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powderhead
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\Direct sunlight and case colors
Apr 23rd, 2013 at 8:47pm
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I had a fellow collector tell me that direct sunlight would fade the colors of case hardened receivers.  Have you ever heard this before?  I have a few pieces that I keep out to enjoy looking at , and they catch some rays every sunlit day.  Should I keep them in the dark?
  
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Deadeye Bly
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #1 - Apr 23rd, 2013 at 9:18pm
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Yes, on both counts.
  
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creedmoormatch
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #2 - Apr 23rd, 2013 at 9:31pm
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  The U.V. rays are the most damaging and will fade most any material they come in contact with over time.  Of course, anyone who grew up with caring parents knows that U.V. rays will burn the skin and damage the retina in the eye ball, unless protective measures are exercised to prevent same. 

I have all of my guns' exteriors or exposed colors well protected with a liberal coating of sunscreen lotion whenever they go out to play.   Cool     Cool

Don't use baby lotion for sun screen, it doesn't have any protective feature against Ultra Violet rays, just makes the Stevens slippery.

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boats
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #3 - Apr 24th, 2013 at 6:38am
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Sun will fade anything, Old days Yachts with lot of varnish used to dock port side for a week starboard the next to avoid one side looking faded end of the season.  Fall putting away for the winter you could easily see differences in finish if not switched.

Looked under a tang sight the other day. Nice old Hepburn. Case that was out of the sun much brighter than the rest of the action. Might try hanging one way for a while then switching sides.

Boats
  
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40_Rod
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #4 - Apr 24th, 2013 at 8:22am
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Maybe its just that I'm old and a little faded but I like the slight fade of my first CPA. It has lost those sharp colors and has started to fade slightly onto a soft and range of colors. It shows that the rifle was a good enough shooting rifle to have been taken out and used. I look forward to us fading together.

40 Rod
  
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boats
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #5 - Apr 24th, 2013 at 11:24am
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Agree have two one used a whole lot more than the other and prefer the more subdued color

Boats
  
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marlinguy
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #6 - Apr 24th, 2013 at 12:12pm
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Has anyone really just left a brand new cased receiver or gun in the sunlight to see it's effect? Is the subdued color a result of the sun, or just normal handling and use, or cleaning?
I've heard the stories of case colors fading in sunlight, but I've also seen guns that somehow saw almost no use in their long life, and colors were very nice. Always wondered if they were so nice from sitting in a dark closet, or from no handling and cleaning?
Somebody needs to do a test, and tell my grandkids the results! Wink
  

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BP
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #7 - Apr 24th, 2013 at 3:59pm
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Vall,

Next time you have something color-cased, you can send along a scrap of 1018 to be run at the same time, then stick it under a UV lamp and watch what happens over time.
           Wink

  

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Redwing
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #8 - Apr 24th, 2013 at 9:33pm
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Hey BP !!!   I ain't got that much time !!!   
My "86" Favorite has been in a hard case for over sixty yr's and it still show's some color (original)...

Like the Beatle's said. "You got to hide your love away"....    Cool

Ed..
  
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40_Rod
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #9 - Apr 25th, 2013 at 8:12am
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I have seen a couple of guns that had spent most of their life tucked away. One was a rifle ordered and the owner passed away before the rifle arrived. It was put away and then passed on to relatives who stored it also. The rifle and shooting set were sold to a collector all of it looked brand new. 
  The other rifle was one that had seen little use and passed to a son who didn't shoot. The son finally sold it to a dealer. It also had bright crisp colors. 
  Whether this is due to sunlight or handling I don't know.

40 Rod
  
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Aonghas
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #10 - Apr 25th, 2013 at 9:44am
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boats wrote on Apr 24th, 2013 at 6:38am:
Sun will fade anything, Old days Yachts with lot of varnish used to dock port side for a week starboard the next to avoid one side looking faded end of the season.  Fall putting away for the winter you could easily see differences in finish if not switched.


Yacht varnish used to be made with polyurethane, and this is very susceptible to UV

Aonghas
  
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John in PA
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #11 - Apr 26th, 2013 at 1:37pm
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I sent an inquiry on this subject to Doug Turnbull.  I figure their outfit might be able to say something definitive about this question.  I'll post the response when I get one.
  

John Wells
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powderhead
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #12 - Apr 26th, 2013 at 9:44pm
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John in PA wrote on Apr 26th, 2013 at 1:37pm:
I sent an inquiry on this subject to Doug Turnbull.  I figure their outfit might be able to say something definitive about this question.  I'll post the response when I get one.


Please do!  That's the kind of authority on the subject I'd like to hear from.
  
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John in PA
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #13 - Apr 29th, 2013 at 8:53am
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Response from Turnbull Mfg:
******************************
Sunlight harms everything over time.  It will not fade it any faster than anything else in my opinion.


Todd Burkett
Shop Supervisor
Turnbull Manufacturing Co., Inc.
585-657-6338
***************************************
I'm slightly puzzled in the sense that the answer can be interpreted as "it won't fade any faster than any other type finish", or, "sunlight won't fade it any quicker than other (unnamed) threats" 

Either way, the answer seems to be that (long?) exposure to sun will eventually fade the finish.  Is that months, years, decades, or longer? Dunno.   I probably wouldn't hang a CC'ed gun on the wall in a sunny location.  Other than that, normal use and storage should be safe. (I guess... Wink)
  

John Wells
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Walter  Matera
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Re: \Direct sunlight and case colors
Reply #14 - Apr 29th, 2013 at 11:13am
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1.  I don't know about you guys but I would never hang anything but a relic on the wall, period.  My guns stay in my safe.

2.  A little attention should tell you which walls of your house don't get direct sun.  If you must hang a gun, hang it there, just like you would an art textile (Navajo rug, etc.) or a painting.

3.  For those well off enough to get those locking 'burglar proof' safes with the polycarbonate sides you can see through, (like these:  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)) talk to the manufacturer about getting them UV coated.  That ought to solve all the problems.
  
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