Author Topic: Barrel Steel Recommendations  (Read 66 times)

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Offline Specter75

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Barrel Steel Recommendations
« on: June 30, 2026, 05:50:54 PM »
I am looking to build my first replica Civil War cannon.

I am not sure what would be an appropriate, cost effective, barrel steel option.

I do not have the ability to do cast iron or bronze molds so I am looking to machine the barrel from steel.

I am curious what you guys use, recommend?

4140 MV? (what type and where to get it?)

DOM 1026?

Other?

I am going to leave this intentionally broad.

Thanks!


Offline Double D

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Re: Barrel Steel Recommendations
« Reply #1 on: Yesterday at 06:25:11 PM »
First what cannon are you going to replicate?  Do you have plans?

What scale are you going to work with? 

If you are looking to replicate a Civil war era gun then a set of plans from Antique Ordnance Publishers is a good place to start.

Most of there plan sets have scaling information in the back.  Since these are copies of the original plans they have safety parameters built in.

A piece of 1018 will work just fine for Cvil war era guns.

Offline Specter75

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Re: Barrel Steel Recommendations
« Reply #2 on: Today at 05:22:50 AM »
I am planning to build a close approximation of the Tredegar Mountain gun.

I just don't have the means to transport a bigger gun right now.

Yes I do Parrot, Ordnance and Napoleon blueprints. I have done s lot of research on Tredegar scaling and have a close idea.

I want to overbuild the barrel. I am planning on machining from solid steel and rifling it.

I just wanted and idea of what type of steel to use and where to get it?

I am planning to HT 4140 CM 1/2 thick liner around a mild steel outer sleeve. The only thing is I am not sure 4140 can be easily rifled.