Junksmith Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Before anybody gets alarmed, I am NOT making a gun of any kind. I have a friend who is offering me a Ruger 10/22 barrel to forge something out of. I told him I would rather see it put into a working firearm rather than waste it. If he insists, however, has anybody ever used an old barrel for a project? What kind of steel is it? I'm having trouble getting an answer for that online and I searched it here, but the term "gun" is banned in the search. I understand why. We don't want anybody getting blown up trying to forge one. Any thoughts? Unless they are perfect for some unusual project, I'm inclined to sell or donate it to a local gunsmith. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 The reason for the search engine not cooperating is gun is a 3 letter word. Actually there are several discussions on the site about guns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakwoodironworks Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Too bad it's not a .50 caliber or larger blackpower barrel. You could then forge a pipe tomahawk fron it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Would make several monkey tools for small tenons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I use the cut off end of a gun barrel as a swage when forging small cowboy hats from old solid copper alloy pennies---I bought a coffee can of barrel pieces from a gunsmith at Quad-State one year. As I recall gun barrels are usually fairly low in carbon and so won't make good knives without the addition of some High C in a billet. Miniature pipe tomahawk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 If you had a bunch of them you could use them as cross bars in a: - cooking grate - hammer/tong rack - rack for short pieces of stock With one you could incorporate it as the: - vertical section of a lamp - flatten and make into various hooks - cross piece in one or more towel racks - cross support at the back of a computer table to support and organize cables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian.pierson Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 The reason for the search engine not cooperating is gun is a 3 letter word. Actually there are several discussions on the site about guns. Glenn Is there a software limitation on the web software and that is why there has to be 4 or more letters to a word for the search to work? One other search word that won't work, would be axe. Sorry for the hijack Brian Pierson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Art? Tie a knot in it and fab a wooden rest of the gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 My 1970 "Forging Industry Handbook" lists 1041 as the steel for gun barrels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsoldat Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 some of the ruger 10/22's had stainless barrels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junksmith Posted November 9, 2012 Author Share Posted November 9, 2012 Good ideas all. Fortunately, the individual has opted to sell or give it to a gunsmith for re-use since it is in good shape. I do have an old 12 guage breech that I cut off, welded shut and use as a horizontal mandrel for forming uniform J hooks. The lug under the barrel is perfect for clamping in a vice. Thanks for the input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielpiotte Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Ruger 10/22 barrells( that are not stainless) are hammer forged cold and made of an alloy almost identical to 4140. I work there. Daniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pault17 Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Thomas, the mini pipe hawk idea sounds neat. also, could you show some pics of the penny hats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crunch Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 I forget which of my guns it is, but at least one of them says it's made from chrome molybdenum steel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Penny hats pretty much look like any of the cowboy hats that have been posted here---just smaller! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gobae Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 You could turn it into a flute. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57543385-1/requiem-for-lives-lost-making-music-from-mexicos-guns/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eseemann Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 A large number of guns collected in an L.A. gun buyback were melted down and turned in to rebar. I think they used some of that for the big sports venue (Staples Center maybe?). http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-guns-melted-20130730-story.html Everyone always says rebar is the mystery meat or steel and all it has to do is be at least XXXX but you never know what else may be in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen56 Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 dug an old 303 heavy barrel out of the ground a while back,it was used as a tree stake until the tree claimed it,made a good snake ,put it on a board and presented it to captain of our club,the head looked good with eyes and the 'H' between the eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Thanks for the ideas. I used a .22 barrel as the crosspiece for a squatters chair. I have a couple more in the scrap pile waiting for something to be done with them. Cut and drilled for different sized nail headers perhaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohio Rusty Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 I used a cut off piece from a 20 gauge muzzle loading smoothbore barrel and made a wad punch by sharpening the end. It made excellent over powder/under shot felt wads for the guy's .62 caliber muzzleloader. Ohio Rusty ><> The Ohio Frontier Forge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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