Wrought iron Barrels

[drago]

I'm wondering haw long a barrel made from wrought iron will last before it needs to have the grooves re-cut? Anyone ever had much experience with one?

[Bob Roller]

So many variables that an estimate would be nearly impossible.
Bill Large used to "recut" these but I don't recall any comments about
longevity with them. In the hands of a hunter that shot for meat in the
pot,a long barrel life could be expected.For a target shooter that went
to a lot of shoots,much shorter barrel life.

Bob Roller

[Curt Lyles]

drago  Joe Schell built a rifle in the  last year or so with one of brad Emig s wrougt iron barrels and he has high opinions about them . Maybe he will chime in here if he has time.Curt

[drago]

Joe built mine too, with a Bobby Hoyt barrel. Beautiful rifle.

[Curt Lyles]

drago If your rifle is 45 cal it might be the one I was thinkin of .I do have pictures of it .I thought Brad made it.So much for havin a sound mind. Curt

[drago]

I think mine was made in 2012

[Daryl]

I'm wondering haw long a barrel made from wrought iron will last before it needs to have the grooves re-cut? Anyone ever had much experience with one?

I expect that longevity depends on how well it was cared for more than how much shooting it has done.

Historically, barrels were not cared for well - merely eking out a life prevented scrupulous cleaning - in my opinion. Thus, barrels needed 'freshing' out more often than they do today. Roger Fisher's trail walk rifle has over 45,000 shots - needs 'roughing' now and then because it's too smooth, not rotted out - he cared for his barrel in a way our forefathers did not do, due to time, safety or knowledge constraints .

[David R. Pennington]

Don't have any wrought barrels but I know wrought iron doesn't rust as bad as steel.

[WadePatton]

What steel (alloys) have over wrought iron is tensile strength.  Iron wears harder and corrodes a bit differently. 

[Scota4570]

Interesting read,

http://www.muzzleblasts.com/archives/vol4no3/articles/mbo43-3.shtml

[hanshi]

Don't have any wrought barrels but I know wrought iron doesn't rust as bad as steel.

I tend to agree with you, David.  I've never owned an iron barrel either but have been around iron/steel long enough to notice how steel will rust worse than iron.  Wrought iron is pretty tough stuff.  It's not much inferior to the mild steel used in many modern BP barrels.  We're not talking cast iron here but strong wrought iron.  IMHO based on nothing in particular, a well cared for barrel will outlast most shooters regardless which metal it's made from.

[Dphariss]

Don't have any wrought barrels but I know wrought iron doesn't rust as bad as steel.

I tend to agree with you, David.  I've never owned an iron barrel either but have been around iron/steel long enough to notice how steel will rust worse than iron.  Wrought iron is pretty tough stuff.  It's not much inferior to the mild steel used in many modern BP barrels.  We're not talking cast iron here but strong wrought iron.  IMHO based on nothing in particular, a well cared for barrel will outlast most shooters regardless which metal it's made from.

A GOOD iron barrel is superior to the steel used in most American ML barrels. Its not brittle but instead tough. Modern 1010 alloy steel hot rolled with no added lead or other additives will work fine even for low pressure smokeless if its of the proper quality. 1010-1018 was and might still be used for some 45 ACP barrels for example. 1010 is steel in the modern world, 1009 would be "iron" but it would not have all the slag inclusions most people associate with wrought iron.

Dan

[Dphariss]

I'm wondering haw long a barrel made from wrought iron will last before it needs to have the grooves re-cut? Anyone ever had much experience with one?

Shoot it till the accuracy fails then you will have and idea. Remember that back in the day many guns were nor cleaned well by our standards. Iron will tend gas cut faster than steel.

Dan

[TMerkley]

I have freshened a couple of them out, but have not had the chance to wear them out.

[Ryan McNabb]

A GOOD iron barrel is superior to the steel used in most American ML barrels. Its not brittle but instead tough. Modern 1010 alloy steel hot rolled with no added lead or other additives will work fine even for low pressure smokeless if its of the proper quality. 1010-1018 was and might still be used for some 45 ACP barrels for example. 1010 is steel in the modern world, 1009 would be "iron" but it would not have all the slag inclusions most people associate with wrought iron.

Dan

Have you ever seen a source of commercially available 1010?  I spent a week one time, even calling mills in PA, and could not find 1010 in any form in the US larger than wire for making some kinds of galvanized wire rope.  I was told that mills in India could provide it but never found a situation where I could communicate with someone and make myself understood.  This was 5-10 years ago.

I would give a pretty penny for 1 1/2" rods of 1010 and also flat bar stock for machine made and forged iron barrels.  It would probably weld similar to wrought iron without the silica.  It basically is pure iron...

If you know how to find 1010 in workable sizes for commercial sale I'd love to hear about it.

[Canute Rex]

You can get "pure iron" and new wrought iron, but only from the UK, as far as I know. My former mastersmith (David Court) got his hands on some pure iron bar years ago, but I don't think it is still available in the states.

Here's a wrought iron supplier in Yorkshire: http://www.realwroughtiron.com/home-12.html

And in Lincolnshire: http://www.pureiron.co.uk/index.htm

Pure iron: http://www.leggbrothers.co.uk/en/pure-iron/

If you really are ready to pay serious Euros for pure iron, try this German company:
http://www.angele-shop.com/catalog/index.php?cName=pure-iron-pure-iron-round