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Theoretically, dunking the hot barrel in water would harden it (Google quenching).
I'm not sure if it would change the straightness of the barrel though.
Couldn't it also make it more easily "shattered"? I believe barrel steel is designed to be strong but still have some flex to it, if you increase the "hardness" it would become more likely to shatter I would think.
Couldn't it also make it more easily "shattered"? I believe barrel steel is designed to be strong but still have some flex to it, if you increase the "hardness" it would become more likely to shatter I would think.
I'm no materials engineer but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express!
Agreed.you are correct. Aggressive hardening steel also makes it more brittle. But it'd have to get pretty damn hot in order to increase it's hardness properties. "Shooting hot" wouldn't do anything I don't think.
Looked up a couple of places, and most suggest that carbon steel needs to be 350-500 degrees before it will start to warp if cooled unevently.
If you can put a drop a oil on the barrel and the oil doesn't smoke, you're likely ok. If you can get the oil to smoke, make sure the barrel has lots of time to cool down on its own.
The barrel wasn't cherry red or anything, I only put one mag through it a minute or so before hand and it was too hot to touch.
The barrel wasn't cherry red or anything, I only put one mag through it a minute or so before hand and it was too hot to touch.
Or be a man.
One round in a minute is nothing...
Tell that to the minutemen.
Indeed...Wasn't the british muzzle loading standard 3rd / minute?
It would have to be pretty frigin hot for it to mater how you cooled it--like glowing red hot.
found online:
As the steel is heated above the critical temperature, about 1335°F (724°C), it undergoes a phase change, recrystallizing as austenite. Continued heating to the hardening temperature, 1450-1500°F (788-843°C) ensures complete conversion to austenite. At this point the steel is no longer magnetic, and its color is cherry-red.
Wear a glove, grow a pair, get a better handguard, get a VFG, etc...Steve,
DoD is looking into alternate barrels for the M4 due to some occurances of warpage of the barrel from excessive heat. To my knowledge, they're looking into thicker profiles, alternate materials and fluted barrels. It seems in a sustained fire-fight in a desert enviornment they can heat the barrels up enough to cause problems. 1 Mag a minute? not likely. Feeding 5 or 6 30rd mags through one as fast as you can swap magazines in a gun that can dump a 30rd mag in 2 seconds? That's a whole different beast.
moral: I wouldn't do it and would recommend against it unless you're willing to possible trash the barrel in the process.