Centerfire Duty Cycle

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bullethole1

Moderator
I know German steel was always stronger than American steel in WWII but yeah a gun you take pride in doesnt really deserve the abuse just like
a welder that has a duty cycle and needs to cool down. I never really paid any mind to how many times I shoot my gun but one time I grabbed one of my uncles .270 remingtons and blasted away 20 or so shells in less that 5 minutes. He got extremely mad and it wasnt the fact that I might of ruined the gun it was because he said the gun could of exploded and killed me! Is this all true or just a myth? Thanks
 
the weapon will get hot but not hot enough to blow up. only a couple ways a gun will blow up, using the wrong kind of ammo, firing a round and the bullet getting lodged in the barrel, or a manufactures malfunction in the bolt or barrel.
 
That's just a myth. I don't think that firing 20 cartridges in five minutes will harm any centerfire firearm made in the past century. It will get hot, but I don't think you hurt his rifle, and the idea of it exploding is simply not reasonable.
 
You would have to get the barrel glowing to create a blowup. I would have blistered your butt for scorching the barrel if you did that to mine.
I watched a guy shoot a brand new 30/06 about 50 times at a range in Colorado last summer. When I asked if he thought his barrel was getting hot, the dummy reached up and put his hand on it right in front of the chamber. He blistered two fingers and screamed like he was killed. I had to leave because I was about to bust out laughing.
 
If you want the barrel to last don't get it hot .A hot barrel increases the 'erosion' at the throat shortening it's life !
Firing fast also is a danger if you have a squib load because you fire a second round before you can check for a squib -the the barrel will burst.
 
Within the last 100 years,very few rifles have exploded because X number were cycled through the weapon in Y amount of time. BP weapons the barrel would actually melt if you didn't take your time firing it because the steel was so soft and thin. Then gun smiths discovered using thicker steel and having an octagonal barrel cured the problem.
 
I wouldn't worry about it exploding. For example, tons of people have those old Mosin rifles and carbines. The Mosin is interesting in that it's so affordable, it still be found for under $80 in fact, and the ammo for it is by far the most affordable in its class as well. So when you combine a ridiculously inexpensive gun, with equally inexpensive ammo, you get lots of people shooting their Mosins a lot. Have yet to hear of one that exploded from that kind of use. There's not really any reason to believe your rifle is of any lesser durability.
 
Man, ain't technology wunerful! I never knew a B.P. brl. would melt if fired too fast if it wasn't thick & octagonal! Probably what they ment by "fluid steel" on those old shotgun brls?
 
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