Pietta screws

[mazo kid]

Since Pietta screws are well know to be soft, has anyone tried to harden them? If so, how did they turn out? I have a can of Casenit (I don't think it is being sold anymore) and have been considering using it on some gun screws, but decided to ask here before investing my time. There are other hardening compounds on the market now, don't know why Casenit was pulled.

[ssb73q]

Hi mazo, I think that Casenit has been discontinued. You can get Cherry Red that is a replacement:

https://www.amazon.com/CHERRY-RED-TR-CHER-1-HARDENING-COMPOUND/dp/B00DHMIY1K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520104419&sr=8-1&keywords=cherry+red+hardening+compound&dpID=31VK7RfXBsL&preST=_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Personally, I don't like the aspect of hardening revolver screws. Replacement screws are cheap. What do you want to wear more, a cheap screw or the tapped screw hole.

If I was interested in hardening screws I would either fire harden them or use niter salts to do the job. Heat the screws in nitre salts and then quench in water.

I would rather wear out a soft screw than have an issue with a revolver tapped hole. If you are buggering the screw heads I suggest better screwdriver bits like the Brownell bits, see:

http://blackpowdersmoke.com/colt/index.php/topic,1700.msg16044.html#msg16044

Regards,
Richard

[mazo kid]

Nope, not buggering screw heads, and I do have a can of Casenit. I was thinking more of the hardening for wear resistance of the moving parts, hammer, trigger, etc.  Maybe not needed?

[45 Dragoon]

Mazo,
 You are correct. The screws can be heated to cherry red, quinched in used automotive oil. Then you can straighten up the buggered up heads, remove the carbon from pin surfaces and polish to your desired flavor. Now you can finish them however you want. I fire blue them. You end up with screws that will stand up better to your needs, have a better bearing surface with nice looking non-buggered up heads!! Not to mention you'll have something closer to what most gun manufacturers put in their offerings rather than the soft stuff from Italy!

 BTW, it's best to mark one of the trigger/bolt screw pins and always use them in the same place.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

[Captainkirk]

Mazo,
 You are correct. The screws can be heated to cherry red, quinched in used automotive oil. Then you can straighten up the buggered up heads, remove the carbon from pin surfaces and polish to your desired flavor. Now you can finish them however you want. I fire blue them. You end up with screws that will stand up better to your needs, have a better bearing surface with nice looking non-buggered up heads!! Not to mention you'll have something closer to what most gun manufacturers put in their offerings rather than the soft stuff from Italy!

 BTW, it's best to mark one of the trigger/bolt screw pins and always use them in the same place.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

Mazo, Mike is correct. I have two of his guns with the fire blued screws and they look great.

[45 Dragoon]

Thanks so much Cap!!


Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @goonsgunworks

[99whip]

I do mine the same way as Mike does, they will really look nice.

[mazo kid]

I have straightened out buggered screw heads on some used guns I bought, also fire blued several. I don't know if that does anything to harden them or not.

[G Dog]

I have done my part in helping to keep VTI in business just on screw orders.  I can't abide a buggered screw.  I'm better these days but there was a time when I could not get near a Pietta screw without damaging it.  The religious use of anti-seize compound has helped me in this.

[Miguel Loco]

Damn good info! Any time I can use fire to make my guns look better I'm in! Time to start tearing into the guns and fixing screws.

[ssb73q]

Hi G Dog, I never seem to have a problem removing screws because I don't torque them in hard. Complete screw sets can be purchased for ~$25. Also, an 1851 screw set works for most of any same manufacturer's 1860 screw needs.

The secret to not buggering screws is to use a good screwdriver bit set. Of course, there is the occasional slip, but having extra screws on hand seems to minimize those occurrences, a Murphy Law thing.

Regards,
Richard

[mazo kid]

This is my fire blueing set-up. No, I won't blue that screw, it is just to show how I hold the screw while heating it. I heat the screw until I see the color I want, then quench it in the oil. The oil container is so I don't accidentally knock the oil over!

[45 Dragoon]

Mazo, Don't burn them fingers!! Lol

Well, if you'll heat them on up to cherry red and drop them in oil, you'll harden them. Then you can use sand paper or even a "scrubby" pad to card off the carbon. Then reheat to your color and then just use water if it's easier for quenching.
 I used to do them one at a time using needle nose pliers but have changed to "batch" heating. Saves me a LOT of time!! I still color them one at a time.

Oh, the other secret to keep from buggering them up is  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  harden them!  Lol !!  (Sorry Richard, I had to!!)

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

[Yolla Bolly Brad]

I have straightened out buggered screw heads on some used guns I bought, also fire blued several. I don't know if that does anything to harden them or not.

There's actually a chart in the Machinery's Handbook (a bible for engineers and machinists) that tells you what temperature will get you what color on carbon steel. 560 degrees F for full blue, 570 F for dark blue and 640 F for light blue. These temps aren't hot enough to harden steel, but are in the range to draw back harness slightly.

[ssb73q]

Hi Brad, Brownells nitre bluing can also blue screws. This pdf shows the temperature and bluing color:

https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/learn/Inst-362_Nitre_Bluing_Bluing.pdf

IMO the Pietta screws are soft low carbon steel. Fire bluing them and quenching in oil picks up some surface carbon that allows hardening on heating again and quenching fast in water.

Mike has the hardening process nailed.

Regards,
Richard