Q
quadrod
Guest
has anyone given much thought to using titanium for the receiver and bolt assembly in a bench rest rifle? is, say, 6AL-4V strong enough to use for the receiver and bolt lugs.
G
Gary M.
Guest
Titanium is a bugger to machine, and castings and forging works have a high content of EPA bad list things...that's why most all titanium components come from outside the USA...and the EPA. China makes 99% of all golf club heads. I think the best bet has always been maraging steel, once the finish work is done it can be hardened at a much lower temperature without any warping. good shooting, Gary
Jeff Stover
Member
In the late 70's or early 80's, John Matyas (sp?) from near Buffalo, NY built an action out of titanium...I know he shot well at the Super Shoot, but I am not sure which rifle he was shooting.
jks
jks
Pete Wass
Well-known member
I once sold for a friend
a titanium actioned rifle that was built, I believe, in Canada. It resembled a Hall as I recall. The problem I noticed was the bolt was sticky. One had to keep the bolt very slick to keep it operating properly. That said, I am sorry I didn't buy it. It would have been a good one to keep I think; mebby not use much but it was sort of "Classic".
As I recll, Remington made some Titanium actions but they weren't marketed for very long. P
a titanium actioned rifle that was built, I believe, in Canada. It resembled a Hall as I recall. The problem I noticed was the bolt was sticky. One had to keep the bolt very slick to keep it operating properly. That said, I am sorry I didn't buy it. It would have been a good one to keep I think; mebby not use much but it was sort of "Classic".
As I recll, Remington made some Titanium actions but they weren't marketed for very long. P
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Pete
that was a Gaulin action. One of us should have bought that thing. What a work of art it was.
that was a Gaulin action. One of us should have bought that thing. What a work of art it was.
Pete Wass
Well-known member
Interesting
Thanks Hal. Interesting that they still do it, for no particular reason, my being interested, that is.
Thanks Hal. Interesting that they still do it, for no particular reason, my being interested, that is.
Pete Wass
Well-known member
Indeed it is/ was. I remember the person who bought it was from Mass.
Q
quadrod
Guest
maybe a better question is, is 6AL-4V or another alloy strong enough and durable enough to make an action out of? or what is the stregth of Ti to say 17-4 stainless.
Titanium Action?
"maybe a better question is, is 6AL-4V or another alloy strong enough and durable enough to make an action out of? or what is the stregth of Ti to say 17-4 stainless"
I work in a facility that manufactures aircraft parts from many alloys of steel, aluminum, titanium, magnesium, berlyium, and others. Titanium is a strange animal to machine. it is tough, hard to dent even with a hammer, and it burns up tools if you try to machine it at the same speeds that would work on heat treated steel. We usually use cobalt steel tooling at low speed. The extra machine time is one reason for the high cost of Titanium parts.
Most Titanium aircraft parts are lined with steel at any moving contact points. As strong and tough as the material is, it does not wear well and is very prone to galling. If it is used for a rifle action, it would probably be best to use an insert that incorporates the barrel threads and the bolt lug mating surfaces as is used in the Panda and Viper actions, and a carbon steel bolt.
I don't have the strength figures handy, but I would guess that Titanium can come close to matching the strength of 17-4 with much lower weight. Many helicopter rotor head parts were once made of Titanium, but have been changed to 17-4 as the engines have been upgraded. More weight, a lot more horsepower.
All told, I just don't see any real advantage to using Titanium for a rifle action. The cost would be high for little benefit. There are lightweight steel actions available for hunting rifles, and no real need for lighter benchrest actions although some would probably like to be able to put the weight into the scope.
Scott Roeder
"maybe a better question is, is 6AL-4V or another alloy strong enough and durable enough to make an action out of? or what is the stregth of Ti to say 17-4 stainless"
I work in a facility that manufactures aircraft parts from many alloys of steel, aluminum, titanium, magnesium, berlyium, and others. Titanium is a strange animal to machine. it is tough, hard to dent even with a hammer, and it burns up tools if you try to machine it at the same speeds that would work on heat treated steel. We usually use cobalt steel tooling at low speed. The extra machine time is one reason for the high cost of Titanium parts.
Most Titanium aircraft parts are lined with steel at any moving contact points. As strong and tough as the material is, it does not wear well and is very prone to galling. If it is used for a rifle action, it would probably be best to use an insert that incorporates the barrel threads and the bolt lug mating surfaces as is used in the Panda and Viper actions, and a carbon steel bolt.
I don't have the strength figures handy, but I would guess that Titanium can come close to matching the strength of 17-4 with much lower weight. Many helicopter rotor head parts were once made of Titanium, but have been changed to 17-4 as the engines have been upgraded. More weight, a lot more horsepower.
All told, I just don't see any real advantage to using Titanium for a rifle action. The cost would be high for little benefit. There are lightweight steel actions available for hunting rifles, and no real need for lighter benchrest actions although some would probably like to be able to put the weight into the scope.
Scott Roeder
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Q
quadrod
Guest
thank you Scott, that is an informative reply.
Butch Lambert
Active member
Irv Sheldon of Colorado built 2 titanium receivers, but said it wasn't worth the trouble.
Butch
Butch
Steve Kostanich
Active member
Not too long into the life of Nesika Bay actions when here in the NW, Glen Harrison made a few titanium "Classic" actions. They were lighter than the steel version and LOT more expensive. As a result of the cost, they never really caught on. As I remember they were over $2000.00, ( hope I'm not too far off on that) and that was around 1993 +/-.
Steve Kostanich
Steve Kostanich
B
Big Al
Guest
They ran ads in PS mag for a long time. Remember "Mom Loves Hers"? I believe that the other advertised feature was the one piece bolt body and bolt handle. Showing the machining from a single block of steel.
Steve Kostanich
Active member
Big Al,
All Nesika bolts were one piece right up 'till their demise with Dakota Arms. Glen Harrison was pretty proud of those bolts. You never had a bolt handle come off in your hand, unless you were Superman!
Everyone here in the NW was sad to see Nesika move to S. Dakota, and I suspect Glen and company are pretty sorry they did too. Not only were the actions top notch, but Glen and his crew were about the most fun bunch to shoot with that one could want.
Steve Kostanich
All Nesika bolts were one piece right up 'till their demise with Dakota Arms. Glen Harrison was pretty proud of those bolts. You never had a bolt handle come off in your hand, unless you were Superman!
Everyone here in the NW was sad to see Nesika move to S. Dakota, and I suspect Glen and company are pretty sorry they did too. Not only were the actions top notch, but Glen and his crew were about the most fun bunch to shoot with that one could want.
Steve Kostanich