Will the popularity of Ti barrel nuts come home to roost as a problem after a few years/thousand rounds, especially on duty guns or firearms used in maritime environments?
http://www.service-partners.com/catalog/docs/Information/5-Galvanic_Compatibility.pdf
I doubt you will find a ti nut on anything other than a stunt gun. The guys that swim with guns could care less about saving the fraction of an ounce a ti nut offers.
I have wondered about this, but in the realm of suppressors, rather than barrel nuts.
There are quite a few suppressors out there with Titanium body/tubes and stainless steel inner components. I am wondering if these exhibit any galvanic corrosion issues, given that they see a lot of heat, fouling, and probably some moisture.
The gas block on the most current M-240 Machine gun is titanium… it sees plenty of heat, fouling, and probably some moisture as well.
Interesting. Does it in any way contact aluminum?
Wouldn’t steel be more of an issue since iron has a higher electonegativity compared to Ti?
Ti is very corrosion resistant except in extreme environments. For example, nickel has a higher electronegativity, but corrodes favorably to Ti.
For the environment most rifles are in, I don’t think it will cause an issue.
No, aluminum is much more prone to corrosion than steel when interfacing with Ti.
How would it corrode in normal conditions? Aluminum forms a protective barrier when oxidizing.
I’m not saying it doesnt, as I’ve heard it before, but more interested in the mechanics behind it. It doesn’t seem analagous to the normal zinc/iron or zinc/copper galvanic process from what I can tell.
Ti and 7075 are a much worse combo than zinc and copper.
Same mechanism. Worse combi.
How about Ti and Anodized aluminum?
EDIT to add…
This might be a fun experiment, I wonder if we should setup our own test and see what we get. Perhaps some uppers assembled and submerged in salt water for a set time?
I could provide the parts to do so.
Ryan
I’m going to perform the test using a buffer tube and V7 Ti castle nuts. Sounds cheaper…
Many gun parts are made from materials that corrode. If they are properly coated its not an issue, think anodized or parkerized.
Raw titanium on raw aluminum is a bad idea. But what about DLC titanium on Anodized aluminum? and assembled with proper lube or loctite.
That sounds good to me, so good in fact I’m giving it a shot.
I am building on a 2A Armament balios lite receiver set, I have been using many V7 Ti parts. Barrel nut (milspec), gas block and muzzle device. All titanium parts are DLC and anodized aluminum. I used rock set or royal purple high temp lube.
The final piece will be to replace the troy aluminum Mlok rail with the new;y released carbon fiber one.
I am looking forward to seeing how the final product all works, I plan on running it through some VTAC classes and seeing how it all holds up.
Mega and Hodge are doing that with the wedge lock barrel nut and rail. They seem like folks that would’ve tested it (especially since it’s marketed as a hard use rail).
This article might shed some light on the subject. It looks like raw titanium in contact with raw aluminum in a corrosive environment is a bad thing.
http://www.corrosionist.com/Galvanic_Corrosion_Titanium.html
Yea, for your average rifle, I don’t think it’s going to matter. Your not shooting over a tub of HCl.
I think the reason we don’t see much titanium on military adopted small arms is cost to benefit ratio.
Military procurement always comes down to cost.
Titanium is very expensive, it is hard to work. While lighter, the cost that comes at would never make it viable for a military small arm.
But think where we do use it, Aerospace, we have put this stuff on the moon. Okay, I know the moon is not a corrosive environment.
But what are the Russians up to with the stuff?, they love it and have lots of it. Well that make nuclear submarine hulls out of it, it must not do too bad in salt water…
ETA: Military use of titanium in maritime environment. Russian Alpha class sub.
Doesn’t the M240L have a Ti receiver? How are those holding up?
An M240 weighs 28 pounds empty, making parts of it out of titanium saves a lot of weight. Five and half pounds.
A barrel nut weight next to nothing, making that out of titanium doesn’t do much…
That is true, even if you use all of the Ti parts available for an AR, the weight savings can’t be more than four or five ounces. But Ti does have the “cool” factor that many find appealing, myself included.
I think 4 or 5 ounces is a big deal.
4 or 5 ounces on Ti parts+
4 or 5 ounces on a barrel+
4 or 5 ounces on a light weight rail+
2 or 3 onces on a receiver set+
3 or 4 onces on a light stock
= All of the sudden you have lost and average of over a pound.