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Stainless vs. other.

beantownshootah
Sort of a general question.

Other than that some people may not like the way it looks, and it generally costs a bit more, is there any disadvantage to stainless steel?

Yes, I know "stainless" really isn't rust-proof, its just a lot more rust-resistant, but I'm thinking it has to be more wear-resistant, and somewhat more maintenance free than standard bluing, etc.

Does anyone dislike stainless steel? If so, why?
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Comments

12 comments

Date Votes
  • duckhunter
    BUY THE STAINLESS

    I WOULD RATHER BE DUCK HUNTING.
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  • jsergovic
    I've heard it is softer than the steel generally used in "blue or otherwise" guns *

    However, excepting one blue and one polymer, all mine are stainless.


    * - Fred, owner, Bolsa Gunsmith, California. Beretta authorized service center.

    "Hey, Fred, you should have fixed my gun right the first time. I sent it to the REAL Beretta and they replaced the barrel, no questions asked!"
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  • perry shooter
    Sorry my opinion is not he same stainless tends to tear when machineing and does not lend itself to close fitting slideing parts I think ok in revolvers but have had trouble in TIGHTLY FITTED MATCH guns. quote: quote:"PRAISE THE HARDBALL GUN"
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  • drobs
    A friend of mine warned me about galling of stainless when I bought my Kimber Classic Stainless. I guess where there is metal to contact the stainless will actually scratch or gall if left dry. I got some good grease for my Kimber so hopefully this won't happen.

    Regards,
    gadsden.jpg
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  • Travis Hallam
    I have had a few stainless barrels and they have been excellent. I tend to leave my guns locked outside in the shed during hunting season. My blued gun rusted a little (even though it was in a padded guncase). Never a problem with my stainless rifles. Depends on what you are using it for but the stainless should be easier to care for.

    Mad Dog
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  • BubbaK
    For the average shooter, you'd be hard pressed to beat stainless. I work the streets in this saline swamp atmosphere of Houston going in& out of the a/c all the time (yields saline condensation) along with sweat. Mine never get babied and they almost never rust. Put a good protective spray under the grips and they won't rust at all, as far as i can tell.
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  • ern98
    Stainless is great except maybe where it involves tight fitting moving parts. With good tolerances and lube gauling/binding should be minamal. The only warnings I've had suggested against it was when I was thinking about buying a 338winmag to hunt Alaska with. It was suggested that lube is at a disadvantage in cold weather and that the gauling could eventually get to be a problem.
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  • ace22
    My Coonan .357 was a favorite of mine and they stressed proper lubrication for optimum performance.Wish I still had it.

    I'm not a hippy!I'm a well groomed mountain man
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  • Ray Boone
    I no longer own any stainless guns. when I worked plain-clothes I had two; a M66 2.5" and a M60 2". Since I'd be wearing them for hours and hours, sometimes in hot weather, they are what I'd pick if I were going to do that sort of thing again. They were very easy to maintain and the 357 was particularly well adapted to a very smooth trigger job and could group into a couple inches, offhand at 25 yds. However for rifles I've stayed with chrome-moly, trace of lead. Primarily because that is the metal settled on by barrel maker C.P.Donnelly for his barrels, which are particularly accurate and have been used to win many championships. He doesn't use stainless, primarily because the one's he's tried so far didn't machine nearly as well as his present selection. I have several of his barrels and used them in all sorts of weather- no problem to keep them rust-free.
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  • rsnyder55
    When stainless first came out, there were problems. One of the problems was caused by using the same grade of stainless on parts that had contact with each other. The was resolved by using difference grades of stainless where parts contacted each other. Smith solved the problem with action parts by using nickle plated regular steel instead of stainless.
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  • TWalker
    Take two S&W revolvers, identical except that one is stainless and the other is blued, and compare them. Work the action and shoot them. To me that's all it took to convince me that the blued gun is of better quality. Try it, see if you don't agree. I'll give stainless its due as being rust resistant, but that's it in my opinion.

    "Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away." Thoreau
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  • nononsense
    I thought that surely all of this mis-information regarding stainless steel had been put to rest. Obviously not...

    1) Stainless steel is not 'softer' than chrome moly. It is actually 'tougher' or more resistant to wear and the jetting effect from plasma when a cartridge is fired. The throats last longer. That's why the majority of the barrels used in competition are STAINLESS and not chrome moly. The only difference between barrels from different makers today is the skill level in the manufacturing, the style of rifling and whether the barrels are stress relieved and lapped. Some of the very inexpensive stainless barrels are made from an inferior formula of stainless and don't last like true 416R crucible. Some barrel makers try to create a difference in order to use it as a sales point but in actuality, it is just a sales gimmick.

    2) If a machinist or gunsmith says that stainless steel 'tears' then they obviously don't know and haven't practiced the proper procedures for machining this material. This is total silliness. Stainless steel can and does produce some of the best and safest parts for many industries today. It threads great when you know how to handle it.

    3) The galling that takes place between same or very similar types of stainless steel was recognized way more than 25 years ago in the gunsmithing community. That garbage was put to rest then, when manufacturers realized that they had to use different formulations of stainless when parts came into contact with each other in order to prevent galling. Jeez, this is old stuff, folks! If it is occurring currently, it is from manufacturers that are cheap and stupid.

    4) I've hunted rifles and revolvers in weather from 110 degress F. to -40 degress F. and the only thing that I changed was nothing. I clean all of my firearms and lubricate with one of several hi-tech synthetic lubricants in minimal amounts and go shooting or hunting. These lubricants all work well with stainless steels as well as chrome moly.

    5) Any difference between a stainless revolver and a chrome moly revolver is due to how it was assembled and tuned at the factory, not the material that it's made from. Take both to a GOOD gunsmith and tell him/her to match the tuneup for both. Guess what? They'll be the same.

    6) Stainless steel match barrels dominate the shooting competitions for a very good reason. The throats last longer. Yes, a chrome moly barrel may have won a few matches but since virtually all of the top competitors use stainless, the point is moot.

    Sorry if this sounds harsh. Most of this stuff was put to rest a bunch of years ago and shouldn't even be necessary to discuss.

    Best of luck!
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