Winchester Pre-64 220 Swift barrel type
I have recently acquired a pre-64 220 Swift with the heavy 3/4" barrel and wonder how to tell if it is a stainless steel barrel. It is blued and had some light spots which I tried to cold blue in a couple of small places and the blue will not take. That led me to believe it might be stainless that is blued. Can someone tell me how to determine if it is steel or stainless.
thanks,
DRJR1badspringer
thanks,
DRJR1badspringer
0
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Welcome to the board. Look at the crown of the barrel it should not be blue.
MONEY TALKS mine says good-bye0 -
I don't mean to appear ignorant but by "crown" do you mean the end of the barrel or the outer rim of the end of the barrel? The end of the barrel is blue but the outer edge around the end is not blue. I assumed this was just from wear but I am not sure.
DRJR1badspringer
quote:Originally posted by DRJR1badspringer
I have recently acquired a pre-64 220 Swift with the heavy 3/4" barrel and wonder how to tell if it is a stainless steel barrel. It is blued and had some light spots which I tried to cold blue in a couple of small places and the blue will not take. That led me to believe it might be stainless that is blued. Can someone tell me how to determine if it is steel or stainless.
thanks,
DRJR1badspringer0 -
Hello DRJR1badspringer...
Winchester never made any of the pre-64 Model 70 220 Swifts with a stainless steel barrel. They did use Nickel steel barrels on the Model 54s, and the early Model 70s. Later made 220 Swift Model 70s have "Proof Steel" barrels. Based on what you describe, my bet is that your rifle has a nickel steel barrel, and nickel steel is difficult to blue (unless you know exactly what you are doing). True stainless steel will not take blue at all.
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
Bert---
Win did furnish a stainless bbl in a Pre-64. It was offered in the varminter model and was actually rollmarked on the left side of the bbl as"Stainless Steel"... I owned three of them.The bbls had a grey color and appeared to have a somewhat parkerized finish.
DRJR- If it was stainless I would think it would be so marked...
Love them Pre-64's!!!!-Bob0 -
Hangfire is correct. I have 9 Pre64 Model 70's with stainless barrels. Two swift varmits, four swift standards, two swift Super Grades, and one standard 270. A friend of mine has a 300 Win Mag that I will eventually beat him out of. They are all factory original stailess barrels. The blueing looks like a cross between rust blueing and parkerizing.
MONEY TALKS mine says good-bye0 -
Hmmmm... I stand corrected on the use of stainless steel. However, I am somewhat confused by snickers comment "The blueing looks like a cross between rust blueing and parkerizing." True stainless steel can NOT be blued.
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
Bert I have read that they applyed a layer of steel to the stainless. Then they blued this layer. Could be wrong, thats just my understanding. I'm no expert by any means. 0 -
Bert,
I was just trying to describe the blue coloring. It looks similar to the bead blasted finish and color of the receiver. I think Bill is correct in that the barrel was coated with some kind of metalic finish first hence the problems trying to repair a spot on the stainless.
MONEY TALKS mine says good-bye0 -
..Hey guys, Winchester did supply 220 Swift barrels in stainless and coated em with iron oxide to take a blue. I just restored a transistion '63 mfr 220 Swift Model 70 with a post 64 action and pre-64 barrel marked Winchester proof steel, was definitely a trip to reblue period. Stainless is usually non magnetic, however if coated with iron oxide or in the 400 series type it will be magnetic, so you will have to see what the barrel is marked. Temperature is critical to the process also.
Love those pre-64's too!
Paul
Mountain Magic Gunsmithing0 -
Discussions like this are why I love this board!!!! I really get to learn something every day! Beach 0
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