Will ratshot harm rifling on .22?

The brass hammer can dent dent steel, because of it's momentum and kinetic energy. Lead has a much higher mass per unit volume than steel. I don't know how many pellets are in the rat load, but say a hundred small pieces of lead rattling down the barrel randomly, each has it own momentum, and each will, even in miniscule degree, have some effect upon the point of contact.

Yeah I know that this is choking on a gnat, but many moduli have been developed to test the properties of metals.

I at one time did work on nuclear submarines, the pressure hulls of these fast attack subs were chrome moly, eight inches thick. CM was used not because of it's hardness, but because it will flex and bend, rather than shatter under pressure. Could be why it has been used for over a hundred years for drilling rifle barrels.

I have noted the metal ties downs on docks, piers , barges wearing the paint and etching the metal. The wire rope used to rig barges and as winch cable is softer than points it is attached, but will absolutely wear the cleats over time.

All I wanted to say was that if brass can bend steel dues to its momentum, wouldn't lead, much denser than brass, do so also? Even on a minute scale?
 
garden gun

I remember the Garden Gun back in the day, but never saw one.

I shoot the W-W shot shells as they are far cheaper than the plastic cased CCI/Speer.
 
All I wanted to say was that if brass can bend steel dues to its momentum, wouldn't lead, much denser than brass, do so also? Even on a minute scale?
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You have to take into account not just the Rockwell hardness of the 2 materials, but also the ductility and tensile strength. Think of it like this, Momentum is based on mass, not weight correct? a small mass moving at say 60kph with a mass of 1000 kilograms will have less momentum than a large mass moving at 6kph with a mass of 10,000 kilograms. because one of the laws of physics say energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only transferred.

So you take the rockwell hardness of lead, about 10.8 on the b scale, and the hardness of common barrel stock has a rockwell hardness of 28-32 on the b scale. (assuming average chrome molybdenum (sp?) stock)

So chrome moly is more than 10 times as hard as lead, when you do deformation tests on lead vs steel, lead has almost 400% higher deformation value, only about 1% of the tensile resistance of chrome moly, and about a 50% increase in ductility over moly.

I understand the example you used of the wire ropes wearing the steel pitons (i think they are called) you have to acknowledge the fact that this is steel on steel. If the pitons were say a D2, which is a hot roll steel used in stamping dies for forming, they would have a rockwell of around 40-46. But most likely they are a cold rolled 4140 that was forged to shape, or maybe even a grey iron rather than steel. Even if they are steel, they will be around the same hardness, tensile strength, and ductility of the wire ropes.

YES, eventually even firing plastic paintballs out of a paintgun with an aluminum barrel will wear it out, in my lifetime? no, in my granchildrens grandchildrens life maybe.... but not likely.


edit: should have put c scale not b scale.... if barrels were 28-32 on the b scale, they would be softer than aluminum :D but lead is 10.8 on b scale, so extremely soft
 
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People used to say 22 shot shells straightened out the rifling. I suspect they used shot shells almost exclusively and the leading streaks convinced them it was true.
 
Of course softer material can wear away harder material, it just takes time and a lot of softer material. Water wears away rocks. Hello!;)

The thing with .22 shot is that with no shot cup, you will get lead build up in a rifled bore. With a plastic shot cup, you will get plastic build up in a rifled bore. Clean it when it needs it, and sleep soundly at night.

Shooting shot won't "hurt" your gun. Lack of proper (and timely) maint is what "hurts" your gun.
 
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