A leading supplier of firearm steels, Aubert & Duval has over 70 years’ experience in this defense market segment. It serves the weapon manufacturing sector through both button riffling and hammer forging processes.
Firearms
Gun Barrels
For this application, Aubert & Duval offers martensitic grades achieving the best high strength / toughness compromise on the market:
- GKH® and ARMAD® (CrMoV martensitic steel grade)
- APX®4 (martensitic stainless steel grade)
For barrels that withstand a transverse load during firing, specific care has been given to bars’ transverse properties. Both grades (GKH®, ARMAD® and APX®4) present a highly isotropic structure giving the material equivalent tensile, ductility and toughness properties, resulting from Aubert & Duval’s high-tech production process.
High performance steels for firearm mechanism parts
All main parts in gun mechanisms – firing pins, extractors, ejectors, breeches – are submitted to shock and intensive wear and are expected to deliver the highest fatigue performance possible. Aubert & Duval offers a wide range of high performance steels for firearm mechanism parts.
Small Caliber: Services and Capabilities
In-house fully-integrated production process:
- NADCAP Heat Treatment
- Approved by major NATO gun manufacturers
- Logistics service provider
- Dedicated products for all manufacturing processes: drilling, machining, cold forming (hammer forging, swaging)
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001
- Fully Authorized Economic Operator (AEO)
Firearm Metallurgical Expertise
Benefits for firearm producers/designers
- Higher cold hammering rates, saving material compared with other grades
- Integrated functions like a combustion chamber in the gun barrel design during cold hammering, saving production and assembly costs
- GKH® and ARMAD®’s fatigue/strength upgrading opportunities mean lighter barrels can be designed with thinner wall sections
- Possibility with ARMAD®, the latest grade developed by Aubert & Duval, to achieve very high hardness (44/45 HRC) with high ductility, toughness and very good nitriding capability.
- Ensure stable process and limit disruptions during manufacturing
- Ensure perfect straightness and surface roughness during the cold hammering / swaging operation
Benefits for firearm users
- Keeps perfect straightness during intensive firing and retains accuracy and safety
- Has longer fatigue lifetime, limiting bore ovalization, which causes a lack of accuracy
- Makes lighter weapons possible
- Compatible with upgraded ammunitions
Metal Powders for additive manufacturing
Aubert & Duval can supply metal powder for 3D-printed manufacturing parts for firearms applications can, find out more
For specific grades, dimensions or applications contact us