twice: case colors do fade and will eventually disappear with age and exposure to the elements. if left alone, they usually turn brown.
pre ww1 guns typically had brighter case colors than gun made after ww1. why that is so, i do not know. your suggestion that it has to do with prep and polishing is interesting.
as for torch work...i do not do any gunsmithing of any kind.
as for the subject late nid...i agree, the case recoloring job could have turned out better. the good news is that it looked better overall in the flesh than it did in the flash, so to speak...however, i did sell this gun quite a while ago and for a good price. hopefully, the present owner still likes it...also, i am comfortable knowing that, even though the appearance of the receiver may not be pleasing to everyone, i am confident that the factory heat treating of the receiver was not altered in the recoloring process and that the gun is still as safe and reliable a shooter as it was when it left the ithaca factory.
