Odd materials/metals used to make guns?

[ilcylic]

Stainless tends to crack under repeated hammering. Inconel is great for beating on, under high temperatures.

 

[hangtime]

I may be having a senior moment here. . . . .

But I seem to remember a small manufacturer of custom 1911 style pistols that used beryllium/copper alloy for the frame. This would have been 20-25 years ago. Very unusual looking pistols. Anyone else remeber these?

 

[snorko]

Isn't the Glock 7 all ceramic?

 

[Jim Watson]

a small manufacturer of custom 1911 style pistols that used beryllium/copper alloy for the frame. This would have been 20-25 years ago. Very unusual looking pistols

Yup.
I think that was Safari Arms, one of their Matchmaster series.

 

[jackstinson]

I see mention of brass cannon, but a whole hell of a lot of muzzle loading firearms made over the centuries were brass or had brass barrels. Brass was preferred over steel for sea duty. Many of the original percussion revolvers had brass frames. Several cartridge guns had brass frames (Henry, Winchester) You can still buy new brass barreled muzzle loaders, separate barrels, and brass framed hand guns today.
The current Henry Big Boy rifle has a milled brass receiver. As do many newly made reproduction lever guns and such.
Copper has been used (at least in one documented example) for cannon.
I've seen examples of prison guns made from rolled/glued paper layers with matches for propellant.
There is a carved soap pistol in the US Air Force Museum at Wright Field.
Captain Kirk used an alien bamboo stem for a barrel and fired diamonds to defeat the Gorn in "Arena".

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

What about "Hastalloy" as in "hasta la vista Baby!" I'm always interested in new materials and mfg. processes !

 

[Drgong]

Same here Carlos, I am curious on all the odd ways to make firearms.

Wonder if Cast Basalt or Basalt fiber has been used...prob not...

 

[Jim Watson]

Hastelloys are nickel-chrome alloys for corrosion resistance. I recall some Hastelloy pipe and pumps in acid service where I worked on fertilizer R&D. I don't know what they would offer a gun.

 

[Jubjub]

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden tried out leather cannon, actually very thin copper barrels wrapped with leather and rope. They actually worked, but the insulating effect meant that the barrel liner overheated quickly and failed after a few shots rapid fire.

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

I suppose we have nearly exhausted the materials we can use for the manufacture of firearms. I was particularly impressed with the use of carbon fiber wrapped stainless lined Bbl's in the Ruger 10-22. My preference is still with metals and wood. but maybe that Gaston guy is on to something !

Thanks Mr. Watson, I was just tossing the hastelloy bit to be a wise***......Maybe it can be used for an alien gun in a sulfuric gas environ planet . While working for a plating company this material often came up for discussion as the environment was high RH, highly corrosive. I did run a few jobs off the clock though. It happens that nickel is very slippery and corrosion resistant.

 

[CypherNinja]

KT Ordinance sells 80% Beryllium Copper 1911 frame kits.

 

[Conqueror]

I completely forgot about the lightweight "exotic" metals like scandium, thanks nicholst55!

I hope you're not talking about S&W "Scandium" frames... they are a total scam. They use an aluminum alloy which is approximately 0.15% scandium.

 

[JesseL]

I hope you're not talking about S&W "Scandium" frames... they are a total scam. They use an aluminum alloy which is approximately 0.15% scandium.

Doesn't S&W usually refer to it as "Scandium Alloy"? It's doesn't take much scandium added to aluminum to make a difference in the alloys strength. I wonder how well a Smith 329 would hold up if if was made with a more conventional aluminum alloy?

 

[Jim Watson]

Probably not long, but it took 45,000 rounds to wear out a S&W scandium .45 auto.

 

[Conqueror]

Doesn't S&W usually refer to it as "Scandium Alloy"?

Yes, that's part of why it's a scam. Alloys are named for the primary metal - their frames are ~90% aluminum. It is aluminum alloy with a very small proportion of Scandium which does not significantly alter its properties. Here's the info from S&W's patent:

The alloy is composed of 0.05 % to 0.15 % scandium, 7.5 % to 8.3 % zinc, 1.6 % to 2.2 % magnesium, 1.6 % to 2.0 % copper, 0.02 % to 0.04 % chromium, 0.05 % to 0.15 % zirconium, and 87 to 90 % aluminum.

They could have called it "Zinc alloy frames" but that probably wouldn't have sold as well to so many gullible individuals. While this alloy is stronger than some regular aluminum alloys, it is not stronger than all of them. Plain old 7068 aluminum is stronger, for example.

 

[Drgong]

Was just thinking, the gunsmiths of khyber pass could be a trove of information of unique materials to make firearms...

 

[Jim Watson]

Like rebar?

Or the bush gunsmiths of Africa, who found that the steering column of a Vauxhaul was hollow and made a fair gun barrel, "of indifferent bore approaching arquebus."

 

[ColinthePilot]

Isn't the Glock 7 all ceramic?

I was waiting for someone to bring up the infamous x-ray evading Glocks. They're made of pottery. :banghead:

 

[JesseL]

They could have called it "Zinc alloy frames" but that probably wouldn't have sold as well to so many gullible individuals. While this alloy is stronger than some regular aluminum alloys, it is not stronger than all of them. Plain old 7068 aluminum is stronger, for example.

Are the S&W "Scandium" guns priced beyond their value? Is anyone being deceived into thinking that they're buying something better than what they receive?

They're well built guns that are reasonably durable and extraordinarily light weight and that is why people buy them - not because they think there's anything magical about the stuff they're made from.

I don't see why the marketing name is anything to get particularly bent out of shape over.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I am sure that, in their day, plastics and aluminum alloys were considered unusual materials.