doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Anyone know the story behind this?

What Brent just said!

Both 12L14 free machining steel and 1144 Stressproof have inadequate hoop strength for gun barrels and will occasionally fail with even blackpowder loads.

Jerry

I was standing to the immediate right of this gun but had just left to the other end of the line for a minute. Could have very well have been wearing the right cheek of that action in my back or head. The piece was found 20" down and behind the line, right through my body. Harold got some minor bloody fingers. I tkink I heard that it was an original barrel.
Best, Roger Winn

Roger, it sounds like it was exciting, though I doubt it much ruffled Harold's feathers.

Was it particularly loud and were the preceding shots anything especially different in sound or placement? And for sure, did he score a 25 with the final shot? Curiosity has the best of me - as usual...

Brent

Interesting comments on 12L14, I know it’s a very popular steel for ML barrels, and has been used by some reputable barrel makers.
My barrel supplier would often supply me with 12L14 barrel stock for the smaller cals; 25-20 and 32-20.

WJL and or Brent, if either of you can supply me with the”hoop Strength” data or failure modem for 12L…It would be much appreciated.

Mike Hunter
Michael@HunterRestorations.com

There is no such thing as 12L14 "barrel stock" if you call the manufacturer. They do not recommend it for that - or so a buddy found out when he called.

Can't tell you the hoop strength numbers. Just know that it is not recommended by the guys that make it and that it will fail. This is pretty widely known now, though muzzleloader barrel makers sometimes continue to ignore this.

Brent

The whole barrel steel thing was extensively discussed in print 20+ years ago when a barrel blew up during an ASSRA match. I will try and find you the print citations this evening. This topic was also covered on the old Shooters Talk board, if anyone has that archived. What I remember is, as Brent has noted, that the manufacturer specifically disapproved of the use of the material in this application. It will not stand the shock loading. I also remember that some barrel makers left the business and most others started using decent steel (which is harder to work). I personally view as suspect any single shot cartridge barrel from the 1960's-80's unless I know where it came from and what it is. It was unfortunately common for muzzleloading barrel makers to also make barrels for cartridge rifles and many of them used material barely better than screw stock.

Well, I’ve only seen about a dozen BP cartridge guns that had a catastrophic failure, so not many.

A good friend of mine collects them, so I try and buy them up every time I run across one. All except one was due to overcharging; the one exception was barrel obstruction.

In every case the barrel was an original factory produced barrel. I have not seen an aftermarket barrel made out of 12L14 with a catastrophic failure. So with all of these barrels made out of 12L failing, I would be interested in seeing pics of one, Do they split…turn into shrapnel etc.

Thanks

Mike

I always mark the barrel maker as well as my own name on the hidden underside of all the barrels I install, even if I hafta mark it 'unknown rebarrel by....' instead of 'Badger by...."

I don't have any hoop strength numbers either but have been hearing urban legend since the '60s that 12L14 is unsuitable, as is Stressproof. It's my understanding that the lead added for better machinability is also responsible for the unsuitability but I'm no metallurgist.
Regards, Joe

J. D. …I’ve heard similar stories about 12L14, but again have not seen a catastrophic failure of one. As I stated earlier, I’ve made a few BP ctg barrels out of 12L, but haven’t in a few years mostly because the steel has a few issues that I really don’t like:

First… it rusts easier than any steel that I’ve come across, heck look at it sideways and it begins to rust, not a good property for BP barrels.

Second is that it machines like butter, so what does mean for barrel wear, will the lands wear quicker than on a BBL made out of 4140…my guess is yes.

12L14 is not a cheap steel, a 1 ¼ bored & rifled barrel blank costs me about the same whether it’s 4140 or 12L14.


Mike