doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com English case colors

I have been observing case colors on English guns for awhile now. I have seen very little originals, but several lately that have been redone. Blues and grays seem to predominate, with no red and/or straw colors.

I want to have a I. Hollis recased at some time in the near future, but would like to have it done as near right as possible. Am I on the right track about the absence of red and straw in the English colors, or is it coincidence that all I have seen have been predominately blue and gray?

Sure would like to hear from someone who might know what the colors looked like on a late 1890s I. Hollis damascus gun.

Stan

Stan:
I have a Hollis, and what is left of the colours are as you presume English colours to be. However... I would caution against re-casing the gun simply for cosmetic reasons. It will be more valuable and less garish if you don't. The colours were originally there for sales appeal anyway.

But if you insist on re-casing, please consider Classic Guns of Crete, IL. They do the best job of recreating the UK style:

http://www.classicgunsinc.com/

The more "notable" re-case shops of the US are notable only for something less than you'd want.

Best, Kensal

I will second Classic Guns for case hardening/coloring!

Thanks. I am considering Classic Guns. I looked on their website and saw an English gun they did and the colors looked right to me, if indeed the blues and greys are right. The reason I am going to have this done is that the gun has very nice damascus, but the barrels, the lock plates and the entire receiver have been blued. I had them looked at by a couple of gunsmiths who said it didn't look like hot bluing to them. My next step is to send the barrels to Buck Hamlin for inspection prior to refinishing in the proper brown. This gun is in unbelievable condition, aside from the blue job. Wood is gorgeous, checkering is almost untouched. Bores perfect, and plenty wall thickness, so likely unhoned.

I'm not one to restore every gun I see, but this one is a perfect candidate for it, IMO.

Are you absolutely sure that this gun was ever color case hardened? At least one noted British maker made a "Funeral Model" with all blued metal.

I am aware of the "Funeral Model" style, but have never seen one on a gun of this tier. It is a sidelock, with limited, but well done, engraving, no ejectors, heel and toe plates with "lined" wood between them, not checkering. The appearance of it just doesn't fit with what I have come to associate with the black "Funeral Models". Fairly certain it was not that type. Excellent job on the re-blue, even on the damascus barrels, but bluing beautiful damascus is a travesty, IMO. Came from Australia.

Stan

I'd appreciate if you would weigh in on this, Dig. You should have infinitely more knowledge of original English case colors than many of us on this side of the pond.

Stan

I have a double rifle that was re color hardened by St. Ledger in England. The case colors on it are very similar to those from Classic Guns. The colors done by a big name restorer in the U.S. are not the same. Their case colors have a lot of dark blues and not very many other colors.

I like to see through my colors like gasoline on water. Not many restorers can do that. The "big" restorer can do that, and did on my thirty year Parker restoration. That is the only correct type of color restoration for an early Fox. My terminology for the opposite of "gasoline on water" is "muddy". Muddy is not neccesarily incorrect if the original finish on a gun was muddy. Smiths are slightly muddy once the lacquer wears off. They are definitely not gasoline on water like an early Fox.

Eightbore, I think you are describing what looks like more of a muted color, there but not too much there. Not brash or harsh to the eye. I have often thought that if someone figured out how to "age" colors slightly, to give them the old but very strong case color look of a pristine 95% gun they would get a lot of business.

Ladies do not get as face lift to look 16 years old again but 30 instead. Guns should be treated the same way. Not made to look new out of the box but instead like a cherished girl still in her early prime. And cyanide colors are just a fake as most DD boobs to me even if they are factory original.