Not everyone is doing the same thing at the same temperature.
However, one would have to cook a Savage action @ 1500 degrees for some hours to take the hardness out of the action. No one to my knowledge comes close to this heat nor time in bath.
I can see where a business man would decline to accept responsibility for hardening (Nitriding) an action when he knows that certain protocol was followed by different manufacturers for hardening their actions. Savage, Remington and whomever is building an action sends their actions out for stress testing to assure us as the purchaser the action is safe. Once a heat treater dips he assumes the responsibility.
Some of us have punched actions before and after Nitriding with little effect or change after Nitriding. One of my actions (Savage was done at 1200 degrees for an hour before they quenched it at 750 in oil. It was 69R on the outside and 39R under the Nitride. It was 42 R prior to treatment. Fred has done a whole lot more than I with Savages so he would be better on the hardness thing. I know from punching 6 Actions for hardness the front of the action or receiver end of the action ran between 40-43R and the rear bridge ran 39-41R.
I know that Savage does not stress relieve with heat or fluid because my actions moved when I had it done to them. I had to relieve bedding and open up the screw holes a few thou because the action did not fit in the stock when I got it back without forcing it in by hand. SO I am going to guess that Savage uses electricity to harden their actions.
Neal
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