Colt machinin g processes/51 navy barrels/we're they milled out one peice?

[ChuckC]

Seems like that is a complicated procedure

[Kent Shootwell]

I would think originally they were forged to shape then machined.

[Coffinmaker]

No Clue.  Well, sorta.  The '51 Navy Barrel was obviously machined from a single piece of bar stock.  Colt had some very extensive "jigging" to complete the barrels.  Where the bar stock came from, I have no clue.  The barrels were however, machined from a single piece.

[cheatin charlie]

This is describes in general terms Colts manufacturing process in London England.  Page 23 has an overview of how the barrels are made.

https://books.google.com/books?id=QnkDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA28&lpg=PA28&dq=colt%27s+engineering+paper+presented+to+english+engineers&source=bl&ots=1fYCGMTaQM&sig=Ds953yi-6wVhFNCIVm-AkOhz9Yk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjVw-jc-_TWAhXIWSYKHeKjBEQ4ChDoAQglMAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Kent Shootwell]

Thanks Charlie, so they did start out as a forging.

[Coffinmaker]

Kent:  Sort of.  the start was actually piece of bar stock, heated, than forged.  I suppose we could consider the beginning to be a forging but I tend to begin at the actual beginning.  Although, in the long run, it doesn't really matter.  What we have is what we have no matter how we got it.  It is interesting though, to also read that they (Colt) also started with a forged main frame.

Ruger .... starts with a casting.  A really nice casting, a casting none the less which has proven to be sufficiently strong for any sane cartridge (and some not so sane).  Burma Shave

[cheatin charlie]

Coming from a machining background if I was working for Colt and somebody asked what I machined that barrel from I would answer I machined it from a forging.  How it became a forging would be immaterial to me.  You always need some sort of raw material to forge.

[Kent Shootwell]

As a retired machinist that?s the way I was thinking, but now that Coffinmaker points it out we could start with a hole in the ground to gather iron ore. My wife hearing my mumbling as I type says couldn?t that be extended to the Big Bang. Well, yes but what was befor that? A dizzying hole is being dug by over thinking this so for my simple mind I?m going back to they machined barrels from forgings.

[Professor Marvel]

Thereyou are Kent .... Colt made it from dirt!
Really good, iron bearing dirt... with other dirty stuff.
And magic pistol pixie dust.

Oh and trees.

Yhs
Prof Marvel

[Coffinmaker]

  I'm in     Magic Pistol Pixie Dust      I'm also with Charlie.  When you're standing in front of your machine, and the drive belt is howling down from the Main Shaft, you're looking at a Forging.  Doesn't matter if the original lump of metal came from Lower Slobovia.  It's still a forging.   

That forging will still require a goodly application of Magic Pistol Pixie Dust you bet   

Kent State is giving Ohio all they can handle.  Oh, sorry, thread drift.

[greyhawk]

As a retired machinist that?s the way I was thinking, but now that Coffinmaker points it out we could start with a hole in the ground to gather iron ore. My wife hearing my mumbling as I type says couldn?t that be extended to the Big Bang. Well, yes but what was befor that? A dizzying hole is being dug by over thinking this so for my simple mind I?m going back to they machined barrels from forgings.

I got a prolem with the big bang - the entire universe came from a hole full of nothingness ? Tony Robbins said it good - that idea makes about as much sense as saying the websters dictionary is the result of an explosion in a print factory ..........................................