Case Hardening a Cast Frame Ballard Receiver...?

I'm not a metallurgist 
Any downside.?

Val 

WOW, That's a work of Art....

I'm going to restock mine as well.

Is that a forged action..? Cartridge...?

I'm looking for a lever screw if you know a source,,

THX

Bob
marlinguy wrote on Nov 1^st, 2025 at 9:45pm:

My Wife in her working days was a metallographer working in the aerospace industry. She spend lots of her time operating SEMs ( scanning electron microscopes ) and knew her stuff holding a MS in Material Science. So I just asked her about case hardening cast iron and cast steel and couldn't get a lot of clear info on the question lots of details about grain structure changes, graphite etc.  Except it's not often done, requires a number of heating techniques and procedures that most shops can't do correctly and finally absolutely knowing the carbon content of the metal being treated. She concluded it can be done but is not advised. 

Sorry for text changes but I was just trying to remember what she said. She's in no mood to talk metals as she's working in her gardens. 

Rick

RJ, yes X-ray would certainly identify internal flaws or granular discontinuity but that's pricey and you'd probably have to go to a test lab -$$. A good  alternate and cheaper test procedure would be ultrasonic scanning. It would require a lower frequency probe in the range of .50 to 1.25 or 2.0 MHz. There are a lot of UT ( ultrasonic ) inspectors around depending your location. I did this work on ships, tugs, fish boats, barges, the USN and big yachts for thirty-five years but I've sold most of my equipment otherwise I do it for you. 

Rick

marlinguy wrote yesterday at 4:46pm:


Good points but as my Wife stated you have to know your metal, ie, carbon content. These rifle builders obviously knew what they were working with and how to handle it since they sourced the metal. But bring in an old piece to a shop with no background info or to a smith who knows this information is a much different story. The consequences of trying to heat, quench and case harden unknown cast can result in embrittlement and failure which is why lots of smart or inexperienced shops won't do it. So it's a job best left to experienced mechanics who have handled these receivers before. 

Rick