I have been watching these threads about torch coloring with humor. I have over 30 years experience in research at a large steel company's research and development center. I helped Don Menk get his case coloring perfected using a scanning electron microscope. If color case hardening is done at the critical temperature (around 1350 degrees F) I would have no problem in using the rifle or shotgun afterwards. I collect English double rifles and have had a number of them done by Color Case Company, Doug Turnbull, and St. Ledger in England. All of them look and work just fine. I question the statement that Ed Lander's work is low temperature when using a torch. Ed1 says that the guys doing regular color case hardening are praticing a "black art". They monitor their temperatures very accurately.I would say that the REAL black art is somebody taking a torch to a piece of metal and not having a way to monitor temperatures at the surface. My conversations with Oscar Gaddy convinced me that his methods were scientifically sound, and not a "black art". Ed, go ahead and sell your guns to people who don't know any better. I would never buy one of them and I hope that you never destroy a Holland & Holland or Purdey with your hideous coloring scheme. If you are going to do something DO IT RIGHT, not applying carnival colors just to make a sale.
