Solid Stainless Barrel VS non Stainless
11-12-2009, 12:33 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Northern Chautauqua Co. N.Y.
Posts: 2,976
Solid Stainless Barrel VS non Stainless
O.K.
There's been some talk lately about the advantages and dis advantages about having a Solid Stainless Steel Barrel vs a non Stainless Steel Barrel.
I know a Solid SS Barrel is better as it is solid SS vs a non SS Barrel, but dont they (both) have the same chances of becomming rusted and pitted? I know the outside of the SS Barrels look better and hold up better as there not coated or painted or blued, but what if any are the other advantages?
Will the inside of the SS Barrels hold up to more shots and have less wear and last longer?
(BP)
There's been some talk lately about the advantages and dis advantages about having a Solid Stainless Steel Barrel vs a non Stainless Steel Barrel.
I know a Solid SS Barrel is better as it is solid SS vs a non SS Barrel, but dont they (both) have the same chances of becomming rusted and pitted? I know the outside of the SS Barrels look better and hold up better as there not coated or painted or blued, but what if any are the other advantages?
Will the inside of the SS Barrels hold up to more shots and have less wear and last longer?
(BP)
11-12-2009, 12:41 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Northern Chautauqua Co. N.Y.
Posts: 2,976
Sorry guy's and possibly gal's, but somehow this got (double posted) when I hit submit it said (page temporarly unavailable) so I assumed it never posted and (refreshed) the page, then to my surprise it was on the Forum twice. I know it's 4;40am and Im leaving to go Hunting but I am awake!
(BP)
(BP)
11-12-2009, 02:32 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hyde Park, Utah
Posts: 252
I have a lot less trouble with rust with my SS barrel on my encore than i did with my non SS barrels on mt Traditions or my sons CVA he had . I never have to worry about rain or water on the outside or between the stock and forearm . On my sons Omega i keep it very well oiled in those areas and have not had a problem . A friend Omega has a lot of rust showing at the edge of his stock . I never oil the outside of my SS guns . All my guns are ss except my Benelli Nova and its camo . I have a SS Encore , Ruger MkIII hunter and 22/45 (both 22 pistols ) and a Marlin .17 HMR ,all are way easier to take care of than blued IMO . I don't think i will ever get another gun thats is not SS .
11-12-2009, 05:54 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,470
STAINLESS STEEL MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Simple as that. Anyone who says there is no difference in the corrosion rates doesn't understand the corrosion resistance of Stainless Steel. It makes a difference, I know from personal experience it makes a difference. That experience goes beyond muzzleloading firearms but it includes and certainly applies to them as well.
The corrosion resistance of Stainless in one's own personal experience is going to depend on the corrosive materials residing in his bore and the environment his rifle is in. So there will be differences in my experience and others who are using different powders or live in more humid environments. But living in those environments or using different powders isn't going to make your stainless barrels directly equivalent to a blued barrel. That is false and if it were true there wouldn't be a market of stainless steel in many other industries where corrosion resistance is necessary.
Regarding the care of my Stainless barrels, I DO NOT OIL THEM. They need to be cleaned with ordinary hot water and dried thoroughly. Eventually, I figure I will save enough money in oil and alchohol to pay for the difference I paid to get the stainless barrels. (Roughly $20 at the time).
I encourage going stainless if one's budget can afford the difference and he doesn't mind its colder look. It's totally worth the difference IMHO. I fully expect that my great-children could shoot these rifles with same results I am getting 100 years from now. Having a stainless barrel isn't an excuse to avoid cleaning your rifle or to abuse it. But I can guarantee that with same care the stainless barrel will have less corrosion than their blued counterparts.
Simple as that. Anyone who says there is no difference in the corrosion rates doesn't understand the corrosion resistance of Stainless Steel. It makes a difference, I know from personal experience it makes a difference. That experience goes beyond muzzleloading firearms but it includes and certainly applies to them as well.
The corrosion resistance of Stainless in one's own personal experience is going to depend on the corrosive materials residing in his bore and the environment his rifle is in. So there will be differences in my experience and others who are using different powders or live in more humid environments. But living in those environments or using different powders isn't going to make your stainless barrels directly equivalent to a blued barrel. That is false and if it were true there wouldn't be a market of stainless steel in many other industries where corrosion resistance is necessary.
Regarding the care of my Stainless barrels, I DO NOT OIL THEM. They need to be cleaned with ordinary hot water and dried thoroughly. Eventually, I figure I will save enough money in oil and alchohol to pay for the difference I paid to get the stainless barrels. (Roughly $20 at the time).
I encourage going stainless if one's budget can afford the difference and he doesn't mind its colder look. It's totally worth the difference IMHO. I fully expect that my great-children could shoot these rifles with same results I am getting 100 years from now. Having a stainless barrel isn't an excuse to avoid cleaning your rifle or to abuse it. But I can guarantee that with same care the stainless barrel will have less corrosion than their blued counterparts.
11-12-2009, 06:00 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Where the ducks don't come no more
Posts: 4,420
We've got this noreaster ripping through VA right now. Despite it, I went hunting yesterday AM. Wanted to hunt all day... but it was just miserable.
