I need some help here! Metalworking people.

[BX25D Rookie]

I bought a small chunk of steel online for a project I am working on at home this fall.
I had no difficulty ordering it, and it arrived just fine.

But when I opened up the package, the metal looks really odd.
Do you think something is wrong with the chunk of steel?
I don't want to use it if you folks think it's bad.
Do you think I should just toss it in the trash?

Now that I have thought about it a bit longer, I believe I know what happened.
When the United States Postal Service was shipping my chunk of steel, they moved excessively fast.
I believe the steel was overheated by the rapid transit during delivery.
Can I file a damage claim?

PXL_20251027_164147127 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20251027_164205372 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20251027_164215334 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20251027_164422873 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Did you order a color case hardened lever?

(If you started with an actual chuck of steel and it turned those colors I would say it lost some of its alloy properties - did you machine the lever or buy it?…for example if you started with stainless and it now looks like your pic, that would raise an eyebrow for sure IMO)

 

[hagrid]

I would have it re-blued and put it into service.

The only non-destructive testing I could perform is hardness and even then you'd prefer to have the indents on an unfinished area.

 

[McMXi]

Did you order a color case hardened lever?

(If you started with an actual chuck of steel and it turned those colors I would say it lost some of its alloy properties - did you machine the lever or buy it?…for example if you started with stainless and it now looks like your pic, that would raise an eyebrow for sure IMO)

It's a Henry large loop lever with part number BB-23L that has been color case hardened.

https://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/prod/bb-23l

Color case hardening looks cool but I tend to go for function over fluff. When USFA was making the best Colt SAA revolvers on the planet, I should have bought a pair of color case hardened revolvers to hang on the wall. I did buy a pair of sequentially numbered Rodeos but sold them a few years ago when I realized that despite being incredibly well made, I wasn't going to use them and so they had to go.

 

[BX25D Rookie]

I did order a color case hardened lever. It should appear exactly as pictured above by design.
I personally did not machine it.
It is a factory drop-in part, remove one screw, pull the OEM small loop lever out, shove the new color case hardened large loop lever in, replace the screw.

I was being a wise guy with this post, I apologize!

The original lever loop will not allow winter hunting gloves into the loop, it's too small.
I have 2xl glove size hands and fingers.
The manufacturer sells optional/replacement large loop levers with three finish options.
a.) Blued/black oxide. $50 plus tax/shipping.
b.) Industrial hard chrome. $65 plus tax/shipping.
c.) Color Case Hardened. $85 plus tax and shipping.

The manufacturer website shows the color case hardened variant here:

Large Loop Levers for Henry Lever Action Rifles

The large loop levers are ideal for those with large hands, when using gloves in the wintertime and for those who prefer enhanced western styling. Machined steel levers that will "drop in" for easy installation with no gunsmithing required. See below for standard vs. large loop examples. Paper...

henryoutfitters.com

The above link/photo is actually a terrible photo from a marketing point of view.
They are trying to get you to spend $35 more on the color case hardened part, compared to the blued/black oxide part. They should show Eye-Popping high resolution photos of the vivid colors. They don't.

So I needed the large loop lever for winter usage.
The only question was which finish.
I gambled on the color case hardened variant as the factory photo of the colors was poor image quality.
It was money well spent. The finished product is stunning in outdoors sunlight.

 

[BX25D Rookie]

The post should have been easily observed as a joke with the line about the
United States Postal Service moving excessively fast and overheating the part.
We all know that cannot happen!

 

[BX25D Rookie]

The rifle getting the large loop color case hardened lever is a Henry Big Boy brass frame in .44 Magnum.
It isn't really brass for the frame, it's a proprietary to Henry naval bronze alloy with the tensile yield strength of most of the typical steel materials used in lever gun/rifle frame manufacturing.

It's a recent acquisition and was basically useless for me wearing winter hunting gloves.
20" heavy octagonal barrel, and I have added sling swivel attachment points since this photo was taken.
See how small the OEM loop is?
I also replaced the OEM front sight with something about 0.100" taller from Skinner Sights.
I have it sighted in now and opening day of cartridge firearms season starts in less than three weeks.
At my heavily forested recreational property, 100 yards is a long shot.

PXL_20251009_185616536 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Sounds like you are looking for a loop like Chuck used…(dont Forget to add the trigger screw)

Loop-Lever Rifle Shootout: History of The Rifleman's Carbine - RifleShooter

The Winchester 92 that achieved an iconic level of fame was the loop-lever carbine that was rapid-fired and spun so deftly by Chuck Connors “The Rifleman,” which aired on ABC from 1958 until 1963.

www.rifleshootermag.com

 

[PHPaul]

Wow, USPS really messed up your new eyeglass frames!

 

[Flintknapper]

Beautiful Case Hardening.

I leather wrapped my blued Large Loop and ordered a set of Fancy Stocks for my H001TLP

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I have several lever action rifles from 450 to 22, the 22 henry is the funnest to shoot!

 

[McMXi]

I have several lever action rifles from 450 to 22, the 22 henry is the funnest to shoot!

Me too. I had six JM stamped Marlins at one point, but am down to the keepers now which include an 1895 SBL in .45-70 Govt. (shown), an 1884 Cowboy in .45 Colt with a 20" octagonal barrel, and an 1884 stainless in .357 Mag. All have Wild West triggers which are way better than the factory trigger. My "dream" lever action is something like a Marlin 1884 in .454 Casull.

 

[BX25D Rookie]

I have the new color case hardened large loop lever installed now, along with the taller front sight from Skinner Sights, and the sling attachment points mounted. It's ready for the woods!
I will likely make another range trip just for some additional practice with my first lever action rifle.
I do like the combined blued steel/brass/color case hardened visual effect.

PXL_20251028_212938484~3 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20251028_212607440 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20251028_212746578~8 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

PXL_20251028_212816552 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

My 450 marlin is ported, I shot a friends 45-70 Govt that wasn't ported, Night and day difference.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Damn this thread……………...

You guys are KILLING me……...

Before the “tragic boating accident” I loved my Henrys…..

And @McMXi that gun is “on my short list” too……I have wanted one for a very long time… LOVE IT

 

[chim]

Congrats, your piece of steel looks purtier than the one in the ad!

 

[Mark_BX25D]

I was being a wise guy with this post, I apologize!

No need! Some of us knew right off what you were doing. Anyone who didn't, should have been clued in by the comment about the Post Office moving too fast!

So I needed the large loop lever for winter usage.

Yeah, right. You just wanted to look like John Wayne!


Very nice!

 

[BX25D Rookie]

I won't do it now, but in the spring when it's warm again, I am planning on removing all the screws that the Henry is assembled with and reconditioning all of the screw heads/screwdriver slots.
I acquired the Henry from my local small town sporting goods store with a deep discount.
It was very lightly used.

According to Henry, the rifle was manufactured in October, 2018.
Someone, likely the previous owner, used poorly fit screwdrivers for disassembly/reassembly
when doing some gun cleaning. Proper parallel sided gunsmithing screwdrivers were not used.
So each screwdriver slot in virtually every screw removed for a deep cleaning of the firearm internal "guts" has some slight visible damage.

I have a metal lathe, and Swiss jeweler files, and both propane and oxy/acetylene heat out in my shop.
I will repair all the screw head slots, polish the reconditioned screw heads, and try some "nitre" or
commonly known as fire blued attention to the screw heads.

Fire blued is a deep/dark blue color and looks similar to the dark blue visible in good color case hardening.

 

[Sidekick]

RWS could black oxide that for you .