Color Case Hardened Scope Rings

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dakota.potts

New member
I've started the part of my gunsmithing school where we are finishing our custom .30-06 bolt action rifles from Montana and starting to look/save for the optics which are not included. The rifle is done up with a high polish hot salt blue (800 grit or above) and a high gloss mud-rub walnut stock fitted to each rifle, in the configuration deemed an "American Sporting Classic" by the American Custom Gunmakers Guild. I plan to do some nitre bluing on the screws and a gold trigger. While looking through a book of custom high end rifles, I realized that some color case hardened scope bases and rings would really set off the classic custom look.

I see that there are some available from Talley but I can't find a lot of information on them and most of the websites selling them don't even have pictures. Has anybody used any brands that offer these or done their own? We have a kiln for doing charcoal and bone color case hardening but it's a process we're still perfecting and experimenting with at the school. I would be worried about warping a possibly expensive set of rings but if there are no other options I'll experiment with my own polished carbon rings.

I would probably be looking at 1 inch scopes since there are more options for them but the only Talleys I have found so far are 30mm.

Any leads are appreciated
 
You can get 30mm scopes to fit those rings. When I picked up my last rifle I asked for a scope .He looked but only had a 30mm. Do you have 30mm rings I asked ? Yes ! I don't have a problem with that .
 
I've had a set of Leupolds done for an 1885 Win High Wall. Turnbull did them and they are fantastic. I've never seen another set like them. I've gotten nothing but great comments by everyone who's ever seen the gun. I tried to post a pic on here but this site keeps saying the file size is too big. I've posted the picture on several other sites with no problem. If you'd like to see them, PM me your email and I'll send you a pic of them. I've sent a pic to Skinner sights showing them a pic of a Skinner aperture sight I did also. They really look nice too. Turnbull does a fantastic job and the process you're going to use is basically the one Turnbull uses, along with some proprietary secrets they don't reveal.
 
Colour case hardened scope bases and rings can be done just like cold bluing. Real case hardening has to be done on steel. No Al.
Cheap they ain't either. http://www.colorcasehardening.ca/eng/price.html
"...charcoal and bone color case hardening..." Bits of charred leather too, as I recall. Saw the 'recipe' in a book/magazine/annual, somewhere, at some time. Not recently though. I know how useful that is. Point being that it's out there. Might have been an NRA gunsmithing guide.
 
If I wanted to do my own color case hardening or have it done, I would have to go with steel rings and bases as you noted. Talley makes high polish carbon steel scope rings which would be suitable and I'm sure I can find them from other companies.
 
As a gunsmith, you should become adept at doing web searches. Also, YouTube is your friend.

Web searches will turn up forums where the item of interest has been discussed.

The more that you do it, the better you will get to be at it. Great for finding parts, learning new procedures, finding links to resources, etc..
 
A word of caution on the YouTube: any idiot with a camera and a computer can make and post a YouTube video. It's getting to the point that every time I try to find some useful info on YouTube I find ten useless videos made by some semi literate, ignorant "expert" whose only goal was to get on the screen and have people watch him. You need to be able to sort it out. Most of it's pretty easy to sort.
 
Amen to that, "NoSecondBest"
Who the Hell thinks people want to see 15 minutes of some one taking their new pistol out of a box! Really?!!!
 
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