Barrel Steel Recommendations

[Specter75]

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!

[Double D]

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.

[Specter75]

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.

[Double D]

If you have the right tooling 4140 can be rifled.  You may be be better off using annealed to start, then after rifling have it heat treated.

[Specter75]

I had not considered that.

I also found 4130 CM tubing 1/4 - 1 inch thick wall that they use to make race car roll cages. It is supposed to be easier to machine. I think it is already heat treated.

My buddy is giving me a length of 4140 tubing but it is only 2 inches in bore diameter. The Tredegar had a 2.25 inch bore. I told him I might use it for a future 6 lb Withworth project.

This is kind of a proof of concept project. May lead to future projects.