I understand that many waxes, especially those advertised as cleaner waxes or polishing waxes, contain very fine abrasive particles such as clay in addition to the wax. For that reason, I avoid using it as a product to protect case colors, even though it would likely take a lot of buffing to notice any wear over time. Sometimes when change is barely perceptible, by the time we notice anything, the damage is done.
Our flintlock deer season just ended a couple days ago, and I noticed the case hardening colors on my rifle's lock still show virtually no signs of wear or thinning after several decades of use, and frequent exposure to rain, snow, and black powder residue. This is without any clear coats or protection aside from gun oil. I also have some guns that have only traces of remaining case colors, and it makes me wonder what previous owners did to make them nearly disappear.
It would also be interesting to know who did the case hardening job on Carl's L.C. Smith, and what pack formula and technique he used to get those predominately blue colors. They come closer to approximating original Lefever colors than many restorations I see.
