Steel bar stock

I've got hundreds of feet of 2" and 4" diameter round solid steel bar in 30' - 40' lengths. I found this steel laying on the ground on my property, and I think it was used to drill a water well, being I live in a rural area. I don't personally know anything about steel or metalurgy, but I thought someone here might know if it could be used for making barrels, bolts, recievers, or any other gun parts that could be machined from it. It would most deffinitely need to be properly tempered, but wouldn't someone who knows what their doing be able to do that?

GS

Normally, the 2" & 4" stuff is not a High Carbon steel especially in the lenghts that you describe.

A lot of times farmers will use rail road rails or any thing to add weight to the front of their tractor for a counter balance. My dad still does that on his tractor. If it was used to drill a well it would have threaded ends to connect them together and wold probably be in 10-20' lengths. As for what the use was for these bars, who knows. I would guess it's low carbon steel. Would bring some money as scrap since those are on the heavy side.

4" solid steel round stock that long, is a heavy piece of metal whether it's cold rolled or hot rolled. Are you sure its solid and not pipe?
Regardless, it would be worth a chunk of change sold for scrap, then you can use the money to buy some rifle barrels or maybe a new rifle.


NCsmitty

If it is solid I would sell it for scrap, If it were pipe I would weld it together as a framework for some very secure fencing.

This company is down in your neck of the woods and sells the hardware to do it.
http://nielsenind.com/products.html

Oh they're deffinitely solid, and yes, they're threaded on the ends. I was only guessing the lengths, they could be 20' - 25', and not 30' or 40'.
GS

I'm guessing it is some type of sucker rod for a well but that is a heck of a diameter, sounds more like something oil field related.
I think you would need to have it evaluated by a metalurgist to know if it could be made into anything firearms related, scrap is still probably your best option.
Around here old drilling pipe runs $1.50-$2.00 per foot for fencing/corral material, you can find weight per ' by diameter and call a scrap company and get a price per ton.

I'd look in the Yellow Pages for a local drilling company and have them come out and tell you what it is.

They might even make you an offer if it's something they can use.

At any rate I agree it would be very unlikely it is the right steel alloy for making guns or barrels. People that have the equipment to do those things are pretty set against using anything except a specific steel alloy known to work for the application they want it for.

Playing around with mystery metal isn't gonna pay the bills in a barrel makers shop.

rc

Ya, I just measure it and it's 30' lengths. I'll see what scrap is going for around here and then sell it.
Thanks
GS

Still think you might do better if you can find a drilling company that would buy it to use, it if it usable.

It would have to be worth more to them & you at 25% on the dollar over new then a scrap yard at 1% on the dollar over new.

rc

rcmodel says "Still think you might do better if you can find a drilling company that would buy it to use, it if it usable"

plus one. Once it's scrapped it's gone to you. If your'e looking to get money, get the best you can.

Chances are what you have there is junk. Scrap prices could be pretty good for it. Figure about 10 pounds per foot for the 2" and 42 or so for the 4". With scrap steel prices pretty high it might make a nice pile of change for you.

Take the money and get a nice rifle out of it. No sense playing with mystery metal that is not likely to work for gun parts and may not even be something you can harden.

30' is the length of most drill pipe or tubing used in the oil field, but of course they aren't solid. Is there a collar (female) on one side? I would love to know why someone needed to connect hundreds of feet of solid steel? Would make a great fence if you could pick it up.

A joint of 4" drill pipe weighs around 14 lbs/ft or a little over 400#'s. A solid 4" length of steel would be around 1300#'s.

Sure would make a bunch of heavy duty bull bars/bumpers for off-road 4x4 pick'em up trucks!
Or cattle-guard gate crossings?
Or flag poles!!

I still think you could find a better price then scrap yard price if you are willing to do a little looking for a buyer who has a use for it.

rc

My son is using some of it as sliders for his rock crawler Toyota's. And once again, it is solid through and through!
GS

Working in the oil field it sure sounds like sucker rods. Definitively call up an oil field supply place around you and see if they want it. Steel for the oil field is hard to come by and as an industry pay top bucks for it in general.