DETERIORATION OF FIREARMS: A REVIEW REPORT ON CORROSION AND WEAR OF THEIR BARRELS
Keywords:
Firearm durability, Projectile performance, Barrel materials, Barrel corrosion, Barrel wear, ProperAbstract
The barrel condition influences the performance and longevity of firearms. This paper presents a review report from various reputable research sources, highlighting barrel corrosion and wear as issues that threaten the serviceability and longevity of millions of firearms annually. The review shows that the barrel is a crucial component of all firearms, through which a rapidly expanding, high-pressure, high-temperature, and chemically aggressive propellant gas in its hollow interior part, called the bore, is used to propel a projectile out of it at high velocity. The created thermally, chemically, and mechanically aggressive barrel condition in firing rounds, together with the bore fouling and ambient detritus such as salt, water vapor, and microscopic particles that are often drawn into it and build on its metal surface, cause its corrosion and erosive wear. This degrades the bore’s as-made smoothness and straightness without cavities, hanks, cracks, fouling buildup, or other defects to uniformly guide a bullet in its grooves and give it a correct axial rotation movement with the highest performance probability. Depending on the severity of the problem, corrosion and wear can cause barrel ringing or bulging to an actual blow-up and inaccurate projectile performance. The review also shows that contemporary barrels are made with high-strength metals like the SAE 4140 and 4340 special alloy steels and erosion-corrosion-resistant coatings like chromium, tantalum, and manganese phosphate coatings to improve their corrosion and wear resistance, and there has been a search for better metals, coatings, propellants, erosion-reducing additives, and lubricants for barrels. The longer a barrel is left uncleaned, the more it rusts and pits, so for longevity and effective performance of firearms, it's a common practice to store them under no or minimal exposure to moisture and air or to regularly clean and lubricate their barrels to minimize their corrosion and wear. The paper brings together information that will help many researchers and other workers find better ways to deal with barrel corrosion and wear.
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