Thread: Steyr 1908
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Unread 05-28-2012, 08:25 AM   #3
sheepherder
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Quote:
Originally Posted by azlaw View Post
With firing pins the issue is whether or not to heat treat, which adds cost; gunsmiths seldom do, which means their work often breaks.
By 'heat treat' I suppose you mean hardening and annealing/tempering. It's true that this is not well known, and time consuming, but if your smith uses good quality ordnance steel (or a higher grade steel) it is usually not necessary.

However, that is a more expensive option, and can get out of hand. A 'friend' of mine once got me a chunk of Kryptonite* when all I had asked for was mild 1020 steel. I ruined more end mills on that part (they would start to dull, the steel would heat up & harden and the end mill would dull more etc) than it would have cost me to buy the mild steel block [4" x4" x 14"].

* My name for 8600 series steel

Anway, you could call Sarco also; they get weird stuff in all the time.
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