Amalgamated Titanium AR parts

Id like to see a full Ti AR barrel , that's where all the weight savings really is.

Not likely to happen.
IIRC, Ti is too soft to hold rifling, which is why nobody uses it for that.
Even the Ti revolvers use a steel sleeve inside the bore of the barrel.
 
Wish they listed prices for more than just the 7" hand guard...I'm really eyeing that BCG but think I'll wait for some other people to try it since as already said Ti has problems with burning and the BCG sure see's some hot gas and high temps.
 
Titanium isn't materally lighter than aluminum. It's draw is that it's similar in weight to aluminum but similar in strength to steel. Also more flexible than aluminum (again like steel) and last won't corrode from things that eat up aluminum and especially steel like salt water. So the weight gain in a gun would be from replacing steel components with titanium (ie. bolt carrier group), not aluminum (lower receiver).

I have a set of Van Staal titanium fishing pliers. They were very expensive ($300) but have been going strong in salt water with no maintenance for 7 or 8 years now and still look near new. Totally corrosion free.
 
Titanium isn't materally lighter than aluminum. It's draw is that it's similar in weight to aluminum but similar in strength to steel. Also more flexible than aluminum (again like steel) and last won't corrode from things that eat up aluminum and especially steel like salt water. So the weight gain in a gun would be from replacing steel components with titanium (ie. bolt carrier group), not aluminum (lower receiver).

I have a set of Van Staal titanium fishing pliers. They were very expensive ($300) but have been going strong in salt water with no maintenance for 7 or 8 years now and still look near new. Totally corrosion free.

Everything said above is correct, which is why I don't see any legitimate application for an AR, other than maybe a barrel with a chrome steel sleeve for the reasons already discussed.

Also, why would anyone want to run a lighter BCG? Part of the draw in using a FA BCG IS having the extra weight to smooth out cycling by slowing it down a bit. You would have to add all of the difference into the buffer weight to balance it again, so what would be the gain?

Honestly, the only parts on an AR that I can see any potential benefit from, would be the trigger group, and even then it would be negligible weight savings, with a slight gain in corrosion resistance if you are using your AR around salt water or something.[laugh] Even then, the cost to benefit ratio just doesn't make sense.
 
Titanium isn't materally lighter than aluminum. It's draw is that it's similar in weight to aluminum but similar in strength to steel. Also more flexible than aluminum (again like steel) and last won't corrode from things that eat up aluminum and especially steel like salt water. So the weight gain in a gun would be from replacing steel components with titanium (ie. bolt carrier group), not aluminum (lower receiver).

I have a set of Van Staal titanium fishing pliers. They were very expensive ($300) but have been going strong in salt water with no maintenance for 7 or 8 years now and still look near new. Totally corrosion free.

Titanium is much heavier than aluminum. 12" long by 1" diameter in Titanium is 1.5 lbs Aluminum same length is .9lbs.
 
Titanium is much heavier than aluminum. 12" long by 1" diameter in Titanium is 1.5 lbs Aluminum same length is .9lbs.

That may be true, but use that same comparison with that same rod made of steel. Titanium has aluminum like lightness with superior strength and corrosion properties, and although not identical in weight to aluminum it is way lighter than steel in the same given size.
 
That may be true, but use that same comparison with that same rod made of steel. Titanium has aluminum like lightness with superior strength and corrosion properties, and although not identical in weight to aluminum it is way lighter than steel in the same given size.

Yes your are correct. I work with all those materials daily. The SS weight given the same Dimensions is 2.7lbs. One misconception that I see all the time is people think titanium is lighter than aluminum which is the point I was trying to bring across.
 
Yes your are correct. I work with all those materials daily. The SS weight given the same Dimensions is 2.7lbs. One misconception that I see all the time is people think titanium is lighter than aluminum which is the point I was trying to bring across.

Gotcha. Any input on the titanium "catching on fire" thing? I have worked with all types of materials in the past as both a designer, as well as machinist, but have never witnessed this happening other than internet lore. I agree with you that there is a lot of people that believe it to be lighter than aluminum, and I'm not sure where that came from.
 
Gotcha. Any input on the titanium "catching on fire" thing? I have worked with all types of materials in the past as both a designer, as well as machinist, but have never witnessed this happening other than internet lore. I agree with you that there is a lot of people that believe it to be lighter than aluminum, and I'm not sure where that came from.

Titanium will catch fire and burn at like 5000f but that's only with super thin strands such as the shavings I get when taking a .003 finish pass when machining.
 
Titanium will catch fire and burn at like 5000f but that's only with super thin strands such as the shavings I get when taking a .003 finish pass when machining.

That's what I figured the case was. I never had the opportunity to machine it, but figured that was the only situation where that would be likely to occur. I know several guns use it for firing pins, and have never heard of any problems with the pins burning.
 
When I worked for GE we had a couple of Ti fires burned thru the bed of the lathe and into the concrete floor. We had a special fire retardant near by for such occasions but I don't know what it was.
Ti biggest problem is that it's very expensive, there's a company that makes metal Glock frames from aluminum,SS and Ti. They stopped making the TI frames as the cost of the materials fluctuated wildly.
 
The web site is really thin on details but are these 100% titanium parts or are they polymers with titanium ion coatings? I'm thinking it's the latter.

the fishing real looks more like a solidworks rendering than an actual photograph but with shinny objects it's hard to tell the difference.

David Lamoureux, the CEO of this company, is the guy that was tuna fishing from his kayak. the story was here on NES somewhere.

I wonder if they've actually started making lowers, or if they have someone building them for them. I just can't imagine a FFL 07 in Cambridge!!!
 
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I remember back in the late 80's, there was a custom rifle shop making Mauser pattern receivers from Ti, but the price was a staggering (at the time) $6k +
Needless to say, they didn't build or sell very many.
 
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