5160 heat treat recipe I'm not too familiar with 5160 temper numbers, but going by some charts (5160 temper charts are all over the place, take a look online), 300°f is ~63HRC, 350°F is ~61HRC, 400°F is ~60HRC, 450°F~58HRC. I use 5160 steel. Temper at 350-425 degrees twice for 1-2 composition, alternative U. It's a wonderful steel to work with. For a sword, first I would need to trust the maker, the steel would be secondary. I have found the heat treat is pretty much the same as 5160 but the temper ranges are a bit higher, I have been varying from 400-475 triple tempering seems to make a big difference. The little bit of Cr in 5160 allows a medium speed oil to get the job done. Hardened Parts: Heat to 25-50°F (15-30°C) below original tempering temperature, hold 2 hours, then furnace cool or cool in still air. Every steel performs differently at a given hardness. Recommended Posts. yuaancgbqixxpypglallrnoikkhyzovuhjilzsuiepwhgjtxsqhxjngalfswhiflugepuucvofugj