Chip on forged upper rail - turn into a crack?

[Yama Arashi]

Paranoia question: Can a small chip on a forged upper rail potentially turn into a crack?

I put a good knock on my upper coming around the corner of a concrete wall, and it put a small chip on the very edge of the rail, in between the slots. This is where it comes to it's thinnest point right on the edge.

This is a forged upper. Is there any chance something like this could potentially turn into a crack? I don't care about the aesthetic issue, and obviously it doesn't affect function.

Thank you.

Example of aforementioned area:

 

[ridewaves]

Re: Chip on forged upper rail - turn into a crack?

I'm no engineer or metallurgist... But I did chip, scratch, scrape, and bang every surface on the same colt M4 for almost 5 years without dead lining a receiver or rail. Plastic parts are another story.

I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

[excess]

Re: Chip on forged upper rail - turn into a crack?

I'm an engineer, with a background in fracture. Without a picture of the chip it's a little hard to say much, but I doubt it will ever cause a problem.

If it is sharp you could smooth it out, which would help keep it from cracking/propagating.

 

[COLOSHOOTR]

Re: Chip on forged upper rail - turn into a crack?

I wouldn't worry about it. My work gun has seen hard use that's given it several chips in various places. It's suffered mutiple impacts in those locations that have chips on them and there is not a crack to be found.