Aluminum Extrusions for the Firearms and Industry

Posted on December 8th, 2016 by RWM Admin

Aluminum Alloy – Zinc & Magnesium (Copper, & Chromium)

AeroSpace Aluminum Products manufactures custom hard alloy aluminum firearm parts through our advanced short-run extrusion process. We have the capabilities to manufacture parts for assault rifles, hand guns, military grade weapons, and more.

Our 7XXX series aluminum alloys are formulated to withstand the pressure resistance and strength needs of assault weapons and other forms of firearms. In addition to the strength and pressure resistance of our hard alloy aluminum extrusions, there are many benefits that come along with using aluminum as opposed to a steel alloy.

Benefits of Aluminum Firearm Parts over Steel Firearm Parts

7075, 7050, and 7158 are all aluminum alloy used in applications that require high strength like firearm mechanisms, firearm pieces, and more. It is widely recognized for its high strength, and toughness. This alloy come’s in plate form and several shapes, rounds, hex and square bar. Overall, the 7xxx products are used to manufacture products and equipment/machinery that require a high strength-to-density ratio. The lightweight nature makes it suitable for use in manufacturing weapons including US Military’s M16 rifles, personal firearms, assault rifles, and other weapons.

7xxx are known as one of the strongest aluminum alloys available and has an excellent weight-to-strength ratio, making it used for parts with high stresses. These metals can form in an annealed condition and has greater spring back when formed. It’s possible to form this metal when it is in the annealed condition. Heat treatment can be used to increase the strength of 7xxx alloys and has excellent properties when in lower temperatures.

How Alloy Aluminum Excels Over Steel

• Aluminum is more malleable and elastic than steel. Because of this unique property, aluminum can be formed into shapes that steel cannot. Firearm parts that are often composed of oddly shaped or curved pieces, and aluminum is better suited for these types of shapes. Aluminum’s malleability also makes it more resistant to extreme dimensional limits and will not crack or rip under pressure because of its elasticity.
• Aluminum is more resistant to corrosion than steel. Unlike steel, aluminum does not rust. Steel parts often are coated in a treatment to try to limit corrosion over time. However, aluminum is abrasion resistant and generally has no additional coatings which require more maintenance when used in harsh environments.
• Aluminum is much lighter than steel. Aluminum is often 2.5 times less dense than steel, making it incredibly lightweight despite its strength and corrosion resistance. This lightweight property makes aluminum a more attractive option for the aerospace, military, firearms, automotive, and electronics industries.

Following your exact specifications and strength requirements, our hard alloy aluminum extrusions are a lightweight and durable solution for your firearm part needs. Our decades of extrusion experience and custom machinery allow us to conform to MIL-I-45208A, AMS-2772, and ISO 9002 standards and perform quality assurance tests on every shipment of extrusions which leave our facility.