A couple of years ago I purchase a SS Apex and a SS Kodiak Pro with my Cabelas points. The year before last, a friend was planning to put in for ML Elk season. The season was the 2007 season. He asked if he could borrow one of mine and I never hesitated.

We took the rifle to the range (the SS Kodiak Pro) and a shot it and then I gave him a some bullets, some powder, some primers, some cleaner, and some patches. When we returned from the range I showed him how to clean the rifle and told him to be sure and clean the rifle after each use. Well ...

I finally got it back a few weeks ago. He lives more than a couple hours away and while I was definitely perturbed at the time it took him to return it, I was more perturbed to find out it hadn't been cleaned after he hunted. He told me he discharged it after hunting and "just forgot". In any event, I was pleased have it back and I went about cleaning it.

I've been told that SS doesn't prevent corrosion, rather delays it, and so I was wondering if I would find pitting and the like inside the bore. Before cleaning the bore looked gray from burnt black powder residue and I was suspecting at least some visual damage. The BP broke right out and I ran a couple of wet patches through. Looking through the barrel ... I saw no visual defects and then washed the interior of the barrel with hot water and then dried with dry patches. Looking through the barrel again ... it was as shiny as it was the day I lapped with JB paste. Absolutely no visual defects in the barrel could be found and I was quite relieved.

We have a pretty dry climate in Colorado so that may have helped to prevent corrosion as well. In any event, I feel like the Stainless Steel made the difference. Subsequent visits to the range proved the rifle in the same condition for accuracy and so I dodged a bullet on this one.

There are lots things which go into the choice of barrel steel. For many, to include myself, a blued or browned (my favorite) barrel has aesthetic properties which can influence the decision. But for practical reasons stainless has many benefits. The sales will be coming soon as hunting seasons end. For those who may wonder whether the difference in price for a Stainless barrel over a blued one is worth the difference, I can tell you, it was worth every penny to me. If one might loan a rifle or lives in highly humid areas, the stainless might be worth the extra few bucks.

I agree stainless steel is better able to hold off the rust process, but it is no guarantee of it. I personally think you were lucky and it probably does have something to do with your climate. That would have never happened where I live. That rifle would have been in a bad way. Your friend should be ashamed of himself.

I don't care how good a friend he was.. he'd never get the loan of another anything from me. A pet peeve of mine is when someone borrows something of mine and then does not take care of the item.If I borrow an item I return it in better condition (if possible) then when Iborrowed it.

Many years ago, I had a friend that we had a real falling out. He borrowed an expensive piece of equipment from me. I really did not want him to use it and explained that this item had to be cared for!! Or it would be junk. I told him the necessity of taking care of it after being used, and he never returned it at all. I finally went to his house and demanded it back. His excuse, it never worked so he threw it away for me. Well I called BS on that because when I took it over to him, I set it up, and showed him how to work it (a paint sprayer). I felt it should be replaced, he refused. So I told him never EVER ask me for anything else to borrow. He later, came over to try and borrow my safe way scaffolding. I laughed at him and walked off. And then we had some words. Well that was the end of that friendship. And you know what, I really don't care.

Glad the rifle rifle turned out to be ok, Phil. Gotta agree with Dave on this - NEVER again.

Dave,

Definitely the most important lesson to not give other complete latitude over the use of one's property unless one is certain they will respect it the way he does.

I learned a long time ago that there are friends and then there are those who are friendly. And I've come to realized that he wasn't my friend but one who has been friendly with me.

He called frequently and we got together for fishing before the 2007 hunt. After his hunt, he could hardly be contacted and he avoided calling me for a long time. This happens sometimes when one loans almost anything ... whether it be a rifle or money. I don't think he wanted to keep the rifle ... my hunch he had a nagging thought the WHOLE time that my rifle needed cleaning. Now that he has returned the rifle he has called a few times. I've been very busy ...

Just curious do you remember what kind of powder he shot in your gun?

If he used the powder I gave him, then it would have been Goex 3f. I'm 99% sure he used the powder I gave him but I'll ask the next time around. In any event, the wet patches were consistent with black powder residue and I will add ... there was no visual trace of any rust color on either of them. The barrel was clean enough after two patches to be shiny when looking through the bore.

I'm peeved about it but I don't think he caused any harm to the rifle. I'm certain of it. As I said before the climate is dry here and that would have helped also. So I'm not saying a person can get away with long periods without cleaning. I'm merely saying that the stainless is substantially more resistant than the blued barrels to corrosion. I don't know, but I really do think a blued barrel would have been substantially damaged. In my case, there was a $40 difference to go with a stainless barrel. I just think making that choice saved this rifle.

Im planning the construction of a 58 cal slow twist FL and a .54 cal fast twist CL and I'm planning both to be browned barrel rifles. I will definitely never loan them, except to maybe my son with modest oversight. I think I would lend the Kodiak Pro again though. This particular episode isn't going to keep me from introducing others to the sport.

When I did that metal test, and seen how all the powders acted on an old lawn mower blade I treated, cleaned, degrease, etc.. Pyrodex RS & P were the worst and fastest to corrode. Goex actually was while corrosive, was a lot slower to effect the metal then I thought it would be. Triple Se7en and APP were about the most metal friendly.

Dave,

It would be interesting, if you happen on to some stainless ... to test some powders on it for a comparison.

cayugad
Lawn mower blade are on the order of 3 times hader than the steel used in muzzle loader barrels, I use a cut up old Hawken barrel from one of my customers of long ago for the tasts I ran, right now I wish I had saved a piece of it I would like to run the same tests on some Blackhorn; running them on a stainless barrel is a good idea to. Lee

Well that mower blade was hard, but I figured it would still rust as a rate equal to others on the same metal.Still your right. A old barrel would be the best way to do all of this.