[QKShooter]

I would best guess that you would be OK on the receiver. I am basing my "best guess" on the fact that the Yellow Boy had a solid brass receiver and I would think that any steel receiver even a completely annealed one would have more inherent strength than a brass one.

 

[QKShooter]

Normally this would never be a question that should be Internet Answered but I feel pretty confident that he will be fine.

Another reason would be that older Winchester steel receivers were often factory color case hardened.

Color Case Hardening provided the Steel with a tough incredibly thin surface layer of higher Carbon steel but the extremely high heat of the case hardening process left the entire underlying remainder of the receiver completely annealed. AKA NOT hardened at all.

So I doubt that Winchester receivers even go through a factory hardening and tempering back process.

 

[QKShooter]

I'm was assuming that you used one of those Butane type small lighter type torches to do a bit of spot rust busting on some frozen screws.

Me personally I would pop on a glove and a good pair of protective shooting glasses and I would test shoot it.

And if I ended up not needing any stitches I would be a happy camper and so would my Wife. :biggrin2:

Colts old Carbona bluing process ran at 600 degrees so I doubt you're going to do any damage at an estimated 500 degrees.