1917 barrel fork broken in 3 pieces

sheepherder · 06-12-2009, 06:44 PM

I'm no expert on anything, and my college days were back in the '70's (Mechanical Engineering Technology), but here's a couple of ideas on this...

That crystalline structure is quite similar to cast iron...The only time I've seen anything like that in ordnance steel is when someone has heated it up red hot (like you would for hardening) and then quenched it quickly in water...and not done any more to it...(To complete the hardening, you would re-heat it to a lower temp, and then cool it gradually, sometimes for days, in an oven with decreasing temps)...

The other thing is work-hardening...You can see this with a coat hanger or a hacksaw blade...bend it back and forth until it breaks...You'll see that same crystalline structure...I'm sure you could get the same work hardening from the repeated pounding of hot loads...

I am very concerned now about my older pistols...Lugers and M1896's...

06-12-2009, 06:44 PM	#12
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,197 Thanks: 1,416 Thanked 4,462 Times in 2,336 Posts	I'm no expert on anything, and my college days were back in the '70's (Mechanical Engineering Technology), but here's a couple of ideas on this... That crystalline structure is quite similar to cast iron...The only time I've seen anything like that in ordnance steel is when someone has heated it up red hot (like you would for hardening) and then quenched it quickly in water...and not done any more to it...(To complete the hardening, you would re-heat it to a lower temp, and then cool it gradually, sometimes for days, in an oven with decreasing temps)... The other thing is work-hardening...You can see this with a coat hanger or a hacksaw blade...bend it back and forth until it breaks...You'll see that same crystalline structure...I'm sure you could get the same work hardening from the repeated pounding of hot loads... I am very concerned now about my older pistols...Lugers and M1896's...