Is it just me?

I’m not sure. I look at this and think “yep, that’s what it’s supposed to look like.”

That is what traditional bone and leather casehardening of steel looks like.

I don't think that "bone charcoal" is an exact science, but my 3 1885s from Ballard Rifle and Cartridge look similar:





and this is my Turnbull restored A.H Fox (Now an AE Grade with engraving and upgraded wood):

It looks a little bolder than the few firearms that I own that have case hardening but I like it!

I think maybe it is just you.
The remaining old original specimens' colors have faded over time due to age, handling, use and uncountable number of cleanings. For there to be much of the original color case hardening brilliance remaining after 150 years or so would be a rarity, indeed. I doubt Turnbull's colors are that much bolder than the originals' back in the day.

Sadly, there are a lot of variables in how things appear, especially online.
We don't know if the camera just caught the colors wrong, or if the web page biases how images are processed, and then, to top all that off, computer (and phone) screens do not display things anywhere near uniformly.

We humans are good at getting the gist out of images, but our machines can get caught up in "precision" that is or isn't there.

On this tablet, that image looks garish--but I've seen charcoal blue look that dramatic before. Now, how that would appear at home on my fancy, hi-rez monitor I can't tell you just now, Pulling it up on my phone changes the colors a bit--and adds contrast that does the image no favors at all.

So, dunno

I just got this 1873 back about a month or so ago; I agree that the colors have a modern, bright appearance to them but I do not know enough about yesteryear colors to compare. I do know that this rifle looks great now.

I think its beautiful......

It drives my obsessive/compulsive side crazy…I wouldn’t drop a dime on one!

Nothing really looks like that. Yet Turnbull is one of the best in the business for such things

lightman said:

It looks a little bolder than the few firearms that I own that have case hardening but I like it!

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Agreed !! Colors like that make it even more "unique" !

There is an aging process. Of course, may take 100 years to be a little more subdued.................

Well I for one enjoy seeing the random and contrasting colors and don't find it "garish" at all. The more vivid and striking colors that are produced, the more I like it!

I think "Garish" is an individual thing . I much rather have my case hardening jump out at me ,if it does not and I have to look for the pattern I would be just as happy having a nice deep bluing.

Turnbull's work is legendary . I really dig that one posted to start this thread.

And a professional photographer who takes a lot of firearm pictures would know to wipe a small bit of oil on the CCH to make it stand out. Stands to reason that might be the case since Turnbull is known for CCH

Col. Harrumph said:

does anyone else think Turnbull Restoration's case colors are a bit on the garish side?

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Nope.
I was just thinking that they missed an opportunity for fire blued screws and trigger…

But there is something to be said of the soul-stealingly deep abyss that is their polished blue.
So, they have a little something for everyone!

I like "garish".

Col. Harrumph said:

...or does anyone else think Turnbull Restoration's case colors are a bit on the garish side? Case in point, from their latest email blast:

View attachment 1022670

Of course, maybe Winchesters really did look like that. Dunno.

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It looks just like the color case hardening I was seeing in photo spreads in Guns magazine in the '70s.

I don't care what they looked like THEN---I like what it looks like NOW.

Col. Harrumph said:

...or does anyone else think Turnbull Restoration's case colors are a bit on the garish side? Case in point, from their latest email blast:

View attachment 1022670

Of course, maybe Winchesters really did look like that. Dunno.

Click to expand...

They didn’t have color back in those days.....only black and white.

Compared to the chemical coating “case hardening” colors we see on some Italian imports and others, it looks bright but I like it.

Unlike the chemical processes, I have a feeling they will stay looking like that for some time.

Case hardening is a very shallow addition of carbon to the surface of low carbon steel. Very shallow. Colors show up due to variations of how much is absorbed and the quenching medium used. It wears over time, just like blueing. Look at Rock Island Auction catalogs and you'll see some pretty dramatic colors on some old, little used and well protected firearms.

My old 64 Win 94 should look that good.

Case hardening has the ability to age and get some patina, new it could have very will been that brilliant. A lot of firearms before 1900 were sold "in the white" which became a rust browning process thru handling. A well archived western would show a lot of them in bright, not brown, to be accurate. We'd still call them out for being "wrong."

Furniture has the same issues - original shellac finishes from 200 years ago were clear - to see them today, unrestored, they are black like someone slapped a coat of thin kerosene and pitch on them. However, it's half the value if removed.

"Hey I got my old grandpa's sword he served in the 5th Indiana and I cleaned it up with some steel wool and scotchbrite, what's it worth?" So, I haven't cleaned up any of the rusted speckled and ruined finish on that old Win 94 because about the next best thing to do is cerakote it and add rails, right?

Hey, maybe someone can offer that? Cerakote casehardened finish! Maybe not.

As for color rendering from electronic camera to computer thru internet processors to ISP to your screen, worst I've seen is Foliage Green. I have three pics of my finished AR from ten years ago, same camera, different backgrounds and lighting three completely different guns. I think thats why we quit it - it never looked "right." So, I'm building another with that same furniture.

Badgoofy: And I'll do it again!

I can't speak specifically to the OP's question, but I will say that a photo, like that taken from a phone can really change the appearance, especially an edited photo (obviously). For instance bluing. I've seen bluing that looked pretty dull in photos but in real life was very rich and nice and the picture didn't do it justice, same in reverse.

Although some have a really keen eye, I remember a long time ago selling a .351 Winchester and it looked to me like a very clean, well preserved Winchester with intact bluing. I couldn't say for sure whether it had been reblued and said as much to the buyer, although I would have guessed it was original. I sent him some pretty crqppy photos from a pretty crappy phone and he just knew it wasn't original somehow. Good eye. He still bought it, it was just kind of impressive that he could tell is all.....