Barrel material

[phill55phill]

Buying a new fclas rifle is there any advantage in buying stainless barrel or normal steel barrel

[No1Mk3]

Greater resistance to external corrosion, easier to clean stainless barrels. Some like the look. some don't. Stainless steel is also easier to linish to a finer surface finish making the cost a little lower. I prefer C-M due to looks and longer barrel life.

[jpsauer88]

Stainless cant be blued. But, more resistant to corrosion and cool down ALOT quicker due to very poor heat retention of stainless steel.
If you want it blued, must go chromoly. If we were looking at tensile strength, stainless wouldnt even be an option- but barrels dont need tensile strength so much, its wear that matters.

There is gloss cerakote for a "gloss blue finish" with clear coat ontop - but it still looks like paint - seen it, have it, wouldnt recommend it for a high gloss blue substitute.

[on_one_wheel]

Also ... stainless steel firearms have no soul.

[Wapiti]

I always prefer a stainless steel firearm because it is much less resistant to corrosion than CroMo steel.
If you live or work on the land and carry firearms everywhere, everyday, pretty soon you will understand why, not everybody has the time to lovingly oil and clean a rifle in the evenings, to stop it rusting.
Also, really rabid hunters that go out in all weathers, overnight or for long hunts will also understand why. The SS used in firearms varies between manufacturers, and isn't completely corrosion resistant, but there is a big difference.

And a bead blasted stainless barrel will not frighten game in the field. Never. Unless you move around like an epileptic, but then, blued steel won't save you either.

For time immemorial, we have seen that CroMO will last longer than SS in a barrel from wearing out in normal use. Absolute rubbish and another oft-repeated myth. I have a rifle here in 308W that has fired well over 12,000 shots through its SS TSE barrel, and what has worn out? The CroMO locking lugs, it now has excessive headspace. The barrel, even after over 100 rounds without seeing copper solvent, NEVER shows copper on a cleaning patch and is mirror smooth still.
It is the quality of the firearm and the barrel internal finish that will make the difference, not the material used.

You can blacken stainless steel successfully too if you want, similar to blackening solutions for CroMo steel. Caswells sell a solution that you can use, you simply degrease, blast and pickle the stainless and dip it in the solution. So there's no reason stainless firearms need to be silver.

[Die Judicii]

I always prefer a stainless steel firearm because it is much less resistant to corrosion than CroMo steel.
If you live or work on the land and carry firearms everywhere, everyday, pretty soon you will understand why, not everybody has the time to lovingly oil and clean a rifle in the evenings, to stop it rusting.
Also, really rabid hunters that go out in all weathers, overnight or for long hunts will also understand why. The SS used in firearms varies between manufacturers, and isn't completely corrosion resistant, but there is a big difference.

And a bead blasted stainless barrel will not frighten game in the field. Never. Unless you move around like an epileptic, but then, blued steel won't save you either.

For time immemorial, we have seen that CroMO will last longer than SS in a barrel from wearing out in normal use. Absolute rubbish and another oft-repeated myth. I have a rifle here in 308W that has fired well over 12,000 shots through its SS TSE barrel, and what has worn out? The CroMO locking lugs, it now has excessive headspace. The barrel, even after over 100 rounds without seeing copper solvent, NEVER shows copper on a cleaning patch and is mirror smooth still.
It is the quality of the firearm and the barrel internal finish that will make the difference, not the material used.

You can blacken stainless steel successfully too if you want, similar to blackening solutions for CroMo steel. Caswells sell a solution that you can use, you simply degrease, blast and pickle the stainless and dip it in the solution. So there's no reason stainless firearms need to be silver.

Did you mean perhaps much more resistant ??

[Wapiti]

I always prefer a stainless steel firearm because it is much less resistant to corrosion than CroMo steel.
If you live or work on the land and carry firearms everywhere, everyday, pretty soon you will understand why, not everybody has the time to lovingly oil and clean a rifle in the evenings, to stop it rusting.
Also, really rabid hunters that go out in all weathers, overnight or for long hunts will also understand why. The SS used in firearms varies between manufacturers, and isn't completely corrosion resistant, but there is a big difference.

And a bead blasted stainless barrel will not frighten game in the field. Never. Unless you move around like an epileptic, but then, blued steel won't save you either.

For time immemorial, we have seen that CroMO will last longer than SS in a barrel from wearing out in normal use. Absolute rubbish and another oft-repeated myth. I have a rifle here in 308W that has fired well over 12,000 shots through its SS TSE barrel, and what has worn out? The CroMO locking lugs, it now has excessive headspace. The barrel, even after over 100 rounds without seeing copper solvent, NEVER shows copper on a cleaning patch and is mirror smooth still.
It is the quality of the firearm and the barrel internal finish that will make the difference, not the material used.

You can blacken stainless steel successfully too if you want, similar to blackening solutions for CroMo steel. Caswells sell a solution that you can use, you simply degrease, blast and pickle the stainless and dip it in the solution. So there's no reason stainless firearms need to be silver.

Did you mean perhaps much more resistant ??

Oh yeah, good pick up.
Much more....