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Investment Cast or Forged - how do you know?
- Thread starter Skans
- Start date
If you own a Ruger (as I do) then you know many parts are investment cast. On my P90 I know the barrel, slide, hammer, frame (alum), trigger, are all investment cast. Sometimes you can see the mold split line, but on some parts this has been removed and it's hard to tell. I come from the machining industry, and I can tell you that many feel that good investment casting is as strong as forged. I know of one Ruger P90 that had a squib load stuck in the barrel, then a +P round fired. The barrel was bulged but nothing else was harmed on the gun. After Ruger replaced the barrel it was back in operation.
Anyway it can be hard to tell by looking. Most cast parts are machined as a final process, so then they look similar to any other machined part.
Anyway it can be hard to tell by looking. Most cast parts are machined as a final process, so then they look similar to any other machined part.
I understand that good quality investment cast parts can be as good or even better than forged parts. But, forging has differing levels of quality as well. One forged part isn't necessarily as good in quality as another.
I have a Megastar 45 which I believe is investment cast - you can tell by looking at it (or at least I think I can). Ruger doesn't hide the fact that it prefers investment cast receivers and parts - and they seem to make a good product.
But, I was wondering about the older Smith & Wesson 659's as well as the CZ pistols and EAA pistol frames and slides.
I've seen where makers of 1911's will advertised "forged", which seems to tell me that if it's not advertised as "forged", then it's probably investment cast.
I have a Megastar 45 which I believe is investment cast - you can tell by looking at it (or at least I think I can). Ruger doesn't hide the fact that it prefers investment cast receivers and parts - and they seem to make a good product.
But, I was wondering about the older Smith & Wesson 659's as well as the CZ pistols and EAA pistol frames and slides.
I've seen where makers of 1911's will advertised "forged", which seems to tell me that if it's not advertised as "forged", then it's probably investment cast.