The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Handguns => Topic started by: gunman42782 on February 27, 2013, 12:15:14 PM
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First I had the issue with the Colt 1911, today I had an issue with my Ruger Commander. Shooting at a steel target, probably had 40 rounds through it, the damn front sight broke! I don't mean it slid out of it's dovetail, I mean the damn thing broke in half! Ended my shooting for today, as I didn't bring nothing else. Came home and emailed Ruger, and they are supposed to send me another one. I bet this is a MIM part. I have never seen a forged part do this. Thing is, I think the hammer, slide release, safety, and other parts on the Ruger are MIM. What if the damn slide release was to break while shooting it???? Could get real painful, real quick. Seriously considering replaceing at least the slide release with a forged part.
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I have seen lots of front sites break at matchs. Cheap ones, not cheap ones, steal ones, plastic ones, etc etc. its the most common match ended failure I have seen.
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Well, I must admit I have not been in too many matches, but I have been shooting for 35 years. I have never seen a front sight break in half like mine did today! I have seen them come out of the dovetail, have seen pinned in ones come out too, but never have a seen one break in half!
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I remember a match about 7 8 years ago. There was a professional shooter( I won't name) that after shooting thru a portal, started to move before thier gun clear it and broke his front sight off at the slide. it happens alot, small parts break, but normally the shooter is back next stage the front sight breaking is almost always match ending unless they have a back up gun.
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I hear what your saying, and if I would have hit the front sight on something, I could understand it. But I did not. I was just standing up shooting a target and it just broke off! I think this is about the 3rd or 4th time I have even shot it.
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...front sight broke! I don't mean it slid out of it's dovetail, I mean the damn thing broke in half!
Have had that happen with a Millet front sight on a 1911. Don't think MIM really has anything to do with it.
Haven't had any problem with S&W revolvers or my Glocks.
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I'd worry about the other parts as well. I wouldn't trust it. I'll take it off your hands for $100, you pay shipping. ;D
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I'd worry about the other parts as well. I wouldn't trust it. I'll take it off your hands for $100, you pay shipping. ;D
It's MY birthday, not yours. ;D
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Got my new front sight today! Broke it Wed, got it today Sat. That is pretty dang quick I must say. Lets hope it stays on this time!
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Interesting topic, but please excuse my ignorance, what is MIM?
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Metal Injection Molding.
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Got my new front sight today! Broke it Wed, got it today Sat. That is pretty dang quick I must say. Lets hope it stays on this time!
That is good.
Any manufacturer can have a problem with their product....it's how they handle it that tells you what the company is about.
As long as the problem isn't reoccurring, that is.
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Metal Injection Molding.
It's a fine idea that can be used to make complex parts quickly and less expensively than traditional methods .
The draw back to it is that it leaves a granular molecular structure without grain unlike forging or casting and machining where the work stretches the molecules into long, fiber like structures that give better resistance to breakage.
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Metal Injection Molding.
In simplest terms it is metal powder put in a mold and pressed to bond it solid. It comes out of the mold nearly a finished part. However, like Tom said, it is grainy, and if you machine it you can remove the solid surface and compromise the integrity.
I have MIM hammers on two of my S&W revolvers. I would like to bob the hammer on one, but I need to get a steel hammer before I do the deed.
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In simplest terms it is metal powder put in a mold and pressed to bond it solid. It comes out of the mold nearly a finished part. However, like Tom said, it is grainy, and if you machine it you can remove the solid surface and compromise the integrity.
I have MIM hammers on two of my S&W revolvers. I would like to bob the hammer on one, but I need to get a steel hammer before I do the deed.
A sharp blow from a ball peen hammer should do the trick. :-\
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Why wouldn't a bench grinder work?
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Why wouldn't a bench grinder work?
I believe that would be like machining it...
....."and if you machine it you can remove the solid surface and compromise the integrity."
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I believe that would be like machining it...
....."and if you machine it you can remove the solid surface and compromise the integrity."
The part that would be ground off isn't in contact with anything except air.
And I'm not too sure of the 'factness' of the statement to begin with.
The "solid surface' on the outside should be the same as the internal hardness or you have added another step to the process which would negate why manufacturers went to MIM in the first place - to reduce steps.
Many, many, many MIM fire control parts have been tuned by gunsmiths for years with positive results.
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KMitch, does the outside of a muffin have the same texture as the inside ?
Or does it have a "smooth" surface ?
The smooth surface is from being pressed against the side of the muffin tin, it's the same as with the injected metal being against the sides of the mold.
The outer surface has a smooth shiny surface, while the interior structure is more like corn bread or sand.
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In the sintering process the part is no longer in a mold. The mold is only used for the intial shape which is roughly 40% larger than the finished product. It is 'green' and still has binding agent in it.
(If you sinter a muffin at 1800+ deg it will indeed be one texture.)
Baking muffins aside, you can grind, polish, coin (cold deformation), tap, drill, plate, weld and machine MIM parts.
If you add too many steps though, you risk defeating the purpose of using MIM in the first place - reduction of steps and scrap.
Reducing the number of labor steps by using MIM, then adding steps costs more $$$ and adds material to the scrap pile. If you're not making thousands of parts (or hundreds of thousands) you might as well just machine it or cast it (if applicable) and not have to pay to run the ovens or for the mold to be made.
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I don't know what it is, but the King of Revolvers, Jerry M replied to my email that bobbing MIM hammers doesn't work - They lose their integrity. Then he went on to explain that steel hammers are not among the items he sells.