It’s that time of year again! The weather
is chilly, most of the leaves are off the trees, Halloween décor has been taken
down, and the Blaze Orange and camouflage is out. Various beer companies have
already put out the camo and orange cans to tease us with what we know is right
around the corner…Opening Day!
Deer seasons do stretch through the majority of fall. Bow season, muzzle loader season, and youth season are several examples – but the Christmas of all hunting is opening day of gun season. Cousins from the city come out to farms to set up camp with their rural brethren and wild stories are told around camp fires or propane heaters of escapades from years past. Hunting gear ranges from the high-end merchandise from Cabela’s or Bass Pros to multiple layers of long underwear under coveralls borrowed from your dad. It’s not the gear that makes the experience fun, it’s the camaraderie shared by the general interest in guns and the outdoors. Whether you’re there for the sport of getting the record breaking buck, or to stock meat for the winter, it is an experience like no other. A cult following. A rural religion.
What does deer season have to do with Applied Process? Well, AP austempers steel. Austempered steel offers superior toughness at high hardnesses over conventionally quenched and tempered steel. There is minimal distortion, no cracking during quenching, and resistance to hydrogen embrittlement. Guns are precision instruments and many components are dimension critical. During WWII weapons manufacturers noticed that austempered parts grew less than their quenched and tempered counterparts, had less dimensional variability, and were tougher. Since then almost all gun manufacturers routinely austemper parts such as receivers, chambers, and barrels.
Are there any Ted Nugent fans out there? His Whackmaster arrow heads are austempered steel, too.
Enjoy a safe and successful Deer Season!
Good Luck!
