Cryo Freezing

[MDGrand]

Curious to see if anyone else has tried cryo freezing their barrel and if so what were the results...?

[270Shooter]

Benelli shotguns have it

[gasman]

OK, maybe i am ignorant (or just uninformed), but what is the advantage.

[Jamieb]

OK, maybe i am ignorant (or just uninformed), but what is the advantage.

Cryogenic freezing is supposed to relieve and stress in the metal.
It was pretty popular with some of the custom builders for a while but I haven't heard much about it for a while.

[MikeWalking]

Cryo is a good way to correct flaws from the original Heat Treat. If the original quench wasn't done fast enough stress lines can develop causing a barrel to warp a little.  Cryo takes it down very, very low and rewarms at a set rate to relieve those.

I wouldn't spend the money to do it on what was a high quality barrel to begin with.

[demontang]

dont know if it would really be worth it on a rifle barrel but a I know it is on axles and ring gears. it makes steel stronger buy relieving the stress and making the structer of the steel more uniform.

[MikeWalking]

dont know if it would really be worth it on a rifle barrel but a I know it is on axles and ring gears. it makes steel stronger buy relieving the stress and making the structure of the steel more uniform.

Don't know if/which axles and gears are made from heat treated stock but if they are the machining can easily wreck or erase much of the benefit which can be restored by Cryo.  Or as you say improve strength on a part that would be hard to heat treat after machining, which can also warp stuff out of tolerance.

[MDGrand]

Thanks everyone...

The basics of what I have learned is that many people do this to a barrel that has undergone some use, is a factory stock barrel and usually with a sporter barrel chambered in a magnum caliber.

According to a riflesmith I talked to.. the differences or improvements are not noticeable on an aftermarket high quality barrel like schilen or Kimber, etc. But on a production rifle the differences can be noticeable.

Anyway.. I was curious to see if anyone had done it personally to their factory rifle and had any improvements.

[demontang]

The cryo is done after the part is made, theres a few companys that do this before they sell gears now and I believe that they are getting 30% or so stronger parts.

From a artical on cryogenic processing
The deep cryogenic tempering process for gears is an inexpensive, one-time, permanent treatment, affecting the entire part, not just the surface. Gears may be new or used, sharp or dull, and reshaping will not destroy the treatment.The process has a number of obvious benefits, including increases in tensile strength, toughness, and stability through the release of internal stresses. The exceptional increase in wear resistivity, generally exceeding 200%, is the greatest benefit.

[MDGrand]

All of this is great.. but has anyone cryo'd their rifle barrel.. and if so.. do they like the result?

[Jekemi]

Where does anyone get access to that much Liquid Nitrogen? How long does the barrel remain in the liquid nitrogen? Does anyone know any gunsmiths that can do this?

[MDGrand]

http://www.cryogenicsinternational.com/shooting.htm

... according to a riflesmith I know, custom higher end barrels rarely see a benefit from doing this. But factory barrels, can see a marked note of improvement

[demontang]

I believe there is a place on the wet side of the hills that can do this. I'd think the biggest thing you could gain was barrel life. Ive never heard of anyone doing it to a barrel but im more of a four wheeling guy.

[Cascader74]

I cryoed my PTR 91, through www.300Below.com (800) 550-2796 ask for Dick Mayberry he'll take good care of you, let him know you were referred sometimes he gives a discount. I sent my rifle to them 2 yrs ago, it does help accuracy some. Plus the main thing that prompted me was increased life of your barrel, after what we plop down for rifles a $100 bucks or so for better accuracy & longer life was well worth it to me. 

http://www.300below.com/firearms-cryo-barrel/

Firearms and guns, rifles and shotguns, tooling and pumps, fleet brake rotors and knives, racing engines and transmissions ... they all respond to deep cryogenic processing and cryogenic tempering.  Many materials like centrifugal pumps and hydraulic pumps respond well, too!  The benefits range anywhere from 50% to 600% longer life after stress relief and thermal stabilization.  Guns such as sniper rifles and tactical rifles shoot with as much as 50% greater accuracy, and 200% longer life.  Shotguns have reduced pattern shift from shot-heating by as much as 11" after deep cryogenic processing. Cryo Barrel and Cryo Accurizing were pioneered by CryoTech / 300 Below Inc.  Barrels shoot straighter, last longer, and are easier to clean. Our efforts are so unique that a patent was issued for our process.  Cryogenic brake rotors last 350% longer, too!