As you all know, practically all old classic double actions were made of low carbon mild steel, bone charcoal pack color case hardened. Later, some were made from high strength alloy steels; not color case hardened. In gunsmithing school, we were taught methods of bone charcoal color case hardening, and taught to use that only on actions that were previously color case hardened; never on the later alloy steel actions. Alloy steel receivers are usually heat treated in special ways. Many years ago, when I was young, and more foolish than now, I had been known to electroplate some receivers, to protect them, but after growing older, and perhaps less foolish, I found that I often stripped those electroplated actions, and treated them to the way they were originally finished when they were made; I appreciated the results.

My old friend, the late great gun writer and gun authority, Elmer Keith of Salmon, Idaho, told me that no gun stock should ever be finished the way musical instruments are finished, but they should receive only a hand rubbed oil finish. The older I get, the more convinced I am that he was right. From that day on, I insist on finishing all my guns/rifles, only with London hand rubbed oil finish, and have been completely happy with that. However, it is now the trend, and has been for a long time in America, for gun enthusiasts to want the rock hard varnish like stock finishes I can't stand. Elmer Keith said too, that no gun stock should look like a hardwood floor finish, but a lot of guys want that sort of finish.

Double rifles & double shotguns need only rust blued barrels.