Interesting Thread on Nitriding a Target Barrel

SHOT 2006. I was asking them about their superb product and stopped by several times. They invited me in their booth once I showed them my work ID (not in the firearm industry) and I began to ask them technical details about their rifle (and why I should spend the coin).

I asked them why don't they hard chrome line the barrel and they began to talk. They stated that their barrel would last as long as FN's. That started a very detailed, technical discussion in which THEY stated that they nitrocarburize their barrels (don't recall if they did the action - I assume so).

One can treat non-ferrous alloys.

Went to Steyr and they, too acknowledged "Tuftride" - as it's called in continental EUrope. Friend at ex-job is a huge TRG fan and had a barrel that was shot out. We cut an inch off of it and took it to work where it was analyzed (with a one inch cut from a Glock barrel). Metallurgical analysis confirmed what was done to both.

This process is not new: gears in automobiles and SOME flywheels. In motorsports it was huge a while ago. Things are constantly evolving and I've not been in that world for a while so I cannot tell you exactly what they are doing.

pointblank4445 said:

Are you sure they weren't just messing with you for asking about chrome lining? How's come you never shared this little nugget with the folks on the Hide?

Click to expand...

It has been shared with folks on the Hide. I've spoken directly with Stacey Blankenship about it. Since it's not mentioned in their advertisement I stated on several occasions that "a very well thought of rifle that's highly represented here has a SBN barrel (and probably receiver)." I've had numerous private messages discussing it. George Gardner and Mike Rock amongst them.

Research it.

Many of the people on Hide are just as ignorant as the people here. Few have the technical background to assess things for themselves and if it's "been done that way" it IS that way - even though they have no understanding of WHY it's done or the MECHANISMS of the problem and solution(s). And as soon as someone comes along with information he's ridiculed or dismissed without comprehension of the nuggets of information in front of them.

Example on 10-8 Forums: Hard Chrome Lining degrades accuracy. After some technical comments - where the superb shooter and instructor (with NO technical background) CHOSE to remain ignorant - it devolved into "In all of my years of SHOOTING, I never..." before the thread was pulled but not before I challenged him to shoot my FN SPR A3G against whatever it is he had similar and see if he could find a "significant difference".

It's really no different here.

I worked with Cryo-Tech cryogenically treating rifle barrels, engine blocks, pistons, springs, valves and cyl hds way back in 1996. Rifle shooters looked at me like I had three heads. Check into who uses it now...

Same with vapor deposition coatings. I was on pistolsmith.com reporting findings from my own experimentation with Titanium Aluminum Nitride and then Tungsten Diamond Like Carbon. There was so much info that they responded and the info migrated to Brian Enos' site.

To be honest, Sig was already using WDLC on their stainless steel slides.
What I was doing was trying to get companies to work with individuals as well as get Les Baer, Wilson and Ed Brown to adopt it.

As it stands I simply have my HK pistol slides done since they are already SBN it doesn't get any better - at least to my research.

It's nice living in the future.

From Mike Rock of Rock Creek Barrels:

I have been pushing nitriding since I was in grad school in '74. Nitrides don't rust, are controllable for penetration and you can modify the diffusion depth and gradient to suit your particular needs.

I am a firm believer in nitriding, spent time with Col. George M. Chinn at his residence and library. He promoted nitriding after experimenting (or funding the research through Dept.of the Navy, USMC) He had fifty cal Ma Duece barrels running thirty thousand rounds, unheard of then. He tried every metal surface modification and most available metals and even had some unavailable ones made to spec. Simple nitrided CrMo's outlasted everything else.

Melonite is just about the ONLY way to treat a barrel. Think about it, Nitrogen compounds are the dominant product of gunpowder burning. You have a nitriding atmosphere in the barrel and the temperatures to drive it.... might as well use nitrided surfaces. And they sure as hell don't rust!

Perhaps YOU know better than him...