Gun metal tensile strength

[Oriyen]

What type of steel is the barrel on the Remington 870 Express Super Magnum made of & what is the tensile strength ?

Do different manufacturers use different thicknesses / types of metal on their barrels in order for them to be able shoot a 3-1/2" shells ?

Since we like to accessorize / personalize our shot guns how important is to take into consideration weight & length of barrels / mag extensions / etc? When it comes to handling characteristics ?

With lots of practice with your weapon of choice does it really matter ?

[James K]

Probably 4140.

Each manufacturer uses the material (for any part) that meets the need and can be produced easily and at an acceptable cost. With barrels, that could mean making a barrel thicker to meet requirements or making it of different steel, or whatever. Handling characteristics are important but proper functioning and safety take precedent.

Most folks think a light barrel is better, but when Winchester developed its fiberglass barrel, which was about as light as possible, shooters complained that the faster swing of the light barrel caused them to miss.

Jim

[Oriyen]

That interesting James K , lighter barrel caused faster than normal swing for shooters causing a missed shot.
Hmmm practice ,practice , practice !

[Gunplummer]

Good question. I never thought about it. I have silver soldered and brazed on shotgun barrels because I assumed they were some type low carbon material. I also welded on them over the years, without any change in material hardness. I would say not 4140. It is really easy to remove dents in them (And put them in).

[Slopemeno]

My experience was the same- soft stuff.

[dahermit]

What type of steel is the barrel on the Remington 870 Express Super Magnum made of & what is the tensile strength ?

Traditionally, gun manufacturers (except Ruger who was forthcoming), have not been willing to revel what steel their guns are made of. Ruger has been the exception, stating that their primary gun steel was 4140 and 4130 as I remember...41XX anyway (When Bill was alive).

Do different manufacturers use different thicknesses / types of metal on their barrels in order for them to be able shoot a 3-1/2" shells ?

Metallurgy is an continuously evolving science. Early 2-3/4 12 gauge guns were not likely to have the exact same steel as late model, modern 3-1/2 inch guns. In any event, you can rest assured that the steel used in modern shotguns is adequate for the task.

Since we like to accessorize / personalize our shot guns how important is to take into consideration weight & length of barrels / mag extensions / etc? When it comes to handling characteristics ?

It is relative to your particular purpose. A trap shooter usually chooses a gun with characteristics that will improve his score. For instance in the instance of some Browning BT-99 Trap Guns, Weighted butt stock to decrease felt recoil, long barrel for smooth swing, porting to hold the muzzle down, thick recoil pad to reduce felt recoil, etc. His "accessories" will all be for the purpose of the game of trap, little for any "personalization".

With lots of practice with your weapon of choice does it really matter ?

Although with much practice, a person can adapt to the gun even though it does not fit him will (only one size M1 Garand, for lefties, short people that the stock had too long a pull for, etc.), he will adapt to its characteristics. Nevertheless, the characteristics do matter if a person is serious about obtaining the very best results. That is, if a person got to be a good trap shooter with his Mossberg 500, he would all most certainly could be a better trap shooter with a dedicated trap gun...no national trap champion is going to show up with a Mossberg.

Everything is about compromises. A long barreled trap gun, is a better choice for trap shooting than a short-barreled, extended mag, bayonet mounted, house defense gun. As a house defense gun, you will not be too concerned about the handling characteristics.

[Dixie Gunsmithing]

Most folks think a light barrel is better, but when Winchester developed its fiberglass barrel, which was about as light as possible, shooters complained that the faster swing of the light barrel caused them to miss.

I've heard that, especially with the older crowd, but I believe it was more that they didn't want to see the 59's barrels work, as they were really skeptical of them. They didn't like the lower magazine capacity of the 50 and 59 either.

The truth was, Winchester used over a mile of glass filament, and wound that over a thin steel barrel tube. Most of the older crowd thought it was all fiberglass, and some even called them "plastic barrel's", saying they were afraid they would blow up in their face. The 59 was the same as the 50 Featherweight, with this new barrel.

The best of the lot was the 50 Featherweight. (I have one that looks like it just came out of the box, and was made after the change in the frame). Anyhow, they used an aluminum frame on these to get a lighter weight, but the first ones frames cracked behind the bolt handle, at the slot. They cured this by drilling a hole larger than the handle slot, at the end of the slot, for a stress reliving point, and all was fine. The only problem after this was that it still had more recoil than the standard weight, which is normal for any gun.