Restoring Straw Question

[Robert McCrory]

Thanks for your replies. I did my re-straw with a torch by eyeball after properly polishing the part. As I said I am experienced. If one wants to duplicate the original straw, study the polish of the part and duplicate that before heating. The kitchen oven can be used but I would experiment with a polished scrap steel part before depending on the oven temp setting. A home oven may be far from the accuracy you will need. Note from the above the difference ten degrees can make. Re-heat to strawing temp will not damage the part. If I were to make a Luger replacement part, I would first heat it red hot and quench it, draw (carefully heat) it to 560 degrees to a spring temp. Then I would finish polish it, removing the blue color and then reheat to straw color temp. I believe the original parts must have been made that way because some need and have a spring temper. Straw without the spring temp step would leave a part that would easily bend and distort. I don't plan to restore the straw on my Lugers because they are a bit worn and consistent with the rest of the gun. My 'thing' is antique gun restoration over the past 40 years and trying to make something falsely look new is not in order. If I do a fix or replace a part I make it look like the rest of the gun looked when it was last used. Hope this helps.