Barrel and Action Nitride Coating

I did some reading into this a while back and decided in custom builds it seems like a good idea to have the barrel and action nitrided to increase longevity. I just sent off two rifles to Wright Armory in Mesa, AZ and the barrels, actions and internals/small parts are all getting nitrided. I am likely going to do the same for 2-3 more rifles I am having built but want to see how these two perform first. I am having them nitride a 416 SS and a 4140 CM. I think if you can get a 4140 CM in the white and have it nitrided it may come out with a matte blue type finish, I will send some pics when I get my stuff back.

Everything I read says longer life of service, minimal to no effect on accuracy and easier cleaning.

If you talk to James at Northland Shooters Supply, they will nitride criterion pre-fit barrels for you.

Wright is no longer offering the DLC quick lube coating for bolts as an FYI.
I would love to see those pictures. I am just starting on an old Remington 722. Ridge Rifles is going to true the action and bolt face. When I get it back I want have it Nitrited.
 
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I would love to see those pictures. I am just starting on an old Remington 722. Ridge Rifles is going to true the action and bolt face. When I get it back I want have it Nitrited.
I love the complete customs that people do from scratch…..but I have always liked hot rods more than custom cars built to order. Something about jazzing up an old gun or car, gets my blood pumping more. The ones out now are a Remington 700 and a Pre-64 Winchester 70, the next ones going out are a Savage 99, Remington 760 and a Remington 600.
 
CM barrel are stress relieved around 1100 degrees just like SS barrels are, or should I say they should be.
 
On a barrel
on a barrel. Tempering lowers the hardness of the steel so it becomes "usable". As quench, when hardened, CM is much too hard use for a barrel or an action. It also exhibits brittleness. Tempering lowers the hardness, so the steel can be machined , and its structural properties become more 'useful', it can carry more 'load' and handle stress. Tempering does not lower the hardness to annealed. Stress relief is used to remove the stresses induced by forging or machining.
 
on a barrel. Tempering lowers the hardness of the steel so it becomes "usable". As quench, when hardened, CM is much too hard use for a barrel or an action. It also exhibits brittleness. Tempering lowers the hardness, so the steel can be machined , and its structural properties become more 'useful', it can carry more 'load' and handle stress. Tempering does not lower the hardness to annealed. Stress relief is used to remove the stresses induced by forging or machining.
Have you ever made rifle barrels or stress relieved them?
 
Have you ever made rifle barrels or stress relieved them?
I have heat treated (case hardened) actions and stress relieved them. I stress relieve because quenching can and will induce stress. You are confusing tempering and stress relieving. These are 2 different processes. I have heat hardened and tempered many other parts made of CM steel. The process is the same for a rifle barrel as any other part made of CM. I have , also, hardened and tempered many other tool steels and Century series steels. Barrel steel arrives hardened and tempered from the mill. The specs for the steel are specified by the purchaser (the barrel or action maker) for purity and any additional alloying elements. The barrel maker (or action maker) may stress relieve before, during or after machining, or all 3 times depending upon his process. Harden 4140 and don't temper and you'll ruin a file trying to cut it, which means you'd never successfully rifle it. Temper it, which lowers its hardness, but not to the annealed state, and it is easily filed and machined. Hardened and NOT tempered and it's brittle. After temper, the 'brittle' no longer exists and the part made from the hardened and tempered steel will handle shock and heavy loads. Where as hardened and not tempered will not, as it is brittle, it may be strong but won't handle much shock or load. Specs for hardening and tempering 4140 are easily found on-line, published by heat treating firms and scientific groups. Have you ever made a barrel or stress relieved them? Hardening, tempering and stress relieving steels for barrels and actions is no different than hardening, tempering and stress relieving the same steel for other uses. Tempering is also known a 'drawing back'.
 
I am not confusing anything if you have tested and stress relieved a couple thousand barrels like I have you would know.
Quenching or tempering are a whole different ball game compared to stress relieving rifle barrels. To properly stress relieve a rifle barrel is about a 12 hour process from start to finish with nitrogen introduced.
I can guarantee you if you try and stress relieve a rifle barrel to the "Tempering" deg.on your chart it will shoot like a shotgun.
 
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