Thanks Carl, for sharing the name of the gunsmith who did the case hardening on your L.C. Smith. I'm sure he wouldn't share his secret recipe or techniques, but the results indicate he is doing something different to get those deep colors and such complete coverage. Knowing that exposure to air while dumping the pack into the quench tank seems to have the opposite effect, if I ever get around to trying case hardening, I think I'd like to experiment with purging the air at the top of the quench drum with a heavier than air inert welding gas like argon/CO2
I also remove some colors unevenly using simichrome paste on a cotton glove and handling the gun as I would carry and shoot it.
I've often wondered why anyone would pay good money to have case hardening done, and then use Simichrome paste or Scotch-Brite to remove some of the colors.... unless trying to fake honest wear, which happens eventually with normal use, and which most of us hope to avoid.
It sounds about like buying a brand new truck or car, and then intentionally adding stone chips, scratches, and parking lot dents to make it look well used. Or maybe like a lady paying a plastic surgeon to add crow's feet, sagging skin, and age spots to her face. Of course, in a similar vein, some gun owners knowingly vote for the Democrats who wish to ban our guns, which makes a strong case for I.Q. testing of voters. (I had to sneak that in for the Nutty Professor and his Liberal Democrat pals!)
