Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Idle curiosity - effect on chamber of the 'explosion'

Do we know what goes on with the metal of the receiver? Long-term effects, fatigue, strengthening as if by a blacksmith's pounding, miniscule enlargement, etc.?

Didn't I just get a couple of spams about that?

it's not an explosion .it's a controlled burn but very fast. if it were an explosion the receiver would fragment. as some hand loaders have discovered. I have never heard of any problem with chambers with normal usethey will wear some. but the barrel will probably be wasted befor there is a problem with the chamber or receiver. IMO..

Hubert, I know it's not an explosion; that's why I put that word in quotes. A full scientific description of the event wouldn't have fit in the subject line.
And I'm not looking for reassurance that my rifle won't blow up, I'm just curious about any effects from repeated firing.

Sorry. I made that commet becouse there are people reading this that thinks that is what happens when anyone fires a firearm. I don't think there any problem in that area of repeated firings. If anyone knows differant please step foreard. Hubert

The chamber and receiver ring will swell momentarely (that's how a strain gauge pressure reading device works) but will return to it's origional size UNLESS you exceed it's elastic limit and cause a perminant deformation.
You will wear away more of the chamber wall from dirt on the cartridges than you will perminatly swell the chamber from repeated firing.

There are a couple of helpful terms to be aware of in metalurgy, those would be yield strength, elastic strength, and fatigue strength. Yield strength is the point that metal will break at, ie you pull it or push it hard enough and it breaks. The elastic strength is the point at which you push/pull the metal and it takes a permanet set, ie it bends, and this is a lower point then yield strength but repeatedly exposing the metal to this force will cause it to fail.

Finally is fatique strength, this is the point at which repeated pushing/pulling the metal will cause it fail over time. Forces less than the fatique stength can be induced on the metal indefinately with no failure, forces above the limit will cause failure after a certain number of cycles.

Back to the question at hand, if the operating pressure of the cartridge, and resultant forces on the action are lower than the fatique strength of the alloy, you can fire the gun indefinately and it'll never be damaged from the force of firing, though the moving bits will wear over time.

If you opperate the gun at higher pressures than it is designed for, and thus induce forces greater than the fatique limit of the action, then eventually it will fail, ie break. Also, if there are any flaws in the action, and no cast or forged piece of metal is perfect, then the fatique strength will be lowered.

That is why many of us stress that those who advocate and use hot handloads are playing with fire. They don't know that their loads are safe, only that they haven't blown up their guns yet.

You're heading out for the season but you took the time to add good stuff - thanks.

Has anyone seen or heard of a rifle "blowing up" due to metal fatigue?. I'll bet not.
Good Luck!

You're confusing me with 458 win mag ie Phil Schoemacher, I'm just a working stiff.

As far as guns failing due to metal fatigue, well there have been plenty of instances of rifles failing due to overloads, whether that is a single gross overload, or multiple overloads is up to question. As far as a gun failing due to metal fatigue with standard pressure loads, I've never heard of a case.

Sorry, all you 458s look alike to me.

I repeat, "curious about any effects from repeated firing"


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