300* below cryogenics, anyone do it to their AG?

[IMADMAN]

Did a quick search, but didn’t really find anything. Anyone here actually do it, and if so what was your experience. The process has been around for a while. I know someone that actually did it on a PB but I personally think the PB and caliber he did it on was questionable.
He did say it was easier to clean after the treatment was done.

 

[dgeesaman]

You’re talking about cryo treating the barrel?

David

 

[IMADMAN]

You’re talking about cryo treating the barrel?

David

Yes.

 

[Mr303]

Ok I started to read up on the cryo for PB’s and it seems like some people like it and others don’t.
If the price was low enough it couldn’t hurt to try cryo but it seems like snake oil if you have good equipment to start with.

 

[bigHUN]

I have some high end cryo threated speaker cables, if you think the thermal process is a same?
Freezing in liquid nitrogen and slowly getting the temp back to normal.
From my engineering view that process may be on harsh end to toys we dealing with. And won't be cheap process.

 

[elh0102]

When I was shooting CF benchrest years ago, some folks claimed the cryo treatment helped in stress relief. I found that bourbon worked better!

 

[Bob-in-WV]

I remember several years ago there was some talk on the forums but I don't remember any results.

 

[Smitty911]

I have some high end cryo threated speaker cables, if you think the thermal process is a same?
Freezing in liquid nitrogen and slowly getting the temp back to normal.
From my engineering view that process may be on harsh end to toys we dealing with. And won't be cheap process.

You don't just dip the parts in LN2, they place them in a freezer that is capable of -70ºC using a Cascade Cooling System, once they ramp it down over a few hours, and it's down and stable, THEN they introduce the LN2. Than its another slow ramp up back to ambient temp. Some do cycles.

You can also get the same effect using transducers and high frequency's.

I know it works really well on Brake caliper, disks and pads.

Smitty

 

[RickH]

elh0101 I tried the bourbon approach on a couple of match rifles back in the day with poor results. I just gave up and drank it myself. As for cryo, I’ve known a few shooters who tried it on pb match rifles with only minimal improvement. It seemed like more trouble than it was worth. I have to wonder how it could improve an air rifle barrel.

Rick H.

 

[bigHUN]

Some claim the cryo treatment stabilize the christal structure in the material. But annailing removes the stress from the christal structure.
Back in time I started my carrier in machine building, the foundry casted the graycast machine bases and throw the "parts" outside for 2-3 years the elements (summer/winter/summer/winters) to stabilize the christal structure, the actual machining started about 3 years later. That was in Siemens back in early '80s. Those were real precise and stable machines.

 

[IMADMAN]

I may be wrong but If I remember correctly they use to claim that the stress relief worked on just about anything. From barrels to pantyhose to kitchen knives.
The claim was barrels would shoot tighter, an increase in FPS and easier cleaning. Pantyhose would last longer without running, and knives would maintain their edge longer.

 

[MikeVV]

Cryo treatment is "part of a hardening" treatment.
ANY surface change is coincidental ONLY. Read up on it, don't take third or fourth party info as gospel !!

There IS...an "Electropolishing" treatment that DOES do...a very good job of polishing the surface of most metals. The amount of metal to be removed is the length of time that the part is in the process.
Remember the old stainless steel shopping carts ? Yeah...electropolished.
I don't know enough about the process to know exactly how much material is removed, but I do know that it's mostly the points of the material, NOT so much the valleys of the micro surface.
THAT would be the only surface treatment that I'd look into for any of my guns if I were an...expert shooter, and was 40 years younger.

Mike

 

[tor47]

As far as I know cooling below zero, and heating up to room temperature does nothing to most metals like steel. The main difference is the metal might be more britle while it is cooled down. When it is back to normal temp, it is just as before. It is for the most part when you start to apply allot of heat, you can change the structure of the metal.

 

[tor47]

Well it does shrink, while cooled down. But get back to normal size when back at room temperature

 

[PumaCarl]

I have had 300 below do a few pb barrels and some knives for me. I have not had any airgun barrels done. My results were mixed, but totally amazing. First, there isn't a negative, except time and some money. Second, miracles do happen. Most of the barrels and knives didn't show much difference so I wouldn't try to sell anybody on it unless you have already tried everything else. Then why not? However I had one bull barrel from Foxridge Outfitters in .22mag that shot 9" groups at 100y. The crown and the chamber were perfectly done, I couldn't understand how a barrel could shoot so badly. I said, what the hell, and shipped it to 300 below. When I got it back it shot 3/4" groups with the same ammo it had been doing 9" groups before and these included Winchester and CCI hollow points and solids. Everything shot great after, it didn't even have a preference. Will this happen for you? Probably not, most likely not, I still don't know how it worked so well for me, this one time, but it did. So, if you have tried everything else, checked the chamber and the crown and the bore and you don't want to just throw it out, try it. You don't need to understand success to appreciate it.