Heating up the barrel...

[Amazon Hunter]

I just got my SR40 the other week. It is my first semi-auto pistol. When I was shooting it at the range the other day I took my time to sight it in but at the end of my shooting session I rapidly fired through 2 clips. I felt the barrel and of course it was very hot. It is a stainless barrel. Somebody told me that you have to be careful with that. I realize that a barrel getting hot can affect the accuracy but can shooting several rounds though these semi's possibly damage a barrel if you shoot too many too rapidly.

[victory]

You're getting worried about nothing.

[Chazman321]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7wL2QuFTLQ

Nothing to worry about... lol

-Chaz

[knight0334]

Until it glows - you got little to worry about.

[Stooperzero]

Unless you're pushing the 1700-2000 round mark in under 10 minutes where your gun will start melting anyways I wouldnt be worried.

[harold63]

Copper and lead are still softer than the steel the barrel is made of when the steel is very hot. The only thing that may happen is you get a little more copper or lead fouling when the barrel is very hot.

[brownman]

Maybe the wrong place for my response but, why is there so much emphasis on rifle barrels and heat? What gives? Everyone says who cares with a pistol and thats what I would say as well but whats up with rifles in comparison? Something like 10-20 rnds and they say you will notice. With a pistol, is it just the close distance you are likely to be firing
that it doesnt have much effect.

[harold63]

Maybe the wrong place for my response but, why is there so much emphasis on rifle barrels and heat? What gives? Everyone says who cares with a pistol and thats what I would say as well but whats up with rifles in comparison? Something like 10-20 rnds and they say you will notice. With a pistol, is it just the close distance you are likely to be firing
that it doesnt have much effect.

Close distance and short barrel. Rifle barrels get hot quicker because of the larger amounts of propellent with large calibers and magnums. When a rifle barrel gets very hot, which doesn't take long in some cases, it will start to whip more than normal. This is not so apparent with a heavy or bull barreled rifle.

Where is Tomcat88 when you need him?

[RickD]

Hot to your fingers. (150 -200F) Little effect on machinery.

If I remember steel melts around 2600F, lead around 800F. Copper somewhere in between. Not sure about stainless but I don't forsee any drooping barrels under the conditions we can create at the range.

[harold63]

Hot to your fingers. (150 -200F) Little effect on machinery.

If I remember steel melts around 2600F, lead around 800F. Copper somewhere in between. Not sure about stainless but I don't forsee any drooping barrels under the conditions we can create at the range.

The tip of a rifle barrel makes a figure 8 when the bullet passes out of the muzzle. When the barrel gets hot, this figure 8 gets a little bigger. Groups at 100yds. can open up 2" or more when this occurs, and it is mostly with hunting barrels. Don't know about drooping, but what I am telling you is absolutely true.