Rebar rifle
- Thread starter guncrank
- Start date
According to the post on a machinist website it is rebar
Rebored/rifled
By a smith in Canada
I do not recall the caliber
Silly and insane. ALL rebar is made from MILD steel..... and SCRAP, at that. The metallurgy, though controlled within a certain range, is much less precise than one might think. So, a barrel made from such would be WEAK and one could not be sure of the integrity. Certainly, any such barrel made from rebar would be FAR weaker than one made from proper ordnance steel.
It is quite possible that someone could get away with this, even for an extended period of time, using nothing more powerful than a .22 rimfire, or perhaps, .38 Special.... a low pressure cartridge such as that. With a high-pressure rifle round (any caliber).....it is a hand grenade with an unpredictable fuse. I wouldn't try it if you PAID me, though.
I expect that it might be possible that the maker of this monstrosity confused the published yield strength of a given size of rebar with general yield strength ratings for various types of steel. Rebar is tested and rated ONLY for TENSILE strength. There is NO testing, NO rating, NO concern in fact, for ANY OTHER directional forces - such as would be applied in such an application as a gun barrel. The integrity of a given section of rebar, any size, for forces to be applied other than average tensile strength.... is extremely suspect.
And yes, I do know of what I speak. I was involved, for many years, in the steel industry, specifically involving rebar... both it's metallurgy and the engineering related to it's use.
It is quite possible that someone could get away with this, even for an extended period of time, using nothing more powerful than a .22 rimfire, or perhaps, .38 Special.... a low pressure cartridge such as that. With a high-pressure rifle round (any caliber).....it is a hand grenade with an unpredictable fuse. I wouldn't try it if you PAID me, though.
I expect that it might be possible that the maker of this monstrosity confused the published yield strength of a given size of rebar with general yield strength ratings for various types of steel. Rebar is tested and rated ONLY for TENSILE strength. There is NO testing, NO rating, NO concern in fact, for ANY OTHER directional forces - such as would be applied in such an application as a gun barrel. The integrity of a given section of rebar, any size, for forces to be applied other than average tensile strength.... is extremely suspect.
And yes, I do know of what I speak. I was involved, for many years, in the steel industry, specifically involving rebar... both it's metallurgy and the engineering related to it's use.
Lighten up Francis.
I expect it is a 22 rimfire based only on the apparent size of the holes in the target and the bore, as well as my knowledge of steel. In a normal bolt action receiver, the reciever ring surrounds the chamber and supports it. Remington used to have some famous advertisement, how did it go?
I still admire the craftsmanship it takes to make a barrel that will clean a target. The work I see is the work of someone who truly knows their craft.
As far as it being mild steel, I know. I also know that gun drilling, reaming, rifling, and and then chambering your own barrel are not things that a normal gunsmith does. Most gunsmiths buy their barrels from a barrelmaker who specializes in that task.
I admire someone who can make their own. And when the smith shoots this barrel out, he can put in a 22 cal "sleeve" which is made of alloy steel and continue shooting tight little groups.
Jimro
I expect it is a 22 rimfire based only on the apparent size of the holes in the target and the bore, as well as my knowledge of steel. In a normal bolt action receiver, the reciever ring surrounds the chamber and supports it. Remington used to have some famous advertisement, how did it go?
I still admire the craftsmanship it takes to make a barrel that will clean a target. The work I see is the work of someone who truly knows their craft.
As far as it being mild steel, I know. I also know that gun drilling, reaming, rifling, and and then chambering your own barrel are not things that a normal gunsmith does. Most gunsmiths buy their barrels from a barrelmaker who specializes in that task.
I admire someone who can make their own. And when the smith shoots this barrel out, he can put in a 22 cal "sleeve" which is made of alloy steel and continue shooting tight little groups.
Jimro
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Excuse the crap out of me, hotrod.
Just trying to make the point, for the benefit of the uninitiated, that some things that can be done..... perhaps shouldn't.... because there are sound reasons not to. Perhaps I shouldn't have intruded into your worship of things made from scrap materials - how thoughtless of me.
As for myself, I'd be a heck of lot more impressed if the gunsmith in question made his barrel out of a proper grade of steel, say turned from billet. That, at least, would show that he has some proper judgement.
Remember the last words of the redneck...... hey everybody, watch this !
