Originally Posted by
50calty
If you actually call TC they will say it is not 100 percent pure stainless steel. I had a pro hunter barrel that turned brownish tan inside at the muzzle. I called TC and they said it was the heat that turned it and the barrels are not actually 100 percent stainless. Also its all about the process in which they make the barrels. They have to heat treat and polish it right to achive the right hardness and resitance to corrosion.
In that case you are right no stainlless is pure stainless it is a mixture of different metal to make 416 Stainless...
Here is a simple definition.... you can see it is a mixture of different metals and it is different than 4140 Carbon Steel.
Stainless steel differs from carbon steel by the amount of chromium present. Unprotected carbon steel rusts readily when exposed to air and moisture. This iron oxide film (the rust) is active and accelerates corrosion by forming more iron oxide. Stainless steels contain sufficient chromium to form a passive film of chromium oxide, which prevents further surface corrosion and blocks corrosion from spreading into the metal's internal structure.
Stainless Steel Grades 400 Series.
This group of alloys are magnetic and have a martensitic structure. The basic alloy contains 11% chromium and 1% manganese. These Stainless Steel Grades alloys can be hardened by heat treatment but have poor resistance to corrosion. They are subject to both uniform and non-uniform attack in seawater. The incubation time for non-uniform attack in chloride containing environments is very short, often only hours or a few days. Unless protected, using these Stainless Stleel Grades in seawater or other environments where they are susceptible to corrosion is not recommended.
So with this formula you can see it is not 100%, but it is still classified as Stainless right along with anyone else that makes their barrels from Ordinance Stainless Steel.
Just how there are different types of blueing and how it is done. I'm sorry every stainless steel barrel that i have seen that has been hunted over the years show more wear than a blued barrel. Now they may rust less or more slowly but your suppose to clean your rifles anyhow. I can not justify spended the extra money for SS. Its not going to shoot differently (good or bad). The nice thing about blued is that it always can be redone. Now note this is MY opinion so please dont get upset. Also I don't live back east or south. I don't have the problem with humid air or hunting in the rain usually. Sometimes in the summer I actually have to run a humidifier in my summer. Hunting season is usually dry/dry snow/ and colder than hell.
I have not found that to be the case at all. All of my Stainless barrels be it centerfire or muzzleloader have performed very well for many years and show no real wear and tear at all. Refinishing the outside of the stainless barrel can be done easily with many differenct products such as 'Flitz'
I have found that not are they much more rust resistant than carbon steel (4140 steel) as you can see in the quote above. For me, and I think most others they are much easier to clean and keep clean, especially when dealing with the corrosive effects of real BP and all BP subs.
But, I do have to agree with the fact that the stainless steel barrel will cost more and that comes back to a personal choice, and my choice is stainless. So I guess it comes down to "each to his own" and that is really what makes the world go around.