how do you tell?
how do you tell the difference between alloy and steel if the gun is blued?
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A magnet should work ?
ATF0 -
Steel is an alloy. I think all gun makers use different steel alloys, all identified by numbers. Blueing is controlled oxidation of these steels. Different blueing techniques for different steels to one extent or another. Could you be more specific please? 0 -
Some "stainless steel" alloys are non-magnetic, but I don't know about the ones used in firearms."Steel" is an iron alloy. Please be more specific and we can get more detailed.
Wild Turkey"if your only tool is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail"0 -
talon, it is my smith model 39 and it will make a significant difference in value. the blue book just says steel or alloy is all 0 -
Your model 39 almost certainly has an allow frame as the steel framed ones are very scarce. The allow frame will be black anodized and you will be able to see a difference between it and the slide, which will be blued steel. 0 -
herschel, I know zip about pistols. But, could it be that "alloy" is used here to mean sort of Aluminum-magnesium alloy? If so, like you said, its finish wouldn't look like blueing on steel at all. And, it would be much lighter than a steel frame. That doesn't mean that it's 'cheap'. Some of those Al-Mag mixes are quite good. I suspect the price difference is just due to scarcity of the steel frame. 0 -
I don't think that you can actually blue aluminum, most aluminum alloys are anondized not blued. It would be very hard to make a gun with an alloy frame and a steel upper match finishes when they aren't being finished in the same manner. I'd say that if your slide and frame are in two different colors its probably a pretty good giveaway that your lower is an alloy, but if they are identical then more than likely they are both steel, blued in the same vat.
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