Steel Pipe for barrels???

[k.jacobfrost]

I have been searching the archives for a while now and have noticed some mention of using steel pipe and or hydraulic tubing for BP barrels, but I haven't seen any info on what type you should use or how to select it. If anybody can tell me what grade to look for in both steel pipe and hydraulics, how to select or know if it is safe to use I would be grateful. If anybody knows of any websites or books that would also have this information that would be cool as well. I would like avoid spending a ton of time just to make a pretty pipe bomb with a nice handle.

Thanks,
Frost

 

[Henry]

Good question ... Now put on your
helmet and safety glasses , the answers should
come in no time

 

[bioprof]

Jackie Brown has been making smoothbore barrels out of hydraulic tubing for a long time. I'm sure that he wouldn't still be in business if it wasn't safe. You might try contacting him. His website is: [url] http://www.jackiebrowngunmaker.com[/url]/

 

[John Taylor]

It would probably be a good idea to find the working pressure of the pipe before you consider it. Water pipe is rated at 250 PSI and is not good for a barrel. I have used DOM tube for making barrels. Most muzzle loading barrels are made from 12L14 which has a tensile strength of 70,000 to 80,000. High power rifle barrels use 4140 heat treated to around 32C which has a tensile strength of 144,000. I don't have the specs on 416 stainless which is also used for barrels. Size of bore and wall thickness will need to be considered. If you are making a small bore then the wall thickness can be small because the area in square inches is small. The larger the bore the more wall thickness you will need. The tube you use should be rated to hold over 40,000 PSI.

 

[wszumera]

I could see a guy building a liner using hydraulic tubing. As far as pipe, maybe, here is a chart of schedule 160 pipe.
[url] http://www.pennusa.com/pennpage/directory/spec/b361016s.htm[/url]

I used to work with 60,000 psi plumbing but the darn id's are too small for gun work.

Clutch

 

[k.jacobfrost]

Thanks, this is some useful information. I am still hoping to collect a lot more on the subject. My hope is to be able to know what pipe at a scrap yard would be good or not.

As far as bore diameter. I'm shooting for nothing smaller then .50 but I would prefer 62. and would eventually like to find something close to .99 (I have this crazy idea of making a wall gun some time.) :youcrazy:

 

[Henry]

Using pipes from the junk yard may be pushing
your luck a bit , unles the origin of said junk
is known and the quality self evident .

In every day life , it is better to buy
well identified tube from a metal shop .
( it is often written in yellow on the tube )

 

[Zonie]

I wouldn't use any tubeing that came from a junk yard.

First off, there are several types of tubing. Welded, seamless welded and seamless. These are sometimes not easy to tell apart by looking at them. In fact, the seamless welded and seamless look about the same.

All of these types of tubes are made in a variety of materials.
Some are made from low carbon steel with low tensile strengths and others are made from some very strong materials with extremely high strengths.
Here again, you can't tell what it is by just looking, and I wouldn't trust a scrap dealers word on it either.

I might also point out that some of the materials with very high strengths are very weak until they are properly heat treated to bring out their potential strength. Some of these heat treatments are very critical and require close control.
For instance, I know of a commonly used material in jet engines that require several different stages, one of them lasting up to 20 hours at 2000 degrees F.

Before I considered using it, I would have to have written documentation that the tubing was seamless and made from a material with at least 85,000 PSI Tensile strength.
It would also have to have a minimum wall thickness of .200.
This "Tensile strength" thing does not mean a tube made from it can take that much internal pressure.
It is the value that is used in calculating the failure point. The actual pressure a tube can withstand without exploding is a function of its diameter, wall thickness and tensile strength.
Simply put, a tube made out of a material having a tensile strength of 185,000 PSI can explode when subjected to only 8,000 PSI if the diameter or wall is not correct.

In no case would I consider using common steel pipe.

zonie

 

[John Taylor]

Here's some info on steel. steel info

 

[Mike Brooks]

I'd just go ahead and invest $200 for a high quality Oct/rnd smoothbbore barrel made by one of the top barrel makers. That way You'll never have to worry about wether or not it's going to let go some day.
You might think you're going to get away doing this on the cheap by using junkyard tubing, but the $200 for a quality barrel will be well spent in the long run.

 

[Henry]

From another forum :

"....Getz, Colerain or Green Mountain barrel, all of which I think are made from 12L14..... "

I have a Getz and a Colerane , they look good
and shoot good , I do not feel like destroying them just to know how strong they are .

Overkill is a typical American concern , so
is fear of legal action . We all know that
most accidents come from mishandling and using
other stuff than black powder .