I have a question about this. I'm a gunsmith and have for the first time a customer who wants to have his rolling block receiver color cased. I have removed all pitting and finished down to 320 grit. I can go further but I don't know what condition the people who do this would want it in. I'm thinking maybe about 600, or do they finish it to what they want for me? Anyone here who can recommend more info or, a person or Co. that does a very nice job?

Tom, that is good news. Thank you very much for the info.

The #1 and the #5 are for all intents and purposes the same steel.  Unless you annealed it, the action is very unlikely to be annealed.  I would recommend doing that before you shape and polish it, as it reduces the work difficulty by quite a bit.  As mentioned before, it is really necessary to anneal before case coloring anyway, so might as well get the benefit of it in the rework labor savings.

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links); Allen Springer is the man you want to talk to about color case, as well as do the work.  He does excellent work with a quick turn-around.  He also does true color case hardening, not just coloring of the steel.  Some of the more well known case color companies only color, they don't appreciably change the hardness.  If you don't have a heat treat furnace to anneal, Allen will do it for you for the postage cost, if you  have him do the case color.  At least that's the offer he's always made to me.  I've had him do several, and all have been excellent, and warp free in the final product.

Sanded to 400 grit.

Bone charcoal color case hardened.

Old-Win wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2025 at 7:28am:


Not from what Al Springer has told me. Not sure he brings the actions up to CCH temps to anneal them though? 
I have sent Al actions to be annealed before polishing, but I've also polished out even more without annealing before sending them to Al. Only reason I have had some annealed first was because they needed more work than just polishing. Like when I use military Rolling Block actions to build Sporting actions and I need to thin and narrow the top tangs to Sporting contours.
Always polished them with 320 grit, and never with brand new 320 grit for the final pass. As it gets worn the finish gets much more polished than when I start with new sandpaper.
This is one built on a military action that Al CCH for me.
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n.r.davis,
Most people who understand the true CCH process run the temperature up well over your stated 1300* for a set time then lower the temperature back to 1300* before quenching to get good colors and prevent warping. Most people won’t tell you the exact process just there quench temperature….

Tom Klinger

My gunsmith local to me does some beautiful case hardening finishes.