Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
In another thread (copper removal) the topic of stainless steel came up and Snakeoil provided a very good overview of stainless steel.
I have seen stainless steel rust, and more than just a few times. There are a lot of variables including the type of stainless steel (it’s not all the same) and the conditions. While stainless steel is a huge improvement over carbon steel in terms of avoiding rust, it is probably better to think of it as rust resistant rather than rust proof. In addition to the rust resistant properties of stainless steel, it is also very hard. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the application.
I have repaired a few stainless guns belonging to others that had rusted, including one rifle that had rusted shut.
Today’s gun owners probably don’t think much about stainless steel, but for those of us that have been around a while, stainless steel was a bit of a leap in the firearms world. Making guns out of stainless steel wasn’t as easy as changing the metal used. There was a lot of engineering that was needed to learn how to machine it, make it work and make it last. Smith & Wesson was a leader in this when they introduced the Model 60.
We take stainless steel guns for granted these days but there was a time when the only stainless 1911 to be had was made by Randall. It took some time for the mass production of stainless rifle barrels to become common. Manufactures worked for years to overcome the problem of pistol slides and frames from galling (specific alloys were the answer, sometimes even different alloys between frames and slides).
Ruger was an innovator with not only the use of cast steel but the use of cast stainless steel. Several rifle manufactures introduced rifles that are extremely well suited to harsh weather conditions.
We’ve come a long way since S&W introduced the model 60 and we now have some incredible choices.
I have seen stainless steel rust, and more than just a few times. There are a lot of variables including the type of stainless steel (it’s not all the same) and the conditions. While stainless steel is a huge improvement over carbon steel in terms of avoiding rust, it is probably better to think of it as rust resistant rather than rust proof. In addition to the rust resistant properties of stainless steel, it is also very hard. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the application.
I have repaired a few stainless guns belonging to others that had rusted, including one rifle that had rusted shut.
Today’s gun owners probably don’t think much about stainless steel, but for those of us that have been around a while, stainless steel was a bit of a leap in the firearms world. Making guns out of stainless steel wasn’t as easy as changing the metal used. There was a lot of engineering that was needed to learn how to machine it, make it work and make it last. Smith & Wesson was a leader in this when they introduced the Model 60.
We take stainless steel guns for granted these days but there was a time when the only stainless 1911 to be had was made by Randall. It took some time for the mass production of stainless rifle barrels to become common. Manufactures worked for years to overcome the problem of pistol slides and frames from galling (specific alloys were the answer, sometimes even different alloys between frames and slides).
Ruger was an innovator with not only the use of cast steel but the use of cast stainless steel. Several rifle manufactures introduced rifles that are extremely well suited to harsh weather conditions.
We’ve come a long way since S&W introduced the model 60 and we now have some incredible choices.