50 s&w magnum question

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Mike8623

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If someone were to chamber a rifle barrel in 50 s&w magnum what do you folks think the minimum barrel diam should be?
 
When dealing with low pressures, there's lots of wiggle room.
When dealing with higher pressures, it requires a bit more homework because things get unforgiving kinda fast.
So while you can look up SAAMI specs and get a pressure for .50 S&W Mag, and promise (cross your heart) to never exceed that in your reloads, you also need to be on top of the metallurgy involved. There's lots of grades of steel and lots of processes involved.
Anything in the 81xx range of steel is gonna probably work, but still need upwards of 0.20 wall thickness at the chamber. Of course, it can taper from there. But that's just quick ideas and not a legit statement.
More homework required.
 
So more than likely you're looking at a little over .900 and that would be at the bottom of the v on the threads correct?
 
Do
Mike8623 said:
If someone were to chamber a rifle barrel in 50 s&w magnum what do you folks think the minimum barrel diam should be?
Click to expand...

Do you mean 500 S&W magnum?

I would look at a Thompson Encore single shot 500 S&W barrel and go from there. Or just buy a Thompson Encore with a 500 S&W barrel and not worry about it blowing up in your face because you overlooked something.
 
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Anyone know of a simple calculator for rifle diam. I've looked at the hoop calc. But having a hard time with it.
 
Ok guys I think I found a simple hoop calculator that I can work.

So if 4140 rifle barrel steel is at 120,000 max psi

The threaded barrel shank I.D. is at .845

Barrel wall thickness at .160

With a maximum chamber pressure of 45,000 psi I should be able to handle 118,828 psi which is below the 120,000 of the 4140 barrel steel. So I should be able to handle a 500 jrh up to that 45,000 psi chamber pressure.

Anyone with any comments or see anything really wrong??
 
Mike8623 said:
Ok guys I think I found a simple hoop calculator that I can work.

So if 4140 rifle barrel steel is at 120,000 max psi

The threaded barrel shank I.D. is at .845

Barrel wall thickness at .160

With a maximum chamber pressure of 45,000 psi I should be able to handle 118,828 psi which is below the 120,000 of the 4140 barrel steel. So I should be able to handle a 500 jrh up to that 45,000 psi chamber pressure.

Anyone with any comments or see anything really wrong??
Click to expand...

Are you sure we are talking about the same 500 S&W magnum cartridge?

500 S&W Magnum has a maximum working pressure of 60,000 psi (4,100 bar). However, most factory ammunition is limited to 50,000 psi (3,400 bar) to help ease extraction of fired cases.

.500 S&W Magnum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Sounds like a pipe bomb to me.
 
No, the 50 s&w short, 500 jrh with 38-40,000 chamber pressure. I decided the 500 s&w magnum was too much chamber pressure for what I want to do. Sorry
 
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