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Uberti and Pietta revolver steel grade

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user 33697

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Owning both Uberti and Pietta BP revolvers, I've often wondered what grade carbon steel that both manufacturers use for their BP revolvers? I may be wrong, but I get the feeling that it is not grades 4140 or 4150 carbon steel as commonly used in modern day firearms. Also, I would assume that the manufacturers do use either 316 or 17-4 for stainless steel BP revolvers. A welcome reply to my thread from a forum member that knows the carbon steel grade for either or both BP revolver manufacturers would be of interest.
 
Only a specially made custom black powder cap and ball pistol would be made out of 4140 or 4150 steel. The barrels, frames and cylinders on the regular steel reproduction guns are made out of low carbon steel. I think the stainless ones are made out of a 300 series stainless. (At least the stainless Remington New Army 1858 pistol kit I bought was.)

Both the 300 series stainless and the low carbon steel materials are quite capable of dealing with the pressures and stresses from firing black powder.
Many parts of the orignal cap and ball revolvers were made out of wrought iron which for the most part is weaker than the low carbon steels being used in the reproduction guns.
 
I don't own either of these makes of revolvers but it would not surprise me if they had the same source of steel.
 
Only a specially made custom black powder cap and ball pistol would be made out of 4140 or 4150 steel. The barrels, frames and cylinders on the regular steel reproduction guns are made out of low carbon steel. I think the stainless ones are made out of a 300 series stainless. (At least the stainless Remington New Army 1858 pistol kit I bought was.)

Both the 300 series stainless and the low carbon steel materials are quite capable of dealing with the pressures and stresses from firing black powder.
Many parts of the orignal cap and ball revolvers were made out of wrought iron which for the most part is weaker than the low carbon steels being used in the reproduction guns.
I was told by a jobber that Uberti gun steel is the European equivalent of 8620 but I don't know if he knows what he's talking about or not. I'm told ROA's are indeed 4140 investment cast steel just like their other blue steel guns. Don't know about their stainless but I'd guess 414 most likely.
 
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Only a specially made custom black powder cap and ball pistol would be made out of 4140 or 4150 steel. The barrels, frames and cylinders on the regular steel reproduction guns are made out of low carbon steel. I think the stainless ones are made out of a 300 series stainless. (At least the stainless Remington New Army 1858 pistol kit I bought was.)

Both the 300 series stainless and the low carbon steel materials are quite capable of dealing with the pressures and stresses from firing black powder.
Many parts of the orignal cap and ball revolvers were made out of wrought iron which for the most part is weaker than the low carbon steels being used in the reproduction guns.
I read some where that was the reason for the huge size of the WalkerColts and they did have some of them come apart from full power BP loads.
 
Insofar as smokeless powder in a black powder gun, it is as much a function of no brass case surrounding and sealing the powder charge as it is the material the revolver is made of. It is the lack of the brass "safety blanket" that will get you, probably more so than the makeup of the steel.

When the brass case (which seals and directs the pressure of the ignited powder) in a cartridge gun fails, it most often leads to catastrophic action failure, with sometimes spectacular results and injury. Even older cartridge guns(Trapdoors, Peacemakers, S&Ws, Merwin and Hulberts,, etc., made for black powder loads, on the heels of the percussion guns can be safely fired with lighter loads of smokeless powder, thanks to their use of brass cases, though their steel is nowhere near up to modern standards.

Being as Uberti is owned by Beretta, and they make a wide variety of smokeless cartridge guns in the same factory, it wouldn't surprise me in the least, that like Ruger in their Old Army, Uberti uses the same modern gun steel for their black powder line as they do their cartridge guns. Especially since at least a couple of them have commonality between the smokeless and black versions, like the revolver carbine, and the Cattleman which comes in a percussion version as well as a cartridge version.
 
I read some where that was the reason for the huge size of the WalkerColts and they did have some of them come apart from full power BP loads.
Yes, the Walkers were known to occasionally blow up.

Although no one has any positive proof that I know of, many strongly feel the material that was used to make the Walker's cylinder was weak. They point out that although the barrels were stamped, "ADDRESS SAM COLT NEW-YORK CITY", all of the Walkers were made by Whitney at the Whitneyville factory. Whitney was often known for making low cost guns and cutting corners to keep profits high.
 
Most of the millions of 98 Mauser receivers were made of plain carbon steel but were carborized - case hardened, in areas where needed, to resist impact and wear. Successful plan I think. If all BP revolvers were made of 4140 chrome-moly, we wouldn’t have much fun tinkering with them. They are plenty strong as is.
 
They are made of metal that supports "black powder only" labeling.
 
I was told by a jobber that Uberti gun steel is the European equivalent of 8620 but I don't know if he knows what he's talking about or not. I'm told ROA's are indeed 4140 investment cast steel just like their other blue steel guns. Don't know about their stainless but I'd guess 414 most likely.

Correct for the s/s. I was asking after a run of spare cylinder axis pins to be made, and the people I approached, after examining the 'sample' told me that it was 414.
 
With absolutely no justification other than musing the matter I always had the suspicion that the Walker chambers' volume was just fine with the elongated bullets it was designed for. And that short bullets (aka round ball) with fine grain powder may have pushed her over the edge when people loaded the revolvers as so many do, with too much powder and cramming the ball down until the cylinder will spin. Any how, thems was my thoughts on the matter and I hope to never be around an episode of confirmation.
 
All it would take to find out is whoever wants to know is get them checked by an Xray at a Junk dealers for the analysis.

I don't care enough but some here might. It is destructive to the finish so have it done under the grips.

Speculating is a Guess and not the best.
 
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