Heat treating a trigger guard.

[kswan]

Hello.

Im about to mount a wax cast trigger guard and its quite soft and flexible through the rear part. So, I assume it needs to be heat treated. Can this be done with a propane torch or will I need more heat?

Thanks

 

[Black Hand]

Why do you assume it should be heat-treated? Leave it alone and install it...

 

[Zonie]

Assuming it is brass or bronze, the answer is no, you cannot heat treat it to harden it.

It is what it is and none of the brasses or bronzes can be hardened by heat treatment. The only way to harden the copper alloys is to bend or form them with brute force and that is not recommended for a trigger guard.

If it is steel or iron, it is as strong as it needs to be to do the job so again, no heat treatment is needed.

 

[kswan]

Ok, Just seemed soft enough it would flex and bend while mounted.

 

[Black Hand]

Unlikely once pinned and screwed in place...

 

[kswan]

Thanks for the advice all. With that, today's job is mounting a trigger guard.

 

[eggwelder]

my long rifle, other than the lock, barrel and trigger group, is completely hand made by me. the trigger guard is made of sheet metal. it has been hot and cold forged to shape, and provides pleb of protection. the main part is dished like a spoon and is really quite strong. it works for me and at the present, i have no plans to change it. it is a bit springy at the back part, but nothing to cause concern. the only HC part about it is that many other trigger guards may have been made in the same fashion by an owner builder. my next one is getting a forged guard as well but it will be more in line with traditionally represented ones you generally see here.

 

[kswan]

I d be interested to see that whole rifle.

 

[jmforge]

Not sure that a cast steel part like that would harden to begin with. Is it flexible like a spring or or does it bend and take a set??

 

[kswan]

Bend and take set.

 

[crockett]

I'm not certain but I think you can heat treat brass. I am pretty sure some music boxes used brass springs for the sound and I have a liner lock folding knife where the spring is brass. If I recall correctly white metals are the opposite of ferrous metals. If you reload modern ammunition and need to soften the neck you stand the cases in a pan of water and heat the neck area and then tip it over to quench. With steel the quench hardens but it softens the brass. In any event, you may need to heat and slow cool on brass to harden it BUT....if the metal alloy has any lead, etc.- you might create a bunch of pin hole voids by heating it up.
On trigger guards- I've never heard of any sort of heat treatment- quite the opposite- a lot of guards come too hard and need to be soften to be able to bend without snapping.
In short- use your guard as is. The best builders in existence don't heat treat trigger guards. Not needed.

 

[LRB]

Brass, at least common brass, is hardened only by work hardening. To make a brass leaf spring you can roll it with like a polished steel rolling pin. If you take it too far, it can break from embrittlement. In annealing brass, it is the heat, not the quench that softens it. It is only necessary to quench it, if you don't want to wait for it to air cool. It will be annealed either way.

 

[kswan]

Thanks again for all the input. As I mount the trigger guard Im glad to have some flexibility.

 

[crockett]

Thanks Wick- I really wasn't sure on the process. I take it by rolling the brass they are in essence work hardening it. Never knew how it was done before.

 

[Black Hand]

Thanks Wick- I really wasn't sure on the process. I take it by rolling the brass they are in essence work hardening it. Never knew how it was done before.

This is the reason why brass being formed into a nosecap needs to be annealed often. Trying to shape a work-hardened piece will often result in cracks/breakage.