What Gets Hardened?

**muffler man** · March 5th, 2010, 07:31 AM

If I was to build my own rifle, what parts get hardened? The bolt, and reciever are the only things I can think of. The hammer, trigger, sear, and firing pin can be case hardened I think. I'm just guessing, and I was hoping someone could set me straight. Thank you, Joe

**Xringshooter** · March 5th, 2010, 09:53 AM

Are you manufacturing these pieces yourself from bar stock, etc or are you buying the pieces and putting them together (like building your own AR)?

If buying the pieces and putting it together, everything you get will be properly hardened when you get it.

If you are actually going to do all the metal work yourself, from a chunk of virgin metal to finished product, I would first invest in any books that will tell you how this is done properly.

**muffler man** · March 5th, 2010, 11:25 AM

I have a bunch of machine tools that I build auto parts with, lathe, mill, press, etc. and was toying with the idea of building a single shot rifle. I would buy a barrel and build the rest from billet. Joe

**Enfielder** · March 5th, 2010, 03:16 PM

Sounds like an ambitious undertaking. The design will dictate what needs to be hardened. Like XRing said if you buy pieces (receivers, bolts, etc.) they will already have been heat treated, and the supplier will tell you if they have/have not. One popular example is AK receiver flats which have not been heat treated, so you will actually be able to bend them. The sellers warn you about that they have not been heat treated. Afterward you would heat treat entire receiver or at the very least certain locations. (to the detail-oriented, yes you'd heat treat the rails 1st before spot welding & heat treating hammer & trigger holes) Search the web, there's enough about AK receivers.

Anyway in out part of PA, I have sent small steel parts to Solar Atmospheres in Souderton for heat treating (hardening) If you're doing a few receiver-sized parts, they have a lot charge for whatever fits in a certain oven size, IIRC it was $150 or so for their smallest chamber (more than enough room)