Just trying to make the point, for the benefit of the uninitiated, that some things that can be done..... perhaps shouldn't.... because there are sound reasons not to. Perhaps I shouldn't have intruded into your worship of things made from scrap materials - how thoughtless of me.
As for myself, I'd be a heck of lot more impressed if the gunsmith in question made his barrel out of a proper grade of steel, say turned from billet. That, at least, would show that he has some proper judgement.
Remember the last words of the redneck...... hey everybody, watch this !
claymore1500
New member
All I saw was a picture, How do we know that the barrel hasn't been drilled and sleeved from the "gitgo".
I worked in the construction material supply business for a while, and I have never seen a length of rebar that was straight enough to make a good gun bbl. They all seem to acquire a slight bend in transportation.
I worked in the construction material supply business for a while, and I have never seen a length of rebar that was straight enough to make a good gun bbl. They all seem to acquire a slight bend in transportation.
My guess is that it is not a liner job (yet) is from the fouling marks on the muzzle. From the one 22lr relining project I was involved in there were fewer lands and grooves on the liner than I see on the muzzle of that barrel. Although it is possible there are different brands of liners out there, I simply don't know.
My biggest head scratcher is how the heck he gun drilled that thing, without a concentric outer surface it must have been a beast to set up to make the initial center drill.
Jimro
My biggest head scratcher is how the heck he gun drilled that thing, without a concentric outer surface it must have been a beast to set up to make the initial center drill.
Jimro
g.willikers
New member
Does the rebar have to be perfectly straight?
With thick enough rebar, it might not be that important, either for the bore or pressure.
Lots of guns from the muzzle load era were made of some pretty soft stuff, as compared to modern materials.
With thick enough rebar, it might not be that important, either for the bore or pressure.
Lots of guns from the muzzle load era were made of some pretty soft stuff, as compared to modern materials.
Dixie Gunsmithing
Moderator Emeritus
Even though it's rebar, as thick as it is, the walls are a good bit oversize, so I doubt there would be any chance of rupture, especially with 22 LR. Now wear, though, is something different. The rifling may not stand up long, since its generally no more than 0.002" deep. However, if he does shoot it out, put a liner in it.
That is easier to turn than you think, with a four jaw chuck. You have to turn two concentric bosses on each end, one is finally threaded for the action, the other parted off at the muzzle. I highly doubt he got it dead center of the O.D., but probably close. In other words, the bosses and the bore can be offset from the OD, and still be straight. The key is the layout, and finding the centers using V-Blocks and a layout gauge.
That is easier to turn than you think, with a four jaw chuck. You have to turn two concentric bosses on each end, one is finally threaded for the action, the other parted off at the muzzle. I highly doubt he got it dead center of the O.D., but probably close. In other words, the bosses and the bore can be offset from the OD, and still be straight. The key is the layout, and finding the centers using V-Blocks and a layout gauge.
Jim Watson
New member
Hey, Luigi, take dis radio antenna to the gang metallurgist and see if it is strong enough to make a zip gun out of.
Uh, Mr Purdey, have you had those horseshoe nails analyzed to see if they are the right alloy to make a Damascus barrel out of?
There is a lot of information on the internet, but a lot of it seems to be used to support timidity. I never heard of taking a second hand firearm to a gunsmith before I dared shoot it until I got a computer. In those days the gunsmith was the guy down at the lock and key shop and I would not take his word for the soundness of a gun anyhow.
Do you have a link to the whole thread, guncrank?
Uh, Mr Purdey, have you had those horseshoe nails analyzed to see if they are the right alloy to make a Damascus barrel out of?
There is a lot of information on the internet, but a lot of it seems to be used to support timidity. I never heard of taking a second hand firearm to a gunsmith before I dared shoot it until I got a computer. In those days the gunsmith was the guy down at the lock and key shop and I would not take his word for the soundness of a gun anyhow.
Do you have a link to the whole thread, guncrank?
Gaucho Gringo
New member
At one time in my life I was a rodbuster. Rebar although not ordnance grade steel will do a number on a metal cutting saw blade which is why it is generally cut with a torch. It is tougher than you think.
Gotta love a skilled GS with a sense of humor...
