Wrought iron or cast iron revolver frames (or components)?

[orpington]

Colt Single Action Army revolvers contained wrought STEEL frames until the 95000 to 96,000 range at which point the frame was changed to a steel alloy.

I assume that earlier Colt percussion revolvers also were wrought steel.

But were any revolvers composed of wrought iron or cast iron? The former seems particularly edible, as it stretches before failing. Perhaps okay in black powder firearms? Cast iron seems too brittle for anything firearms related, but perhaps I am wrong?

The link posted below references a wrought iron Iver Johnson revolver. I assume the author meant to state wrought steel, but perhaps could the wrought iron reference be correct?

https://rangehot.com/iver-johnson-owl-head-revolver-justifying-inexpensive-firearm/

 

[Col. Harrumph]

Well the pic in that link is of a 3rd model, not 1st. (Though the pic isn't captioned, so no actual foul I guess.) The Walker Colts sported iron cylinders and had a reputation for grenadeing now and then.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Go back far enough and iron was fairly common. European military revolvers like the early Bodeos and Gassers had iron frames. Go to the 11 minute mark in this video for some discussion on this:

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

You are using slightly incorrect terms.

The Colt Single Action Army was first produced in 1873 with frame and cylinder made of Malleable Iron. Not steel at all. Steel has a tiny controlled amount of carbon added to it, no carbon in Malleable Iron. Also sometimes called Wrought Iron because it can be heated and shaped with a hammer forge or a blacksmith's hammer. Cast Iron has too many carbon impurities in it, it is brittle and cannot be forged. Think of a Blacksmith's anvil or a cast iron frying pan. Fine in compression but not very good in tension, which is what is needed in the cylinder of a revolver.

Around Serial Number 96,000 (mid 1883) frames and cylinders of the SAA began to be made of materials resembling modern low-medium carbon steel. By SN 180,000 (mid 1898) frames and cylinders were made of medium range carbon steel. By 1900 Colt had improved on their heat treating processes so they factory warrantied the SAA for Smokeless Powder. Shortly after this Colt began stamping the letters VP in an upside down triangle on the front left side of the trigger guard. VP stood for Verified Proof and signified the revolver was safe to fire with Smokeless ammunition. This information comes from Jerry Kuhnhausen's The Colt Single Action Revolvers A Shop Manual, Volumes 1&2, a very authoritative book on the Colt SAA.

This Colt Richards Conversion was made from parts of a Colt 1860 Army Cap & Ball revolver. I feel safe in assuming the frame and cylinder were probably made from Malleable Iron.


https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1233x677q90/922/wIqzDp.jpg


The frame of this Smith and Wesson 1st Model Schofield,which was made in 1875, is made of Malleable Iron. Not sure about the cylinder.



P.S. Although the frames of the 'brass framed' (actually Gun Metal, a type of bronze) Henry rifles and 1866 Winchester rifles were made of bronze, the earliest 400 or so had iron frames. The early Winchester 1873 rifles also had iron frames, later changed over to steel.