Hi all….New guy here.
Hope I don’t ruffle too many feathers by adding my 2 cents. …
I looked at the AGC site, at first was pretty excited about a company bringing out a true reproduction of the 1885 action
BUT:
One of my concerns with the AGC actions is that they will be making them out of 4140 steel, with no plans for offering another material.
Now 4140 is a good medium carbon general purpose steel, more than adequate for an 1885 rifle actions. But it is an oil quench, thru hardening steel. 4140 was not designed to be a water quenched case hardening steel.
I discussed this with them a couple of months ago, and suggested that they make the actions out of a case hardening steel such as 8620, or at least offer customers a choice. The feeling that I got over the phone was that I was just throwing numbers at him…with very little understanding on the far end.
I did get a commitment that he would bring it up at the next meeting.
To their credit, I did get an E-Mail about a week later stating that the topic was brought up, although the boss decided against it.
Now I don’t know exactly what exactly will happen when a rifle action made out of 4140 is CCH in the traditional method. Researching the effects ( Machinery’s Handbook, ASM Metals Handbook etc) range from not optimum material for case hardening to plain ole don’t do it, with anticipate outcomes of excessive warpage, cracking , uneven hardening etc.
Now I understand that 4140 can be properly color case hardened by using the Cyanide process; that’s a method I’ve decided against using in my shop… not very forgiving to the guy applying it if done wrong.
Hopefully AGC will mark these actions (stamping inside the tangs etc), alerting those of us that do the traditional Bone CCH that the material is a non case hardening steel.
So anyway rambling thoughts from a new guy…take it for what you think it worth.
Mike Hunter
Hunter Restorations
