When shooting, how hot is too hot?

[peppercorn]

I have been shooting a lot more than usual lately and have noticed that my barrel and frame is getting very hot.

I am shooting 629s and usually shoot at least two per range session, usually a four inch and five inch gun.
I have also been cleaning the bore every 18 or so rounds in order to evaluate leading in my reloads.
I have basically shot one gun until I can't hold the barrel in order to run the rod through it. I will then let it sit and switch to the next gun, which is cooler, and shoot it till the barrel is too hot to hold onto for cleaning.

Hence my question, when does heat become a bad thing for these guns?
And, is there a rule of thumb when evaluating temperature?

 

[olds442guy]

I'm not an expert, but I am a mechanical engineering student. My thoughts are that since the gun is made mostly of the same type of metal (the barrel and frame are, at least), all the parts will expand equally as it heats up, which is good. There's also stress to worry about, but I'm pretty sure with forged steel (I think that's what these revolvers are made of) you'd have to get the gun well over 1000 degrees F for that to make a difference. I think it would also have to be around this hot for the metal expansion to even be measurable with a household caliper.

Long story short, I don't think you could get the gun hot enough to do any damage from the heat. Again, just my thoughts. Someone else may know better. Good luck, and good choice of gun!

 

[Old cop]

I shoot an older Model 13, circa 1980's, and a Colt Official Police from the early '50's. Both get too hot to touch (barrel) at 50 rounds of FMJ standard pressure range ammo. I stop at 50 rounds and there has been no damage to either gun.

 

[lebomm]

peppercorn;
Olds442guy is right. Those guns will get way too hot to touch long before you do them any thermal damage from shooting. Knock yerself out - you almost can't hurt 'em !

Larry

 

[Pisgah]

When the barrel glows a dull red and begins to droop -- you've gone too far!

 

[Titegroups]

I've wondered if firing revolvers rapid fire may be a factor in forcing cone erosion. While the temp of the outside of the barrel may be a little hot to the touch !50deg or so we do know the surface temps in cylinder throats and the forcing cone have to be much higher to heat the whole gun up. Some powders burn at higher temps than others also. Once steel get to 1250deg or so it can soften and may eroded. Rapid fire gives little time for those areas to dissipate heat. Just a possibility but probably nothing to be worried about, plenty obviously do it without damage, I think it would be more prevalent in guns burning large powder charges but pretty rare.

 

[MichiganScott]

You can easily burn out the throat on a rifle by shooting it after the barrel is too hot to touch. However, with a rifle you have a much greater amount of gas at a much higher pressure going through a (usually) smaller hole with considerably more carbon particles and unburnt powder impacting the steel.

Firing a pistol until you can't hold it can't possibly be good for it, but I doubt the damage will be enough for you to notice.

 

[murphydog]

I don't think three cylinders' full of shooting, with a pause for cooling between strings, is affecting your .44s in any way. Perhaps a set of heat-resistant gloves to help hold the barrel while cleaning would help.

 

[peppercorn]

Great to read everyone's take on this.
It reads almost as if we are all standing around the range talking in a group, and I appreciate that.

I will probably worry less about it now but still allow for some cool down time, maybe as the heat creeps further into the frame.

 

[KJM]

I have been shooting a lot more than usual lately and have noticed that my barrel and frame is getting very hot.

I am shooting 629s and usually shoot at least two per range session, usually a four inch and five inch gun.
I have also been cleaning the bore every 18 or so rounds in order to evaluate leading in my reloads.
I have basically shot one gun until I can't hold the barrel in order to run the rod through it. I will then let it sit and switch to the next gun, which is cooler, and shoot it till the barrel is too hot to hold onto for cleaning.

Hence my question, when does heat become a bad thing for these guns?
And, is there a rule of thumb when evaluating temperature?

Here is how I figure it.

AR-15 Fired Full Auto Untill It Catches On Fire - YouTube

 

[CWH44300]

Mike, one thing to watch out for is cooking your ammo, if you have a load up against the wall, but its performing well then you load an extremely hot gun and take your time shooting it the temperature of the ammo gets hot and depending on the load, pressures could spike turning a safe load into something not so safe. I doubt you'll break anything but it is something to be careful of.

 

[tops]

After watching flurry shoots where 1 gun with a stuffer was used I decided it would be hard to get a gun hot enough to do any damage. Larry

 

[2hawk]

This is pretty hot:

ParaOrdnance 1000 rounds test - YouTube

Todd Jarret's ParaOrdnance 1000 rounds test. 10 min 44 sec.
"Wooooo! That's one HOT GUN!!!"

 

[RGMoore]

I see a major problem here. You don't have enough guns. Buy more at your earliest convenience so you can rotate through them and never get any of them too hot. I have to remind my wife about this regularly.

 

[peppercorn]

Mike, one thing to watch out for is cooking your ammo, if you have a load up against the wall, but its performing well then you load an extremely hot gun and take your time shooting it the temperature of the ammo gets hot and depending on the load, pressures could spike turning a safe load into something not so safe. I doubt you'll break anything but it is something to be careful of.

Chris, makes alot of sense. That is the last thing I thought about regarding this issue.

Here is how I figure it.

AR-15 Fired Full Auto Untill It Catches On Fire - YouTube

This is pretty hot:

ParaOrdnance 1000 rounds test - YouTube

Todd Jarret's ParaOrdnance 1000 rounds test. 10 min 44 sec.
"Wooooo! That's one HOT GUN!!!"

I'd like to see someone do a torture test with a revolver and speed loaders!