Firing pin steel selection

[GeneT45]

Didn’t Armalite win the M16 contract for being the cheapest????
(Just poking fun)

I think Colt won the contract - but that's kind of irrelevant, as the contract stipulates everything (including material, hardness, etc). It might be illuminating to understand which metals were proposed, and why...

GsT

 

[Metaloxide]

Yes. Hold at 900 F for one hour, ASSUMING you start with material in Condition A.
Or buy the prehardened stuff and machine away.

Do you know of an effective affordable temperature control for a heat treating oven? I think I can build the oven for reasonably cheap but the control is the part that's stumping me at the moment. I haven't got time to do a whole lot of research but I found one temperature control and it was like $450 with the touch screen and all kinds of features that I probably don't actually need.

 

[Metaloxide]

I think Colt won the contract - but that's kind of irrelevant, as the contract stipulates everything (including material, hardness, etc). It might be illuminating to understand which metals were proposed, and why...

GsT

Yes specially since it's such a reliable proven platform.

 

[GeneT45]

Do you know of an effective affordable temperature control for a heat treating oven? I think I can build the oven for reasonably cheap but the control is the part that's stumping me at the moment. I haven't got time to do a whole lot of research but I found one temperature control and it was like $450 with the touch screen and all kinds of features that I probably don't actually need.

There are PID controllers, with thermocouples, available on Amazon for cheap. Mine has either disappeared or I can't nail the search term, but they're out there...

GsT

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I know 14-4PH is a steel that is favored for firing pins in some applications. Depending on the design, it may or may not be that important. Manganese content is usually a good thing to look for when making parts that get hammered or struck.

How about A2 tool steel?

 

[Metaloxide]

There are PID controllers, with thermocouples, available on Amazon for cheap. Mine has either disappeared or I can't nail the search term, but they're out there...

GsT

I just did some research and it actually sounds pretty easy to make a heat treat oven. I guess I need to figure out how big I want to make it. Decisions decisions.

 

[pontiac428]

How about A2 tool steel?

My experience with air hardening steels is that they are awesome for blades, but they tend to be chippy. I bet even annealed that they would work harden to brittleness. Maybe a little too much chromium or precipitate grain. I don't think the firing pin needs much hardness or red temp, so no need for tool steels. Tough alloys that are carbon hardenable should be enough,think along lines like punch press dies.

 

[mmcmdl]

S2-S7 . Any shock resisting tool steel . We used Stenar for multiple tools over the years .

 

[Metaloxide]

S2-S7 . Any shock resisting tool steel . We used Stenar for multiple tools over the years .

S7 was my first thought. I had an old gun magazine (if that's what it's called when it's over an inch thick) when I was a kid and one of the articles was written by a gunsmith talking about which steel was best for different parts and as far as I remember he said S7 (he referred to it as bearcat S7) was great for small high impact parts.

 

[mmcmdl]

(he referred to it as bearcat S7)

Same stuff out of a different mill . Good stuff .