Silver steel\drill rod\tool steel for miniature barrel.?

[neros]

I have been busy in my workshop today. I am planning a GB mortar, and have been making a model of the model.
Meaning I have been making a miniversion of the GB mortar to check that my intended macining plan is working out in practise..
I used silver steel for this mini mortar, and was so please with its shiny finish that I was wondering if its safe to build smaller signal guns from this material.? I guess that its not recomended as I cant find any other build with this steel..
Any thoughts..?

[GGaskill]

Silver steel is a UK term for what is called drill rod in the US.  Assuming you mean that, it is available in the US as at least a couple of alloys, O-1 (oil hardening) ans W-1 (water hardening) being the ones I am familiar with. 

My gunsmithing master felt that drill rod was too brittle to use for firing pins.  Now that is not your use but "brittle" and "cannon barrel" are not things I like to see in the same sentence.  Personally, I would not use it for that reason, but it is likely more expensive than plain 1018 steel (sorry I don't know what the UK designation for 1018 is; it is plain low carbon steel with 18 points of carbon) so that is another reason.

[RocklockI]

You dont need anything special as far steel goes with Black Powder .   

[Cannoneer]

You dont need anything special as far steel goes with Black Powder . 

I'm not sure that I follow you here, Gary. Are you advising that it's a safe practice to make cannon and mortor barrels out of any type of steel that's manufactured?

[Double D]

You dont need anything special as far steel goes with Black Powder . 

While some what true, a bit misleading, and as in this case, you would not want to to use tool steel or drill rod for gun barrels as it to brittle.

[Cannoneer]

You dont need anything special as far steel goes with Black Powder . 

While some what true, a bit misleading, an as in this case.  You would want to to use tool steel or drill rod for gun barrels as it to brittle.

Of course we know that you meant: You would not want to to use ...............
Just in case any novices are tuning in.

[Double D]

Note to  Self:  Don't type stuff until after your second cup of coffee and you put your glasses on

[Cannoneer]

Don't feel bad: I have a current post where I say that I blew a .75 cal ball out the vent of a barrel with an air compressor; it must have been a pretty big vent.

[de_lok]

One thing to note about "drill rod", O-1,W-1, is it is sold in a malleable state. It only becomes "brittle" after heat treating. My choice would be neither of these alloys, why not use 4140? In its malleable state it has a higher tensile strength than say 1018, and can be polished to a mirror finish.
 
DoubleD> I still make goofs after putting on glasses and coffee, ha ha.............

[neros]

Please note that my question was for a signal cannon, not a projo shooting barrel..


Anyway, as someone wise said in here some time back: We may make a signal gun today, but who knows what someone may put in the barrel down the road. So to be on the safe side, I will find better use of the shiny steel than building barrels..


Its a shame though, they do look pretty when polished    Sorry about the lack of trunnions and base.. The little thing is cal .50 and 8 grain of BP did trow a ball bearing ball some 15-20 yards.. (could not resist the temptation on testing it) Iˋll make a base for it, and use it as a static model..


Thanks for your input so far.. Great forum 

[Cannoneer]

4140 is an excellent choice if you're not going do any welding on it.

[GGaskill]

4130 is almost as strong as 4140 and can be welded a lot easier.  It should be more than adequate for black powder cannon barrels if you want something stronger than 1018.  I looked around a little for a conversion chart that would list the Bristish standard equivalents for the American standards but could not find anything.  I'm sure there is something out there but not in the time I was willing to look.

[RocklockI]

WOW, neros that is an awsome piece  . Did you make that ? That is something special indeed .
 
Gary

[neros]

Gary.

Its a small sunday afternoon project. I needed to check out some ideas for machininga GB mortar, so I made this little model. I often do this before i start on the real model, and it has saved me for some seriously FUBAR.

[Double D]

Please note that my question was for a signal cannon, not a projo shooting barrel..

 

Don't be deceived, signal cannons  still have pressure, in fact that is how they work.