The action and forend iron can be either 4140 steel for blued or French greyed finish, or made from 8620 for color case hardening. I won't make this one in damascus as the recoil is high enough that I won't take a chance on the damascus having an internal flaw resulting in failure of the action. I will build 22 hornets and rimfires in damascus, but nothing above them.

In my opinion, the final finish and engraving choice would dictate the material. Case colors are beautiful, but do fade and require care to keep them nice. They can't be touched up either. They can be redone, but it's a perilous and expensive prospect. Blueing and French greying can be redone without puting the action in peril.They can also be used in combination with different engraving styles. My choice would be the 4140 for a blued action with sculpted French greyed engraving......something with this look....(a dagger I made and engraved a couple of years ago)