Para 45 GI Expert?

"Cast slides, on the other hand, are a totally different issue. Virtually no one other than Para makes guns with cast slides - and for good reason"

Yes, aside from FN with their Hi-Power. Spartan and a few others.
Don't know about the Spartan, but the Hi-Power slide is most definitely not cast. Only the frame is cast (it is inneed stronger than the older forged frame because it's heat-treated differently - not because casting is a superior manufacturing process).

Comparing Ruger revolvers to semi-auto pistols is again apples to oranges. In a revolver, most of the stress is absorbed by the cylinder, which is forged, even on the Ruger. Not mention, Rugers are freaking massive - they make up for material strength through pure thickness and mass. And if you want to see a picture of a blown Ruger, just search this board for a thread that was posted recently. They are hardly indestructible.
 
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"Don't know about the Spartan, but the Hi-Power slide is most definitely not cast. Only the frame is cast (it is inneed stronger than the older forged frame because it's heat-treated differently - not because casting is a superior manufacturing process). "

I stand corrected on the HI-Power slides. That said if if as you say the cast frames are stronger than the older forged frame because it is heat treated differently, then it seems to follow if heat treated properly cast slides can be just as strong or stronger than forged frames. It is not a case of which is superior but rather can they be of equal strength and can they full fill the requirements of the design.


Take Care

Bob
 
I have a Para $1200+ gun accurate but has never worked right from day one.I have done the Para service or should i say Para service merry go round.As for Norinco i have two might not be pretty but they work like a clock right out of the box and they cost far less than what i paid for the Para.

bjhill, what model Para gave you the trouble, what were the nature of the malfunctions, and did it have malfis with all ammunition? Thanks and regards, Richard:)
 
I stand corrected on the HI-Power slides. That said if if as you say the cast frames are stronger than the older forged frame because it is heat treated differently, then it seems to follow if heat treated properly cast slides can be just as strong or stronger than forged frames.
If a cast part is subjected to better heat treating than its forged counterpart, it might be stronger. Likewise, if a cast part is made from a better alloy than a forged part, it might be stronger. However, if the two parts are made from the same alloy and heat treated in the same manner, the forged part will always be stronger.
 
If a cast part is subjected to better heat treating than its forged counterpart, it might be stronger. Likewise, if a cast part is made from a better alloy than a forged part, it might be stronger. However, if the two parts are made from the same alloy and heat treated in the same manner, the forged part will always be stronger.

Your engineering degree was from which University? What is your source for this definitive statement. I want to believe you but I think you confuse the word stronger. If a part meets the test of the application asked of it than being "more stronger" is moot.

Norinco slides and frames are made from harder steel than they need to be. Doesn't make them better just over engineered for the requirements asked of the frame and slide.

Take Care

Bob
 
Your engineering degree was from which University? What is your source for this definitive statement. I want to believe you but I think you confuse the word stronger.
This has nothing to do with engineering - it's elementary physics. If you understand what a forging is and what a casting is, you'll have no problem understanding why the former is stronger by definition. All forgings start out as castings. They are then mechanically compressed to give them greater grain density and more uniform structure (which be definition improves material strength and reduces likelihood of fracture). To put it in very basic terms, a forging is a casting that has been worked on to make it stronger.

There's tons of material out there that you can find with a quick google search if you are interested in learning more on this subject.
 
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