heat treat of mauser actions ??

N

Nebr_Tom

Inactive
I have a number of mauser actions I would like to heat treat. I have a propane oven and an electric kiln. I would like to do it in the electric kiln and the propane is too expensive to fire up all the time. Does anyone know the general heat treat specs for mauser receivers and bolts? I would imagine that most of it is case hardening. I do have a Rockwell C instrument here to check steel with.
Any help would be appreciated
 
Tom, I saw the thread on Home Machinist. As a rule I don't reheat treat Mauser actions because they are simply too cheap to make treating a soft one worth it. But your's is a little different case. When extensive machining has been done then it is necessary. Kuhnhausen has this method in his book.

1. Plas shallow .010"-.015" case on parts in gas furnace.
2. Oil quench
3. Check hardness. Typical exterior test range is C35 to C40. Corresponding internal core hardness will vary, usually between 22C and 30C.
4. Adjust hardness by reheating in oven, usually to about 809 deg.
NOTE: Different hardness readings require differnt drawing temperatures.

You might contact Blanchard Metal Processing 801-972-5590. This is what they do for a living and might be willing to answer some questions about use the electric furnace. George
 
re-heat-treat

Dear Sirs:
With the greatest respect I would add to George Stringers words. This is just my opinion.
DO NOT attempt, as George is saying cautiously, to re-heat treat Mauser actions, period! Yes, I did it once and it worked out. I blocked the reciever hole at rear of locking lug area, filled the inside with "hard and tough" hardening compound, brought it up to WHAT I THOUGHT MIGHT BE THE DECALESCENCE TEMPERATURE FOR ABOUT 30 minute and then quenched in room temp water covered with 1/4 " of oil. As George mentions I then drew the action to a "blue" and tested - no cracking, no set-back - did not have a "C" machine, and pronounced it AOK!
I WAS WORKING BLIND!!! Also, I had two Mausers re-heat-treated in Parkersburg West Virginia and DID NOT SEE A ROCKWELL TESTER!! None in his shop. I asked, "did you Rockwell them?" Yes I did! (his answer) When I picked them up each end was "blue" indicating about 750 degrees, BUT, NO ROCKWELL MARK. First of all, testing with Rockwell tells absolutely NOTHING about the internal hardness of the lug area! Some Mausers were induction hardened with a tool that simply went into the action face and hardened in the lug, thread, inner ring area. As George has said about stainless (I think I recall tjhis) certain types do not heat-treat! I took them home and "file tested" the outside of reciever ring; there were hard and soft spots - I put the reciever rings on the vise block, beat them almost flat, and threw them in back of the shop and there thery lay! I was 20 then, I'm 69 now, and I'll NEVER re-heat-treat another Mauser action! I know these were Mausers, not stainless! But Mausers don't have enough points of carbon to harden homgeniously either. Thus, the carburizing (case hardening) Harry - respectfully :)
 
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