Gunsmithing Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

[Mike_in_FL]

The subject line didn't give me enough room to properly ask this, so let me set it up. Several years ago I saw an article in one of the gun rags where the writer was shooting many groups in a range session.

For whatever reason, he decided to rig up an IV looking deal (or maybe enema, douche? LOL) with some tubing and ran water through the barrel from the chamber. He would then follow up with some dry patches and continue shooting.

What's your opinion of this as a practice? It would be useful, but leaves too many questions for me on long term effects to the steel. Do you think this would or could crack a barrel? Any metallurgists in the house?

IIRC, these were probably sporter contour barrels. I had a .250 Savage which was the 1984 700 Classic caliber. I bought it new with the hang tags, in the mid 90's out of a gun shop. I fired 20 reloads through it and was getting ready to put it away and noticed a spot on the barrel towards the forend of the stock.

When examined with a loupe, it was a fish hook shaped crack. I've never seen this happen before or after, nor even heard of such a thing. And of course, water didn't have anything to do with that, but it didn't give me the greatest confidence in barrel steel.

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

Shhhhh don't tell anybody. I've been doing it for 30 years. I use ice water and an old red rubber bulb used to fill acid in batteries. IV bags, turkey basters and few other things come to mind. Angle the muzzle down and dribble the water in slowly. If possible I rotate the barrel 180 degrees for the second half of the drip. A dose of cold water, push a patch through, clean and go back to shooting. By keeping the barrel cool and slowing the shooter down some it makes barrels last longer and you accomplish more in a range session. Not really a good thing for me but there's no reason to get a barrel too hot.

 

[turbo54]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

It would come down to how hot the barrel was prior to "quenching".

If the barrel was under, say, 200ºF I don't see how it could come even close to causing an issue.

To quickly affect the microstructure of most alloys of steel, you need to be well past 800ºF. I say "quickly", because most steels can be tempered at temperatures of ~400-600º, but it takes many, many hours. Tempering can techincally still happen at 200ºF, but it essentially takes infinite time.

My point is 200ºF aint shit for 4140 (chomium/molybdenum) and 416 stainless.

Still, I wouldn't suggest firing a burst and then immediately quenching with water, however, I think firing a group or burst, waiting a minute or so to allow the heat to move away from the throat and evenly distribute itself throughout the metal, then quenching with water, would be totally ok.

I bring a spray bottle of water/alcohol mix with me to the range when I'm going to shoot groups, and spray the outside of the barrel down to speed it's cooling.

 

[Blackbrush]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

I have found no need to cool from the inside as wiping with a wet rag or spraying the outside seems to work just fine. It gets pretty hot where I shoot.

 

[338RUM runner]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

I used to fire form 30-30 brass for my 14" Contender 7-30 Waters and dunk the barrel in the ditch, worked well for me.

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

this would be more effective

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2012/02/robert-cantrells-australian-benchrest-bulletin/

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

That does work work. I've built several. Both with and w/o coolant. Also with the barrel in tension and compression.

 

[LRI]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

I pee on it. The stink clears the firing line so that I get the range all to myself.

 

[Papagrizzly]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C. Dixon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I pee on it. The stink clears the firing line so that I get the range all to myself.

</div></div>


LOL!

 

[Mike_in_FL]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Niles Coyote</div><div class="ubbcode-body">this would be more effective</div></div>

Which makes me wonder WHY if you're defending a fixed installation and in danger of being overrun, you would NOT have water-cooled machineguns. Seems like the concept was proven effective in WWI and mowing down Africans prior to that. It's not like everybody has effective artillery, even in 2012.

Thanks to all for the replies.

 

[Ring]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

u can use a paintball 20oz c02 tank and put a squirt down the bl

 

[el gordo2]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ring</div><div class="ubbcode-body">u can use a paintball 20oz c02 tank and put a squirt down the bl

</div></div>

Been doing this for about 20 years. It works very well and havent seen any ill effects

 

[former naval person]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

I have found that using the down the tube water affects accuracy...you have a different barrel condition each time. Water is more efficient than air, but the CO2 or just a Coleman portable air toy inflator works ok too. A 12 volt auto battery and a Coleman pump is easy to deploy.

 

[milo 2.0]

Re: Will pouring water thru barrel 2 cool harm steel?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Ring</div><div class="ubbcode-body">u can use a paintball 20oz c02 tank and put a squirt down the bl

</div></div>

Have you ever bore scoped your barrel after doing this? I'm curious as to what it looks like. I'd think the whole length would be fire cracked.
Not trying to start a fight here, but that seems harsh.