Looking for second, third opinions

[M1917 Enfield]

[weasel]

As far as this discussion is concerned, wrought iron is ductile, while cast iron tends to be brittle. A Colt frame in this period was case hardened forged wrought iron. Colt could certainly have used cast iron, either white, grey or malleable, but selected wrought iron as the best available option.

[Grimlock]

The iron foundry pours out iron cast into slabs or billets that are then wrought with tools into wrought iron.

BTW basically the only way to get Wrought iron nowadays is from old stock as it has not been made in north America for about 60 years.

Wrought Iron is iron cast puddled in a furnace into slabs or billets that has been heated and then worked with tools while hot.

Cast Iron is the same iron source material that has been melted, poured into a mold, and allowed to solidify.

The fundamental distinction between cast iron and wrought iron is in how they are produced. The differences can be found in the names: wrought is a past participle of work (“worked iron”), and cast describes anything formed by the casting process.

Basic Iron "wrought" by tools while hot becomes wrought iron. Cast iron is a lot cheaper to make and is still iron but just cast into forms that need less work.

This blacksmith guy explains it -

I bow to your superior wikipedia knowledge. Go ahead and try to hit white cast iron with a hammer and see what happens.

[M1917 Enfield]

I bow to your superior wikipedia knowledge. Go ahead and try to hit white cast iron with a hammer and see what happens.

No, you are right in that they are different (slightly) but their starting point is basically the same. The only place still making wrought iron in any degree is India and Pakistan and they have lots of video's on YouTube (but hard to listen too) from there explaining how they take easy to get cast iron and form it into wrought iron. They are both basically made from 94% or more pure iron and the term "Wrought" is literally what they do to turn it into Wrought iron. Wrought iron is a form of almost pure iron with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4% carbon), the repeated working of wrought iron is what decreases it's carbon content.

I don't want to argue the point anymore either and will finish by saying these old guns made from iron (yes, Wrought) frames are a lot less flexible than newer alloy steel that will stretch and return to it's original form without the loss of strength while wrought iron framed guns will still stretch without returning to it's original dimensions and over time will reach a point were it forms micro cracks before ultimately failing.


wrought

ˈrȯt
past tense and past participle of WORK

wrought


adjective

1
: worked into shape by artistry or effort
carefully wrought essays

2
: elaborately embellished : ORNAMENTED

3
: processed for use : MANUFACTURED - wrought silk

4
: beaten into shape by tools : HAMMERED — used of metals

[infidel29]

If nothing else from all the banter back and forth I learned something new about iron. Thanks guys. I decided to find a source for cast bullets, and I'm just ironing out how much shipping will make me cry.

[Camo tung]

If nothing else from all the banter back and forth I learned something new about iron. Thanks guys. I decided to find a source for cast bullets, and I'm just ironing out how much shipping will make me cry.

Don't overlook your friendly Alberta bullet manufacturers (I have purchased from Prairie Projectiles out of Stettler). Kurt (of PP) is usually at most Alberta gun shows if you want to save on shipping costs. If you're local to Edmonton PP also distributes through Phoenix.

[infidel29]

Don't overlook your friendly Alberta bullet manufacturers (I have purchased from Prairie Projectiles out of Stettler). Kurt (of PP) is usually at most Alberta gun shows if you want to save on shipping costs. If you're local to Edmonton PP also distributes through Phoenix.

Oh! I was only aware of bullet barn and jet bullets (who is out of commission with a busted hand right now)
Thanks for that tip!