Titanium handguns

A

antenna

New member
What's with the Titanium? I know it's light strong, and supposedly more hardy (is it?), but from what I remember being told, Titanium and salt water are mortal enemies.
 
The problem with titanium is not the corrosion, but contamination. When you bond two different materials together, carbon and aluminum, steel and aluminum, titanium and steel, there are two basic problems. The two materials expand and contract at two different rates and if the two materials are bonded, there is a contamination problem to contend with. It seems that over time, a certain bacteria like substance attacks the bonding material and makes it weak. Then stress and fatigue finish breaking down the bond. I do not think that the liners are bonded to the barrels though, they are pressed together. How long will they last? Who knows. It would also be interesting to see the chambers over time, see how they last. Although titanium is stronger than steel, it is also more flexible. Wonder if there is more expansion of the chamber and the added stress it will create. It is a great material, just don't know if this is a good application.

Robert
 
If titanium is more flexible than steel, that would make it handle stress better, not worse. There are many alloy and polymer guns on the market now, and most have done well.

Hopefully titanium does well too, as the light weight is a tremendous asset.
 
The SR-71 Blackbird US spy plane from the 60's was made from it. This plane was 30 years ahead of its time. It holds both the air speed record and altitude record I believe. Tough stuff.
 
Hear me out for a moment. Both S&W and Taurus are making the cylinders from titanium, right. The chamber wall are of uneven in thickness, thin on the outside and chamber to chamber. Question. Is there deformation of the chamber when fired? We agree that the material flexes. How much? When reloading, will a case last as long fired from a titanium cylinders as from a steel one? If they don't flex and deform, awesome, great carry gun. If they do, does it becomes a consideration for those that reload, cases my not last as long? No one has even said how much pressure these cylinders can handle before the case or cylinder fails. If I put 40,000 psi into a .357, how long before it fails? Personally, those are questions I would like to have answered.

All guns cost good hard earned money. I hate buying stuff and becoming the test pilot. Always thought that is what you pay for when buying in the first place.

Robert
 
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