Barbecue Guns

[Captain Ahab Jr]

This would be my choice for a BBQ gun, will this get me an invite



https://seattleengravingcenter.com/products/6966446620774-magnum-research-desert-eagle-patriot-44-mag-24kt-gold-plated-and-engraved

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by masraum

Why isn't the case blued? I guess it's a different material than the cylinder and barrel so bluing is not needed?

It is indeed a different material. In modern times, the steels used for the barrel and cylinder are high carbon, what we call "through hardening" steels. As a result of their high carbon content, when we heat treat them they assume a consistent hardness all the way through. This is desirable as it adds considerable strength to these components, allowing the use of high pressure smokeless powder loads.

The material used on the frame is a very low or zero carbon steel. The frame does not need to be nearly as strong as the cylinder and barrel. These steels will not through harden, or actually will not harden at all, when heat treated. It's the reaction that the carbon undergoes that serves to harden the steel.

To harden these low or no carbon steels, some form of carbon needs to be introduced when we heat treat them. Even then, since the carbon is not in the steel, nor can it penetrate the steel, there is no way to through harden these steels. We can, however, surface harden them to help toughen them up against normal wear, scratching, and whatnot. This is referred to as "surface hardening" or, in old time parlance, "case hardening". Hard on the outside, soft and malleable on the inside.

The finish seen on this Colt is known as "color case hardening". It's also known as "bone pack hardening", owing to the method used to introduce carbon in the heat treating process. We pack these things in bone meal - ground up chicken bones with some charcoal and throw them in the heat treat oven. The coloration is a result of the way in which the steel reacts to the bone meal. It's never the same way twice.

In the old days, when these were first designed, the barrels and cylinders were not heat treated, but they were made from the steels then available. The frames, however, were cast iron, a notably weaker material. The cylinders and barrels (and steel grip frames) would accept blueing, the cast iron frames would not. Plus they were soft and prone to surface damage. Bone pack or color case hardening was developed to toughen up these surfaces. This is, by the way, why these guns are not safe with smokeless powder. They just cannot handle the pressures. Colt did not allow for the use of smokeless powder in these guns until the early 1900's.

So, there you have it. The result is a rather pretty gun, IMHO. Here are a couple more. Notice how completely different they look from one another and from the ones in my first post:

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

This would be my choice for a BBQ gun, will this get me an invite



https://seattleengravingcenter.com/products/6966446620774-magnum-research-desert-eagle-patriot-44-mag-24kt-gold-plated-and-engraved

In certain neighborhoods I believe that would get you an invite. You might have to think long and hard what sort of person you would bring as your date, though.

[KFC911]

Pig-Pickin' Spoons





Vash & I will be packin' plastic & squirtin' hawg sauce

Never heard of BBQ gun before...

You can't attend one ... with one ... I do know that much!

My .M29 is a BBQ gun tho' ... not practical, and worthy of pointy-toed coboy boots too

[Dantilla]

Helped a friend get his holster business started.
A couple girls I know saw the tiny Seecamp and they said:
"I don't like guns, but that is so cute I want one"

[herr_oberst]

Eat your barbecue in peace, fellow meatlovers; I've brought the salt gun, and I'll be taking care of the flying pests for y'all.

Bug-A-Salt Insect Repellent Device

http://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/insect-and-animal-control/insect-repellents/7021033

[Bill Douglas]

A bit like this one but newer and shinier.

[WPOZZZ]

When I was in my 20s, I used to pack one of these. My pals made fun of me saying it was a pimp gun (586 nickel 3" barrel). Decided to sell it after a few years and one of my pals that made fun of it bought it. He is one of the big bosses at Homeland. lol

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by KFC911

One of the cats was bullying the other cat. So every time I saw him doing it I'd blast him with the wasserpistole.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Well it was a good thread idea, Jeff

[gecc]

Here is my BBQ gun.
Randall CURTIS E. LeMAY Lefthanded

[onewhippedpuppy]

The closest I have is probably my Colt Trooper mk3, .357 magnum 6” barrel. Nothing compared to some of what’s posted here. Most of what I have is function over form, and I don’t have the budget for the pretty stuff anyway!

