Hammer forged AR barrels?

[308saiga]

So I was on Bravo Companies website surfing and they state that they have the above. Can someone explain what are the pro's Con's on these? How exactly are they made?

Thanks

PS: I hope I posted this in the right forum.....


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[Bruiser_Joe]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

from what i've been explained by joel at noveske and monty at centurion arms is that the hammer forged barrels have like 4 times the barrel life as regular barrels

 

[Rafael]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

I believe Remington makes theirs by using a mandrel with rifling on the exterior...... slipping this inside a drilled barrel blank and then using a large machine to beat the blank down onto the mandrel, imparting the rifling pattern into the blank.

Sounds pretty stone-age to me.
Just my opinion.

 

[aqualung]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

Hammer forging is a process whereby a short fat steel tube has the 'negative' of the rifling inserted into it, and then a bunch of (usually) hydraulic hammers beat the snot out of it until it is a long thin tube, with the rifling embossed on the inside.

In <span style="font-style: italic">theory</span>, the beating with the hammers work hardens the steel, giving you a tougher, and therefore longer lasting barrel.

Steyr use this method, and you can't argue with their accuracy.

As a wise man once said, it doesn't matter how you make your barrel, be it cut rifling, button or hammer forged, it is the care taken in the process which is important, and results in the quality of the barrel.

Hope this helps,

Neil

 

[Outsydlooknin75]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

I heard that it was actually cheaper to make a hammer forged barrel ... yet barrel makers sell them at a premium.

 

[Bruiser_Joe]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

if it was cheaper then why even do it the other ways?

 

[Outsydlooknin75]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BigJoe</div><div class="ubbcode-body">if it was cheaper then why even do it the other ways? </div></div>

Dont know, but why have options in button and cut rifled barrels?

 

[Bruiser_Joe]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

options are never a bad thing just commenting on the price thing, i don't see how a machine like that can be less expensive then a machine that will just put a reamer down a barrel blank

 

[308saiga]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Paduan Learner</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hammer forging is a process whereby a short fat steel tube <span style="color: #FF0000">has the 'negative' of the rifling inserted into it</span>, and then a bunch of (usually) hydraulic hammers beat the snot out of it until it is a long thin tube, with the rifling embossed on the inside.

In <span style="font-style: italic">theory</span>, the beating with the hammers work hardens the steel, giving you a tougher, and therefore longer lasting barrel.

Hope this helps,

Neil </div></div>

<span style="color: #FF0000">So the rifling is not cut into the barrel it is molded around a (beaten to death ) bar stock that has the rifling cut on the outside?</span> Is my understanding correct? If yes why do they not just cut the rifling in the barrel blank after they hammer forge it?

I just did not know if they took some steel hammer forged it then cut the blanks out of that then cut the rifling, would this not make more since to do?

Thanks
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[Rafael]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

1&2-Yes, that is how it is done.
3-Because that would increase the cost.

 

[Phil1]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

http://technology.calumet.purdue.edu/met/higley/ExperimentswithHammerForgedBarrelsonAR-15s.pdf

http://technology.calumet.purdue.ed...gazine - November- 2005 (Vol_ 53 - No_ 7).htm

There are two links above. But you'll have to copy and paste the second one.

 

[BigBoss0311]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

Taken direct from LWRC's website:

Cold hammer forging takes an oversized barrel blank, and using high pressure rotary hammers, compacts the barrel blank over a mandrel. This forms perfect rifling devoid of tool marks. It also compacts the molecular structure of the metal making it denser and stronger. These barrels can take a lot more use and abuse than a standard barrel before any degradation in accuracy or loss of velocity.

FWIW, HK also uses this process.

 

[308saiga]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Phil1</div><div class="ubbcode-body">http://technology.calumet.purdue.edu/met/higley/ExperimentswithHammerForgedBarrelsonAR-15s.pdf

http://technology.calumet.purdue.ed...gazine - November- 2005 (Vol_ 53 - No_ 7).htm

There are two links above. But you'll have to copy and paste the second one. </div></div>

Great articles, thank you.... I was under the impression that this was a new process, boy was I surprised.... Thanks guys

 

[former naval person]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

It is still a technique sensitive process. When Winchester began trying to used the process, the product was "iffy". Sometime the whole side of the rifling would strip upon firing leaving a big void. I had one back years ago. About 2 inches of the rifling at two o'clock, about 3 inches from the muzzle became "lost". I believe most of the companies that use it now have gotten the process mastered. Do the "standard" barrels by Winchester actually last that much longer?

 

[FNARSHOOTER]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

Cheaper before or after tooling up and training personel?
Scot

 

[BigBoss0311]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

HK and LWRC barrels are supposed to last up to and past 20k rounds due to cold hammer forging.

 

[LockOut]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

the two articles were good reads. thanks.

 

[VKC]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

Hammer forged barrels are supposed to last longer. The theory is similar to why samurai swords are so strong.

 

[spr1]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

They are cheaper to make, AFTER you amortize the tooling and machinery. Think 7 figures. That is why only the biggest companies can afford to do it themselves.

 

[Impact]

Re: Hammer forged AR barrels?

Daniel Defense has them too. Great barrels.