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CVA markets their rifles based on Bergara barrels: "These Bergara Barrels, all made of the highest quality 416 grade stainless steel, have quickly become recognized as the most accurate production muzzleloader barrels in the world."

But with consistency manufacturers acknowledge that 416 grade stainless is not the best.

What am I missing?

Read on...

Background

Grade 416 has the highest machinability of any stainless steel, at about 85% of that of a free-machining carbon steel. As for most other free-machining stainless steels the improvement in machinability is achieved by addition of sulphur which forms manganese sulphide inclusions; this sulphur addition also lowers the corrosion resistance, weldability and formability to below that of its non-free machining equivalent Grade 410.

Grade 416 is sometimes used in the unhardened or hardened and highly tempered condition because of its low cost and ready machinability.

Martensitic stainless steels are optimised for high hardness, and other properties are to some degree compromised. Fabrication must be by methods that allow for poor weldability and usually also allow for a final harden and temper heat treatment. Corrosion resistance is lower than the common austenitic grades, and their useful operating temperature range is limited by their loss of ductility at sub-zero temperatures and loss of strength by over-tempering at elevated temperatures.