Welding ruger stainless

[jpdesign]

Anybody have any experience with welding ruger stainless. I know Alan Harton and others have done it. I have a quote for welding up a single six and changing it from an adjustable sight to a fixed sight, and it's cheaper than starting with a fixed sight and having a cylinder made. But I also could do the reshaping myself and have access to a very talented welder. Just would like to have any info needed to tell him. Alloy type, tips on wielding it, mig vs. tig, etc.

 

[DGW1949]

No disrespect meant towards you or your "very talented welder", but unless he knew exactly was he was doing relative to welding on a gun frame, he wouldn't be welding on mine.
I'm saying that because a welder which has experience with this sort of thing aint going to need advice from someone who had to seek it elsewhere thereself.

Just sayin'.

DGW

 

[jpdesign]

No disrespect to you, but more information never hurts. I at least want to know the actual alloy ruger uses. I understand it is a bit different than other stainless alloys used in fire arms, just talk to engravers. I have seen him weld all kinds of other things, he has even welded a couple steel frame for guns for me, but nothing this big of an area. I am sure he could do it, but using the same alloy would help with looks after. I have seen the guy weld two tin cans together and not burn through. Heard about him cutting one in half and welding it back together and having it hold water. Just has little experience with firearms. The guy is the best welder I have ever known, and as my family is in the sheet metal business and has been for generations that is saying something. Also means I know something about maletalurgy. May be a case of I am looking for more knowledge than I need, but that is what I do, learn what I can about what might be needed and what might go wrong, and how to prevent it, especially if I have one shot at doing something and don't want to ruin it.

 

[jpdesign]

I realize I could just go down to Houston, and probably will, but I like doing things myself if possible.

 

[DGW1949]

No disrespect to you, but more information never hurts. I at least want to know the actual alloy ruger uses. I understand it is a bit different than other stainless alloys used in fire arms, just talk to engravers. I have seen him weld all kinds of other things, he has even welded a couple steel frame for guns for me, but nothing this big of an area. I am sure he could do it, but using the same alloy would help with looks after. I have seen the guy weld two tin cans together and not burn through. Heard about him cutting one in half and welding it back together and having it hold water. Just has little experience with firearms. The guy is the best welder I have ever known, and as my family is in the sheet metal business and has been for generations that is saying something. Also means I know something about maletalurgy. May be a case of I am looking for more knowledge than I need, but that is what I do, learn what I can about what might be needed and what might go wrong, and how to prevent it, especially if I have one shot at doing something and don't want to ruin it.

Points taken.
Getting back to the questions at hand:
I got a dollar that says information regarding the exact alloy used is amoung Ruger's most closely guarded secrets. That said though, I got another dollar that say's it's perty-dern close to Carpenter Stainless Type 410, and if that's the case, a simple google search will turn up the most acceptable methods of welding it.

Hope this helps.

DGW

 

[roylt]

Put an ad in the classified for a stainless barrel chunk from someone that may have shortened theirs. then he can try it out a bit.

 

[bedrockfred]

Looking for a barrel scrap, I know its around here somewhere! Will get back to you. Ha, found it! I had 1 of my 5.5" single sixes cut down to 3" barrel , added a birdshead grip frame so I would have a adjustable sight " blackbird"! You are welcome to the barrel scrap for test welding on! PM me your address and I will send it your way!---bedrockfred

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I got a dollar that says information regarding the exact alloy used is amoung Ruger's most closely guarded secrets. That said though, I got another dollar that say's it's perty-dern close to Carpenter Stainless Type 410, and if that's the case, a simple google search will turn up the most acceptable methods of welding it.

Hope this helps.

DGW

+1 Carpender type 410. https://www.cartech.com/techarticles.aspx?id=1608

Spec. sheet. http://cartech.ides.com/datasheet.aspx?i=103&e=82&c=TechArt

 

[Precision32]

Reading the article I get that the cylinder and barrel are machined from billet. These are made from two different alloys. I believe the frames are investment cast. In all likelihood the frames are made of a third alloy, suited to casting.

 

[rugerguy]

I recall some years back when the metals magazine talked about Rugers and S&W s stainless steels, forged versus the cast, I thought the Ruger was close to a 416 in their cast alloy??? been many years since I went to the Lincoln welding school, and have no clue as to the new "stuff", back then always did arc and a No 2 rod on the 4140 chrome moly frames........Mig and TIG seemed to create "hot spots" and sort of spot annealed the area around a top strap "hole" repair............ 8)
(trick was to draw it back....)

the magazine article was in regards to the strength of the "new" ( back then) S&W 500s and the Rugers Super Redhawks in 44 ,and the 480...........gave the specs as to the alloys I recall...........
hey you guys are good with these putters, go do a "search"???? Hell, I can't spell PC....... :roll:

Happy New Year (gung hay fat choy) :wink:

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Turnbull does a lot of welding on gun frames. Maybe you could call them with a question.

http://www.turnbullmfg.com/

 

[Hondo44]

Anybody have any experience with welding ruger stainless. I know Alan Harton and others have done it. I have a quote for welding up a single six and changing it from an adjustable sight to a fixed sight, and it's cheaper than starting with a fixed sight and having a cylinder made. But I also could do the reshaping myself and have access to a very talented welder. Just would like to have any info needed to tell him. Alloy type, tips on wielding it, mig vs. tig, etc.

I'm not qualified to make any judgements about your welder so I won't.

Here's what I know about SS Ruger uses:

New cylinders (.454 & .480) are treated Carpenter Custom 465® stainless, a premium quality, high strength, age-hardening stainless alloy, frame is still made of investment cast 410 ‎stainless, and the barrel is still made of Carpenter15-5 PH stainless steel, considerably harder than Custom barrels which are 416 SS, the equivalent of 4140 Chromoly, not very hard at Rockwell C26-C30.


I tig weld Ruger stainless with 415, 416 rod. Works very well and an excellent color match. No strength issues ever experienced and I think it's irrelevant to your project anyway. You're filling voids, not attaching a frame back together. Soak parts and rod in acetone to avoid as much contamination as possible, to mitigate pocks, pits and air bubbles.

If you get pits too deep to sand out or uncover a pit while surface finishing, reheat and create a little puddle to fill pit. If you just run another bead over it, you can be doing it over and over.

Do me a favor and let me now how it goes for you.

Hope this is helpful,