I like it! LOL
If it's a .22LR it is probably as safe as any. I never put a rockwell tester on one, but it seems those old Sears & Monkey-Ward Single-Shots that sold for $10 were one piece of steel, barrel & action. They were produced as cheap as possible & I imagine the steel was on par with rebar.
Nice post..
...bug
I like it! LOL
If it's a .22LR it is probably as safe as any. I never put a rockwell tester on one, but it seems those old Sears & Monkey-Ward Single-Shots that sold for $10 were one piece of steel, barrel & action. They were produced as cheap as possible & I imagine the steel was on par with rebar.
Nice post..
...bug
Gunplummer
New member
A lot of the older .22 barrels were 1117. Not real great material, but good enough for .22 wear. If you line enough old .22 barrels, they seem straight on the O.D. but the bores are as crooked as you can make them. They seemed to shoot O.K. for the most part, crooked bore or not. It seems as if the last 6-8 inches before the muzzle was straight they would shoot O.K. This guy probably straightened the REBAR before starting. I have straightened barrel blanks.
The better rebar is also coated with green epoxy for extra strength ! 
wpsdlrg said:
You probably weren't too happy with any of the guns in the Army Technical Manual TM 31-210 either, were you?
9mm pistol from hardware water pipe is Chapter 3.1, .308 rifle from hardware water pipe is Chapter 3.4.
http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/june2007/imhv3.pdf
" Jim, Standard steels are melted to chemistry !! Rebar is melted to mechanical properties instead ! The better rebar is also coated with green epoxy for extra strength !
Regards , your're forum Italian Metallurgist."
If you mean, in your rather cryptic way, that rebar and "standard" steels are formulated totally differently, with no consideration of "mechanical properties" for "standard" steel.....then I'm sorry, but you have NO idea what you are talking about. ALL steels are formulated for mechanical properties, as well as "chemistry". In fact, your first two sentences combined are a null statement....and as such, are nonsense.
Secondly, if you knew ANYTHING about rebar (which you clearly DON'T), then you'd know that the green epoxy coating, applied to some rebar, is for the purpose of CORROSION RESISTANCE in highly corrosive environments (such as bridge construction in coastal areas). It has NOTHING whatever to do with "extra strength".....and adds NO additional physical strength to the rebar. Your characterization of the epoxy coated version as "better rebar" also betrays ignorance - because the rebar (under the epoxy coating) is EXACTLY the SAME as any other rebar. No "special" rebar is used for this - the bar is simply acid cleaned, to remove the oily film (sprayed on standard rebar to reduce the speed of corrosion), before being epoxy coated.
Trying to pass yourself off as a metallurgist, while proffering such drivel, is offensive.
Gentlemen, I get the point that some of you think this is all just a big joke - and that I'm "taking this thread too seriously", or something like that. So, perhaps the comments at which I've taken issue (directly above) were simply written to bait me. If so, so be it. I simply can't stand stupid mischaracterizations of technical matters. So sue me. If you find that funny, well good for you.
Regards , your're forum Italian Metallurgist."
If you mean, in your rather cryptic way, that rebar and "standard" steels are formulated totally differently, with no consideration of "mechanical properties" for "standard" steel.....then I'm sorry, but you have NO idea what you are talking about. ALL steels are formulated for mechanical properties, as well as "chemistry". In fact, your first two sentences combined are a null statement....and as such, are nonsense.
Secondly, if you knew ANYTHING about rebar (which you clearly DON'T), then you'd know that the green epoxy coating, applied to some rebar, is for the purpose of CORROSION RESISTANCE in highly corrosive environments (such as bridge construction in coastal areas). It has NOTHING whatever to do with "extra strength".....and adds NO additional physical strength to the rebar. Your characterization of the epoxy coated version as "better rebar" also betrays ignorance - because the rebar (under the epoxy coating) is EXACTLY the SAME as any other rebar. No "special" rebar is used for this - the bar is simply acid cleaned, to remove the oily film (sprayed on standard rebar to reduce the speed of corrosion), before being epoxy coated.
Trying to pass yourself off as a metallurgist, while proffering such drivel, is offensive.
Gentlemen, I get the point that some of you think this is all just a big joke - and that I'm "taking this thread too seriously", or something like that. So, perhaps the comments at which I've taken issue (directly above) were simply written to bait me. If so, so be it. I simply can't stand stupid mischaracterizations of technical matters. So sue me. If you find that funny, well good for you.