Quick question: How to tell a hammer forged barrel?

Not sure but I’d like to find out?

Not easily. In most cases all obvious evidence of the hammer forging process get machined off when the ends are cleaned up and the exterior is profiled. Occasionally a manufactures will forge the exterior to final profiled shape and this will leave the telltale finish left by the hammer forging process but this is not common. It is easier to hammer forge barrel blanks to a constant outer diameter and than profile by machining rather than hammer forging the exterior profile. It also lets you hammer forge blanks ahead of time and then profile the barrel blanks for what every profile you currently need.



Hammer forge barrel blanks with the characteristic markings left on the exterior from the rotary hammering.

Yup it gets covered up by any coating on the outside be it parkerizing, or meloniting, etc.

your best bet is to figure out what the upper came off of and do some research.

As someone who has dealt considerably more than most in AR’s, I’m 99.9% certain you are dramatically overthinking this.

I’ll also tell you, if a shop owner is telling you “they don’t make them like this anymore,” either he means that particular company literally no longer offers this model, which in turn is meaningless, or he’s speaking infinitively about the market and lying to you, which in turn, again, is meaningless. There are demonstrably and irrefutably more options under the sun today than in any time in the history of the AR-15. You might not be able to buy that particular brand and model any longer, new on the shelf, but with 100% certainty, you can buy or have built any configuration which has ever been offered.

I always like the saying ( these have gone up in value since I’ve owned it)
Hammer forged ain’t squat to me.

I doubt if a pawn shop sales person is any kind of an expert on AR uppers. I think he's just giving you a sales pitch.

Heir Kommt Die Sonne said:

But it's still a vintage upper with some original furniture. If I could offer less on it, I might do it.

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Give it a shot!!

Heir Kommt Die Sonne said:

the guy pointed out the barrel was one of the older "thicker barrels they don't make them like this anymore".

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They all start out the same diameter MOL. When someone tells you a bull barrel or heavy profile costs more to make or is time consuming they’re full of it. Imagine that barrel as a table leg, looking much like a fat dowel rod. Would you rather thread it into the top and have a finished table or chuck it up and turn a profile? Anymore, unless I’m wanting a heavy for the added stability, I’ll always default to the lightest contour that fits the role.

Heir Kommt Die Sonne said:

If I could offer less on it, I might do it.

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It’s a pawnshop. If your opening offer is more than 60% of asking price they’ll sell you a bridge next. IMO pawnshop ARs in the current climate are very likely to be severely inflated on price.

Most Pawn shops I’ve worked with offer 20-25 cents on a dollar when buying or pawning then ask near retail when selling.

Not an answer, but informative: https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/10/18/chf/

Barrels are a disposable item, if I’m buying a firearm because of its barrel then it better be a one hell of a top notch proven barrel not someone’s shot out stuff I know nothing about.

It’s all prospective I suppose , that’s mine

Skylerbone said:

It’s a pawnshop. If your opening offer is more than 60% of asking price they’ll sell you a bridge next.

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Truth.

That's not to say they won't make a sad face and act like you've offended their delicate sensibilities, but that's just the game.

I don’t know about others, but the finish pattern on the HF barrel blanks photo listed above looks neat to me - I can see that in the raw in SS with a nice action and a nice composite stock.

wiscoaster said:

I doubt if a pawn shop sales person is any kind of an expert on AR uppers. I think he's just giving you a sales pitch.

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More likely an expert on selling used junk for more than it's worth.

Heir Kommt Die Sonne said:

Most likely. But it's still a vintage upper with some original furniture. If I could offer less on it, I might do it.

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From what brand? What specific original furniture does it have?

Your post has been very vague regarding the brand and model of the upper/rifle, such this implication you are making now, suggesting you are a learned retro AR builder/reseller who has spotted a “pawn shop find,” feels disingenuous. So what is it? Even if it’s a Colt A1 with fiberglass handguard, it’s really not terribly difficult to recreate, and frankly, the market for these is shrinking every day, ESPECIALLY considering the modern repops which have hit the market in recent years.

edwardware said:

Truth.

That's not to say they won't make a sad face and act like you've offended their delicate sensibilities, but that's just the game.

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I’ve ran into shops that for some reason will not come off their price more than 10%

Probably an A2 type heavy barrel with carry handle . was very common in 80s and early 90s

Heir Kommt Die Sonne said:

Quick question: How to tell a hammer forged barrel?

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Cut out a section, polish and etch it and study the grain structure under magnification.

Of course, the barrel won't group as well after you have done this.

A few things about "hammer forged" barrels:

They are not inherently more accurate.
They are not inherently stronger.
They do not inherently last longer.
They are inherently cheaper to produce, however, you have to buy an expensive machine to do it.
Most "hammer forged" barrel are actually "rotary swaged", which uses a much less expensive machine (but, still not cheap).

Steve S. said:

I don’t know about others, but the finish pattern on the HF barrel blanks photo listed above looks neat to me - I can see that in the raw in SS with a nice action and a nice composite stock.

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The L42A1 had a rotary forged barrel left in the raw.



It gets a little unsightly at the breech end, due to the change in diameter and the changing impact requirements.