Originally Posted by
Gm54-120
You realize its not actually the same steel or at least not the same level of testing/proofing. Green Mountain uses 4140 chrome moly and 416 to make Knight barrels also. Pretty much everyone uses good steel now days. The days of using cheap extruded blanks are pretty much long gone. Only a handful of customs and aftermarket vendors use anything better. Traditions have long been about at the bottom of the mass produced muzzle loaders. Why get nitride 4140 when you can have nitride over 416SS?
Its highly unlikely they are using the same Lothar Walther premium barrel blanks they use on their centerfires.
I think that you may be wrong about the quality of the G4's barrel steel. Even the description of their new PA Pellet Ultralight flintlock rifle states:
"Traditions™ PA Pellet™ Ultralight just became a game changer for your Flintlock season! Based off of the popular PA Pellet™ Flintlock, Traditions™ has changed the barrel to be made of Premium grade Chromoly steel which is typically found on centerfire rifles. This material makes the barrel extremely strong, lightweight, and accurate. The new 1:28" twist allows you to fire saboted bullets and modern muzzleloading projectiles. Additionally, the barrel is now coated with a Nitride Finish which is designed to protect both the inside and outside of your barrel against rust and pitting caused by weather and corrosion."
https://www.traditionsfirearms.com/c...let-Ultralight
The weight of the G4 is listed as being only 5.75 pounds with a scope on the product page link. That's the same weight range as the Knight Ultralight rifle that's 3 times as expensive.
It's not about whether the black powder barrels are proofed for centerfire cartridges or not, it's about whether the steel is the same.
Why does the Optima V2 weigh almost a full pound more @ 6.65 lbs.without a scope, which is made from 416 stainless?
And the G4 has flutes to boot which would make it even weaker for its diameter if it weren't made from their centerfire steel.
The only way to be sure is to ask Traditions, but the PA Pellet Ultralight page clearly explains that premium centerfire steel is being used for some of their muzzle loaders.
How else to explain the weight difference if it's not made from centerfire steel?
I realize that the receiver is alloy, but the G4 has a light weight that's unmatched - at least for the price - even if the listed weight for the G4 is wrong and didn't include the scope.
The G4 would still weigh about 1 pound lighter.
As best as I can surmise, some companies make proprietary steel that's specifically formulated to have certain properties and performance characteristics which then
allows the company to refer to it with a unique name.
That can mean that while 2 steels may be similar, they would not necessarily be the same, and that the exact formulation of the steel can be kept secret.