I shook the water off the ground blind in the AM... and inadvertantly dumped about a gallon of rain water right slam onto the Omega (stainless with weather shield... about two weeks old now). I poured the water out... and sat and watched the rust form around the crown of the barrel. I wasn't exactly having fun hunting anyway... so I sacked it and went home and gave her a good cleaning. Powder came out dry. Why the rust formed there.... I am not sure... it was just the very lightest surface rust, and came out easily... no damage that I can tell.... but it does make me wonder, because I take exceptionally good care of my guns.... for rust to form in less than an hour in regular old rain???? How much weather protection does it really afford????
I shook the water off the ground blind in the AM... and inadvertantly dumped about a gallon of rain water right slam onto the Omega (stainless with weather shield... about two weeks old now). I poured the water out... and sat and watched the rust form around the crown of the barrel. I wasn't exactly having fun hunting anyway... so I sacked it and went home and gave her a good cleaning. Powder came out dry. Why the rust formed there.... I am not sure... it was just the very lightest surface rust, and came out easily... no damage that I can tell.... but it does make me wonder, because I take exceptionally good care of my guns.... for rust to form in less than an hour in regular old rain???? How much weather protection does it really afford????
11-12-2009, 09:41 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,470
Swamp Collie,
Regarding your Omega with WeatherShield, I don't know what to tell you. I don't own one. Recently I was looking at ML's at Cabela's and noticed that Weathershield description. I was surprised to see that the word "Stainless" was completely omitted from the product description --- completely omitted. See here http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...815&hasJS=true . I just don't know but perhaps what you have isn't really stainless steel. Like I said, I just don't know.
Here is what I do know. I have a SS Kodiak Pro which was lent to someone I used to call a friend. He hunted with it. Discharged it. Stored it that way. And I played h&*l getting it back. It was finally returned to me 10 months later uncleaned and I can tell you no rust colored the cleaning patches and there is no visible evidence of pitting or corrosion.
Breechplug speaks of his Accura barrel "blinding him". This bore is just that shiny as well. I know --- even with our lower humidity here --- this treatment would have ruined a blued barrel. Cancer would be in the metal and the corrosion would persist throught it's life. That $20 saved my rifle from the mistake of lending it to the wrong person.
There is going to be corrosion in every barrel just from using it it. What we do is control the rate our barrels are corroding by cleaning and using protectants. I would agree that with the proper care that the corrosion is sufficiently controlled in a blued barrel such that no evidence of corrosion can be observed. So in other words, when a blued barrel is sufficiently protected, the benefits of the corrosion resistance of Stainless Steel are not readily perceived. However, Stainless steel has corrosion resistance which is "inherent" to the material which does not rely on human intervention (use of protectants). As such the protection stainless affords can only be observed (in relation to blued counterparts) when the metals are subjected to the same unprotected corrosive environment.
Regarding your Omega with WeatherShield, I don't know what to tell you. I don't own one. Recently I was looking at ML's at Cabela's and noticed that Weathershield description. I was surprised to see that the word "Stainless" was completely omitted from the product description --- completely omitted. See here http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...815&hasJS=true . I just don't know but perhaps what you have isn't really stainless steel. Like I said, I just don't know.
Here is what I do know. I have a SS Kodiak Pro which was lent to someone I used to call a friend. He hunted with it. Discharged it. Stored it that way. And I played h&*l getting it back. It was finally returned to me 10 months later uncleaned and I can tell you no rust colored the cleaning patches and there is no visible evidence of pitting or corrosion.
Breechplug speaks of his Accura barrel "blinding him". This bore is just that shiny as well. I know --- even with our lower humidity here --- this treatment would have ruined a blued barrel. Cancer would be in the metal and the corrosion would persist throught it's life. That $20 saved my rifle from the mistake of lending it to the wrong person.
There is going to be corrosion in every barrel just from using it it. What we do is control the rate our barrels are corroding by cleaning and using protectants. I would agree that with the proper care that the corrosion is sufficiently controlled in a blued barrel such that no evidence of corrosion can be observed. So in other words, when a blued barrel is sufficiently protected, the benefits of the corrosion resistance of Stainless Steel are not readily perceived. However, Stainless steel has corrosion resistance which is "inherent" to the material which does not rely on human intervention (use of protectants). As such the protection stainless affords can only be observed (in relation to blued counterparts) when the metals are subjected to the same unprotected corrosive environment.
11-12-2009, 11:10 AM
#8
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
Breechplug
After Phil's sterling explanation do not think their is much left to say....
Other than maybe - believe it...
After Phil's sterling explanation do not think their is much left to say....
Other than maybe - believe it...
11-12-2009, 11:13 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: West NE
Posts: 1,455
Stainless steel is a generic term for steel that resists corrosion, wear etc. The stainless steel with the best corrosion resistance will have less strength. The term is used for steel with 4-27% chromium, but true SS has at least 10%. It has lower tensile strength but avoids wear and fouling better than regular bbls.
