I have a pistol barrel that was in a fire and recovered from the ashes. My question is: Did the intense heat and flames render it useless or can it still be restocked and safe to shoot? In case it matters, it is a 13/16 .45 barrel 10" long with the breech plug installed. thanks for your advice.
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Fire Damaged Barrel-Dangerous?
- Thread starter Dave Poss
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Hey Longknife, did you ever shoot one of those cheap spanish guns with no name on it and no proof marks and steel you could clamp down on with your teeth and leave bite marks?
If you ever did that you can feel safe salvaging this barrel.
If not you can listen to the next fifty people that post and tell you not too!
Sounds like a good candidate for a proof load before you put any work into it.
Josey Wales did it in the movie! Does that count as documentation and verification?
:results:
If you ever did that you can feel safe salvaging this barrel.
If not you can listen to the next fifty people that post and tell you not too!
Sounds like a good candidate for a proof load before you put any work into it.
Josey Wales did it in the movie! Does that count as documentation and verification?
:results:
A friend had his house burn down years ago, and there were probably 20-30 firearms in there. He restocked them, replaced springs, and I've not heard of any blowing up.
Guest
I would think its safe , i agree with ghost though ,run a proof load or a couple of them just to be sure.
I suppose you could get the barrel tested for hardness, or have it magnafluxed, or do as Ghost suggests and run some proof loads.
Personally, considering the temperature of the powder and the abuse any barrel gets just from normal use... I'd be looking for water damage, rust, pitting, and such- not only on the barrel, but any other parts that may have gotten wet from putting the fire out and heat damage to the smaller parts like springs which may be more sensative to longer heat exposure than the heavier barrel.
:m2c:
vic
Personally, considering the temperature of the powder and the abuse any barrel gets just from normal use... I'd be looking for water damage, rust, pitting, and such- not only on the barrel, but any other parts that may have gotten wet from putting the fire out and heat damage to the smaller parts like springs which may be more sensative to longer heat exposure than the heavier barrel.
:m2c:
vic
L.B. Myers
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Hi All,
I lost a house to fire back in 1981. I lost all of my guns including two Kentucky long's. I recovered the barrels and wanted to rebuild.
I tested the barrels by loading a double load and placing the barrels in a couple of tires. Lit the fuse and got my butt outa there. The breach end blew apart on the first one. Convinced me right there not to chance it.
Most likely, it has to do with the temperature of the fire although I can not state that for a fact.
All, FYI.
Have a great New Years!!!!!!!!!
L.B.
I lost a house to fire back in 1981. I lost all of my guns including two Kentucky long's. I recovered the barrels and wanted to rebuild.
I tested the barrels by loading a double load and placing the barrels in a couple of tires. Lit the fuse and got my butt outa there. The breach end blew apart on the first one. Convinced me right there not to chance it.
Most likely, it has to do with the temperature of the fire although I can not state that for a fact.
All, FYI.
Have a great New Years!!!!!!!!!
L.B.
If you were talking about a smokeless powder gun, I would say don't do it.
As your talking about a black powder gun, there should be no problem with the barrel/breech plug however the lock can be considered "toast". (I know, bad pun).
Smokeless powder guns often use special alloy steels in their barrels, frames, bolts and cylinders and these steels are heat treated to bring out the high strengths required to deal with the high pressures (over 50,000 PSI pressures in some guns)smokeless powder can create. Being in a fire would anneal these steels making the gun dangerous to shoot.
On the other hand, black powder guns barrels and breechplugs are made from non hardening steels and are not heat treated. In other words, they are similar to what came out of the fire.
The bore may be in rather bad shape due to the heat and oxidation from the fire so this would have to be considered before reusing the barrel.
If you do decide to re use the barrel, it is a good idea to proof test it first.
The springs, tumbler, sear, frizzen (on a flintlock) and often the lockplate on black powder guns are heat treated and the fire would anneal them.
It may be possible to re heat treat these parts however without knowing the type of steel they are made from, this can be difficult to do. Also, the springs will be annealed while they are in the "installed" condition. Without bending them to their old "free state" shape before re heat treating them, they will not operate properly.
It is easier to just get a new lock and know that it is good.
As your talking about a black powder gun, there should be no problem with the barrel/breech plug however the lock can be considered "toast". (I know, bad pun).
Smokeless powder guns often use special alloy steels in their barrels, frames, bolts and cylinders and these steels are heat treated to bring out the high strengths required to deal with the high pressures (over 50,000 PSI pressures in some guns)smokeless powder can create. Being in a fire would anneal these steels making the gun dangerous to shoot.
On the other hand, black powder guns barrels and breechplugs are made from non hardening steels and are not heat treated. In other words, they are similar to what came out of the fire.
The bore may be in rather bad shape due to the heat and oxidation from the fire so this would have to be considered before reusing the barrel.
If you do decide to re use the barrel, it is a good idea to proof test it first.
The springs, tumbler, sear, frizzen (on a flintlock) and often the lockplate on black powder guns are heat treated and the fire would anneal them.
It may be possible to re heat treat these parts however without knowing the type of steel they are made from, this can be difficult to do. Also, the springs will be annealed while they are in the "installed" condition. Without bending them to their old "free state" shape before re heat treating them, they will not operate properly.
It is easier to just get a new lock and know that it is good.
I would trash it. :huh: It is just a pistol barrel & for the price of a new one it is not worthy of even testing or always wondering IF it is safe.
Also I would not proof test it as that double ball & double load may be the load that internally fractures it & the next time a normal load may blow it & you.. No way I would build on it.... We are talkin about under $50 barrel & for a chance of injury to yourself or others.... :shake: No Way.... I would scrap it or use it to practice engraving my name on..... :m2c:
Also I would not proof test it as that double ball & double load may be the load that internally fractures it & the next time a normal load may blow it & you.. No way I would build on it.... We are talkin about under $50 barrel & for a chance of injury to yourself or others.... :shake: No Way.... I would scrap it or use it to practice engraving my name on..... :m2c:
When I made an honest living, I was a metallurgist (Carnegie Tech in the Steel City). Longknife, there are 2 things you don't know: the temperature reached and the cooling rate. At high temperature, you may have grain growth, and the larger the grains, the softer the steel. So you could very well have lost strength. Worse, if the barrel cooled rapidly (and unevenly), you may have actually hardened it and induced internal stresses. Even mild steel will harden and become brittle upon a rapid quench from the high temperature phase. A proof test may tell if you have simply lost some strength, but the embrittlement, which may be localized, could cause catastropic failure 10 shots later. Barrels are much cheaper than reattaching fingers fished out of the leaves.
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