How hot is too hot?

[FredsBank]

While plinking, the wife sits behind me at the table keeping the mags full. Or alteratively, I keep the mags full for her. And we have a steady stream of lead perforating the paper down range. The barrel starts to heat up after a while. Easy to do withh 22lr because it's so cheap.

We generally stop when it gets too hot to touch and switch guns. I figure there is a point where the gun will get too hot and start to cause damage to itself. But what point is that? I figured if I can still touch it, it's not too hot. But after that, I can't tell. It's not cherry red, but would definitely blister my skin if I left my finger there too long.

Am I being too easy on the gun? Or am I already going past the "too hot'' point when it gets too hot to touch?

Then, I have to put this hot gun inside the case and trap all that heat inside. I hate having to close it up like that, but if I want to keep shooting, I don't have a choice. Rules of the range. One gun at a time. I aways expect to see melted padding stuck to it when I open it up later. Hasn't happened yet though.

What do you guys think?

[farmerj]

let'er buck. Not likely to do much to the gun, but you may inadvertently acquire some blisters.

[FredsBank]

So the barrel won't be weakened from the heat? I know steel is heated to certain temperatures to obtain certain characteristics, for example, if it's more or less brittle, elastic, tensile strength, etc. You don't think I can heat it up that up with a few hundred rounds though it? This is no machine gun, but I've heard of melting the barrel on those. I guess I shouldn't worry unless it starts to glow or melting the plastic grip?

[farmerj]

not from a 22 and I have fired some M2 Machine guns in a worse fashion than this that would qualify as hot. When a barrel start to turn translucent you can see the bullet going through the barrel, you know it's hot.

The biggest issue you MIGHT find is throat erosion eating the rifling in the pistol. MIGHT.

[Grandpa Rex]

Perhaps you should do what they do in the movies and pee on the barrel!

You are not likely to do damage before you can't handle the thing. You could melt plastic parts or cook off oil and cause quick wear though. I don't worry much about the barrel but the bolt getting too hot might be an oiling issue.

You might also find a less restrictive range and buy more guns!

[Exjay]

I once saw someone start the plastics on fire on an ak from doing mag dump after mag dump. Quite the sight. I personally try to switch guns every couple mags if I have them just cause its more fun for me that way.

[Bitter Bastard]

You will never get a .22LR barrel too hot. American 180's have 180 and 300(?) round magazines and can dump them all full auto without hurting anything. Same with Ruger MG conversions, albeit usually with just 30 or 50 round mags. I've probably shot 10 back to back 30 round mags through my semi 10/22 with no issues whatsoever. If you get it really hot, the barrel may turn white but even that normally will return to blue when it cools down.

Let'em rip and keep shooting. When you change targets, lock the bolt open or block it with a chamber flag or something similar. Within a few minutes it will be cooled down enough to touch again.

Really, keep shooting and enjoy. Doubly so if you have a willing magazine loader on site.

Good luck!

Bitter Bastard

[Snakeman721]

If you're really concerned about the barrel overheating, just have one mag loaded. When you blast through that mag, the gun will cool down while you reload the mag. Works with two mags also, just alternate and then even the mags won't get that hot.

[Guerrilla1979]

Firearms are meant to be shot. I don't think you can do any damage to a firearm unless your goal is make the barrel glow. But what do I know.

[crbutler]

Umm.

You can get a barrel too hot.

Look at the throat erosion on any full auto barrel that has been shot much. A .50 BMG M2 Barrel has a much shorter lifespan than the same barrel with the same number of rounds out of a single shot .50.

The warmer it is, the faster you will get throat erosion. The more rapid fire you do the faster you will shoot the barrel out. The higher pressure, the more erosion.

Now, this is a relative thing. A .22LR will not erode its throat any where near as fast as a high pressure overbore cartridge like a .30-378 weatherby. But still, if you shoot 1 round a minute out of a .22 it will be less erosion than a A-180 at full auto dumping 300 rounds in a couple seconds.

Its not a mathematical thing in that so many rounds is bad, but if its too hot to touch, maybe you are better off letting it cool off. The other side is if you shoot it enough fast enough the gun will get hot enough to cause the rounds to cook off in the chamber, which is not a safe thing for you to be around, either.

[Bitter Bastard]

Umm.

The other side is if you shoot it enough fast enough the gun will get hot enough to cause the rounds to cook off in the chamber, which is not a safe thing for you to be around, either.

Not to be too argumentative, but I've never seen or heard of a case where a .22LR cooked off. I doubt a semi auto .22 could do it without intentionally trying to and probably not even then. There just isn't enough heat generated compared to the mass of the bolt and barrel. If an M-16 or AK won't cook off until 300+ full auto rounds, how hard would it be to duplicate that scenario in a lowly semi .22?

And I'll also add if you can shoot the barrel out of a .22, you've burned up enough ammo to easily pay for a new barrel or new gun. At that point, treat yourself to some new kit, you've earned it.

So, to the OP, have fun and don't sweat the heat from a .22.

[gman1868]

Too Hot:

[Fluid Power]

I'd be concerned about lead buildup in the barrel