some of the same vintage Winchesters as mine that still have bright case colors, but most of these look to have been used very little, and were probably also carefully stored in a cabinet away from sunlight.

Len