[Por_sha911]

Has both 45 ACP & 45 Colt Cylinders

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by gecc

Randall CURTIS E. LeMAY Lefthanded

Well, there's THAT.

Wow.

My Dad and son were very close, so if Jack is coming to the BBQ, he'll wear this pistol my father owned that I gave Jack when he turned 21: His Grandfather's Lightweight Colt Commander he wore in Korea and Vietnam.



Felt tip optional.

[flipper35]

I don't have one, but this would be my daughters.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

When I was in my 20s, I used to pack one of these. My pals made fun of me saying it was a pimp gun (586 nickel 3" barrel). Decided to sell it after a few years and one of my pals that made fun of it bought it. He is one of the big bosses at Homeland. lol

That's actually a Colt Python, very close to the S&W 586. Either one in nickel would make a suitable BBG gun, IMHO. Nickel plating is one of those things that I don't think we will ever see again, what with the perfection of the use of stainless steel in revolver manufacturing. Nickel looks much, much better, but being plating, just isn't as durable. It just looks "warmer" than stainless to me, so I think it's prettier. I only have one nickel plated gun, posted above, my S&W M29. I do have a Python, but with standard bluing and no "stories", I'm afraid it wouldn't qualify:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Has both 45 ACP & 45 Colt Cylinders

Love it. Better than mine, for sure, since mine does not have the .45 ACP cylinder. I really wish it did. I've killed a couple of deer with it, and a handful of coyotes, but other than that, no stories. Yours is, but mine... hmm... maybe a BBQ gun...

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Well, there's THAT.

Wow.

My Dad and son were very close, so if Jack is coming to the BBQ, he'll wear this pistol my father owned that I gave Jack when he turned 21: His Grandfather's Lightweight Colt Commander he wore in Korea and Vietnam.



Felt tip optional.

You win.

[Jeff Higgins]

I've hunted with a variety of revolvers, but here is my "main", or "go-to" dedicated hunting revolver. It's an Interarms "Virginian Dragoon", made in Alexandria, VA in the late 1970's to early 1980's. They were proud of the fact that it was the first and only revolver manufactured in a Southern state since The War of Northern Aggression. Meant to compete with Ruger's Blackhawk and Super Blackhawk, it failed commercially. It was half again as expensive, but much better made, which in the end didn't matter much. I have three, this one in .44 magnum, the other two blued and in .357 magnum and .45 Colt.



Here is a typical target, shot offhand at about 25 yards. It groups into about an inch at that range from a rest, so the dispersion is just me. Actually, though, I was re-zeroing after having sighted it for 300 grain bullets, so the vertical is the result of several sight adjustments along the way.

Anyway, that's its favorite load, a bullet cast in the RCBS mold number .44-250 K ("K" for "Keith", or Elmer Keith, his famous semi wadcutter design), seated over 22 grains of 2400 and lit by a CCI standard large pistol primer, (Keith's recommended load) for about 1,450 fps with the 250 grain bullet. Pretty smoking' hot .44 magnum load by modern standards.



I've never taken very many hunting pictures. I wish I have. Here, however, is a young-ish me, just inside the Arctic Circle on the Tagagawik River, probably in the early 1990's. Said revolver and load, with a caribou still in velvet, so it must have been August or so. I wanted one in velvet to bring home, which turned out to be a big mistake, since the plane wasn't due to pick us for for another ten days. All of the velvet had fallen off by then. Oh well.



Probably plenty of stories to qualify as a BBQ gun.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

A couple of you are completely missing the point. Asking what your "barbecue gun" would be is just a fun way to ask what your fanciest, or most storied gun might be.

+1
I first heard the term "barbecue gun" in 2020. I said I'd never want one that was "pretty" until I saw the 5243 I posted earlier and changed my mind on having one. Now I've got to get a nice tooled holster to go with it.

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

but mine... hmm... maybe a BBQ gun...

All you need to do is change out the grips to either pearl or a custom carved exotic wood and you'd be king of the rodeo.

Dantilla:
concerning the Seecamp: most single guys would say that any gun that is a 'chick magnet' qualifies as a barbecue gun.

[KFC911]

BBQ guns are required "down east" in NC ... someone from "South of the Border" might bring their mustard based sauce!

RIP Pedro

[VINMAN]

Barrett 50 cal....

Colt SAA!