Does anyone happen to know how many Trappers were made with the case colored receiver and cross bolt safety? I've seen a couple older case colored Trappers in the past but they were both pre-safety guns. This one is a 30-30, case colored receiver with SR and cross bolt safety. Don't know the serial number but it's in a red mid - 90's (??) style box, it's not a commemorative and has no roll engraving. I wasn't aware Winchester made any CC Trappers like this recently, maybe a special run for a distributor?

Thanks

My wife has a Angle Eject Trapper in .45 Colt that is color case hardened with a checkered wood. It's a nice looking gun.
We heard that they were made up from recievers that Winchester was testing for the color case hardening process when they were getting started. I have not seen another like it.

I guess they did make a few of them. Not sure if it's genuine color case hardening though, might be just a cosmetic case color finish but it is factory. This particular gun has the smooth wood on it and it's NIB.

Any ideas on price or a premium for a case colored model? I'm not too crazy about the cross bolt safety guns but I really like the look of the case colored receiver and am inclined to buy the gun just for this reason. I had been considering sending one of my 9422's to Turnbull to have the receiver case hardened .... he's not cheap but it's the real thing.

The case colors are fragile. The current Winchester saddle rings are pretty poor. I pulled this one and installed a nice plug screw from Bronells. There is a slight ring around where the saddle ring was that took the color off. Minor but it is there.
This gun has been shot a fair amount and that is the only place where any wear shows.
Check the color case hardened 94-410 shotguns on CDNN Investments web site. These are nice shotguns and they have the tang safety.
The safety is a real bust but if you must have one the tang safety at least is pretty unobtrusive.

Barrocky

They were most likely a special run for one of the large distributors. When Winchester first introduced the .45 Colt in the '94 action in 1985, they used case hardened receivers, I have one and the colors have held up extremely well. The newly introduced Trails End octagon barreled short rifle, uses the case hardened receiver.
http://www.winchester-guns.com/prodinfo/catalog/images/534109m.jpg

Dad's Trapper is Color case hardend, it dates as an '85. (no safety) It has held up real well.
http://www.molalla.net/~cboyer/trapper

I had seen a couple of the older 1985 models with the case colored receiver before, sure does look better without that crossbolt safety. This one is probably less than 5/6 years old, I have a hunch it's only a chemical case coloring and not really heat hardened. I've never handled a Trails End yet, the Winchester website describes it as "case colored" which may also be just a chemical coloring process ... doubt if that will hold up like a true case hardened receiver. I've heard those newer Marlin "Cowboy" rifles with the chemical case coloring don't hold up very well, same with some of the Ruger SA's which use a chemical coloring process. It would be easier if I could look at the gun in question in person, hard to tell from a picture if it's heat hardened or a chemical coloring. Maybe I'll just buy it anyway, price is no more than a standard finish gun ... just have to get over the ugly safety wart it has.

I m still learning about digital photography and I make my pictures to fine. these are too large for attachments.

This is the .45 Colt Trapper

http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inbox/view.html?id=4179356809&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imagestation.com%2Fpicture%2F sraid110%2Fpd2ebef4f39fb9b3999a2a406e7db3864%2Ff91 bec89.jpg&caption=45traperlft

This is the left side of the 9410 with colored reciever. You can see the tang safety.

http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inbox/view.html?id=4179356928&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imagestation.com%2Fpicture%2F sraid110%2Fpe582306e7f02e3cbf5052b0b075b0134%2Ff91 bed00.jpg&caption=reclft

A shot of the right side. This is a pretty shotgun.

http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inbox/view.html?id=4179356931&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imagestation.com%2Fpicture%2F sraid110%2Fpb911e44ca93d9b891fe445bc5d70ffe0%2Ff91 bed03.jpg&caption=9410

William,

Great pictures, I viewed them full size and can really see a lot of detail. Those are both chemical coloring ( at least it sure looks like it), have you handled them enough yet to determine how the finish is holding up? I still really like the look, stands out in a rack of normal blue finish guns. To send a receiver to Turnbull for authentic case color hardening would end up costing about as much as these guns do new.

I looked at the case colored 9410 at CDNN yesterday, only took over an hour to download their catalog. I remember they only came in the long barrel, don't remember if those guns had choke tubes though. Thanks for the pics ... now you have me wanting one of those 9410's too for no reason other than I like the look ... don't shoot shotguns very often but a lever 410 sounds like fun.

Barrocky,

i thought they were chemical too.

We have had the .45 Colt for quite awhile. It is my wifes gun and she does not let me handles it much.... The only mark on it is from the removal of the saddle ring.

The .410 is an interesting gun. It is cylinder bore. The pattern has a little swirl to it. It changes a little as the distance increases. My wife shot a skunk with it and we got a surprise. They generaly just die with the .22 Mag. With the shotgun they "poof" a little farewell!
It is still new and a little stiff. Hard to shuck three rapid shots through it!

What I wanted you to see were the nice colors and the tang safety. The colors are vivid and the finish seems tough enough. The tang safety is at least out of the way compared to the crossbolt.