Has anyone here done any welding on a Kimber Montana? If so, how did it come out? Did you have to do anything special or use any special kind of procedure or materials for it?

Be careful. If memory serves they are investment casting. Some times they are fine, some days they warp around like a pretzel.

What exactly is it you will be welding ?

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
What exactly is it you will be welding ?

Yes, and WHY?

Before welding , ID the type of material to be welded !

Parent metal is the key.....and TiG

The best way to obtain a small amount of parent metal for filler rod is to crown the barrel on a lathe using a hand sharpened tool bit that cuts a long unbroken tight curl for a chip

quote:

Originally posted by speerchucker30x378:
Be careful. If memory serves they are investment casting. Some times they are fine, some days they warp around like a pretzel.

Kimber likes to use MIM for a lot of parts these days

quote:

Originally posted by ted thorn:
Parent metal is the key.....and TiG

The best way to obtain a small amount of parent metal for filler rod is to crown the barrel on a lathe using a hand sharpened tool bit that cuts a long unbroken tight curl for a chip

I just assume he wants to weld on the receiver. So for his information (if he's not aware). The barrel is a separate part from the receiver and generally a different material.

Don't laugh Ted some guys are more naive than you care to believe ! I've learned to be pretty explicit over the years.
LOL

The rear tang on them is terrible. Almost as bad as the 1917 Enfield and the Winchester Model 70s. It needs to be cut off, straightened, and welded back on.

Lindy2,
Why not just grind it to say the shape of the s mod. 54 Win. or the pre war mod. 70? Most custom mod. 70 are done that way and it looks pretty nice IMO, just curious unless your adding a long tang to come up over the comb, and that's sure nice looking...

Far as I know, the Kimber is a chrome moly receiver (4140 or similar). The one problem you will run into is hardening at the weld interface so the piece has to be normalized at that location, after welding. I have not looked at a Kimber with any intention of using one as the basis for a custom rifle and probably won't and can't comment on whether the tang is or is not ugly and in need of help. Regards, Bill

You wouldn't have to normalize just post weld temper .Anywhere from 400 F to 1200 F.

quote:

whether the tang is or is not ugly and in need of help.

The problem with them is the rather "steep" angle. I don't know whether its ugly or not (all of this is of course subjective). I like the angle of the mauser tang, which is pretty much strait, but I like my Kimber because it doesn't weigh much, etc.

Obviously I wouldn't be doing the welding. I just want to know whats going on when I do take it someplace to have it welded if I decide to cut it off and straighten it out.

I kind of like Atkinson's idea. Maybe just grind it down a bit.

Lindy,
you have what you want in the tang, all you have to do is grind off the flare to the tang, like the mod. 70 the flare is just for ease of enletting a factory gun with a machine as far as I have been able to determine..I have done it by hand with a file, on a drill press, and on a lathe..just cut to the lower portion of the metal in the tang.