Stainless Steel barrels?

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BenKeith

Guest
If you don't like the looks of a stainless barrel, is there any advantage to using one, other than they don't rust. Will the throat last any longer in a barrel burner like the 6.5-284 stainless barrel than a chrome moly barrel.

It's not going to be long before I start on my next rifle and was looking at a Broughton barrel, but from what I can tell, he only makes stainless and I personaly don't like the looks of a stainless barrel, I like a deep blue/black. The Krieger 5R is another choice, he makes a pretty good barrel and also offers his in Chrome Moly.

If the throats last longer, then I might consider stainless, but is it just to get the look and rust prevention, I would prefer the chromeMoly.

I guess I should mention, this will be in a heavy sporter or lighter varmit weight barrel and not a target weight, something around five pounds.
 
Stainless Barrels

Ben
Probably 2 things, probably more than that, most accuracy minded shooters like about stainless barrels. First the best of the best barrel makers make and sell them. Second what I like is that they clean up well to keep you on target shot after shot.

Gunsmiths like them for several reasons. I'll let them come in on the subject.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR
 
stainless barrel

First there is a method to blue stainless. However there is absolutely nothing wrong with chromemoly.
 
So, you're saying the SS barrel is suppose to be more accurate than the CM or the fact that's all some of the top barrel makers use, like Hart, Broughton etc. I know Krieger shows a CM barrel as well as SS.

I also didn't know you could blue stainless. Is that a deep blue/black shine like the CM or is it just like an anodized finish? I had planed on doing my own bluing but not sure a SS blue is something I could do.
 
cm/stainless barrels

There have been some realy accurate CM barrels, stainless is more popular today. I have seen stainless blued but I do not know the process and what I saw was not as deep a blue as seen on many CM guns. A local gunsmith here did it at one time.
 
What I was told by one of the barrel makers is that stainless probably resists throat erosion a tad bit better than CM, but other than that, one should not notice any difference at all, other than looks.
 
Donald, Frank Green,Bartlein Barrels, said the CM was just as good in all respects as stainless. You can have your stainless barrel treated with QPQ and if it is polished, it will look like a deep blue,black Weatherby blue.
Butch
 
BenKeith said:
I also didn't know you could blue stainless. Is that a deep blue/black shine like the CM or is it just like an anodized finish? I had planed on doing my own bluing but not sure a SS blue is something I could do.
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I have a stainless Hart barrel that they teflon coated. It's dark colored with a satin finish. I think it's attractive but certainly different than rust blued chrome moly steel. So far (5 years) it's been very durable.
 
From the description of your barrel spec, you're not going to be firing strings with 1000 yard projectile weights. If, as I've surmised, you're only going to be firing a shot here & there, then throat wear shouldn't be an issue to you. F class shooters expect to get 800-1400 rounds of close to ½ MOA accuracy from a barrel, firing 15 shot strings & sighters - say an average of 950 rounds.

Calculate out how many shots a trip you expect to let fly & you can work out how long your barrel might last you shooting at a much more subdued rate of fire.
 
I'm 62 years old and whatever barrel I use will last me the rest of my life and then some. I just thought if there was some big advantage, like much longer throat life, since stainless can handle heat much better than carbon steel, I might use it, plus I was thinking of trying a Broughton barrel. The bulk of the shooting this barrel will do is building loads for several different bullet weights. From that it will be the occasional hunting shot and few 500yds+ rounds off a bench from time to time just to keep the feel of the rifle. My prefered rifle/cartridge to shoot is my 6mm and that's what I shoot about 95% of the time. I've just got the itch to build another rifle and as with all mine, they have to shoot very well. I want close to benchrest accuracy but in a repeater, hunting rifle.

It's just I'm very old fashioned when it comes to a gun. I think a gun, shotgun or rifle, should have a very nice walnut stock and a deep, high gloss, blue/black finish on the metal. I definetly don't go for this black tactical look everything is going to. Yea, on my old colt AR-15, MP40 and M-2 Carbin, that's ok but not on a long gun.
 
BenKeith said:
I definetly don't go for this black tactical look everything is going to.
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Amen on that!

It sounds to me like you can go with a chrome moly barrel. If the throat is badly eroded in 5-10 years, put another barrel on it. In the relative scheme of things, barrels are not all that expensive. Given the difficulty of making really good ones, they're a bargain.
 
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BenKeith said:
If you don't like the looks of a stainless barrel, is there any advantage to using one, other than they don't rust.
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Don't believe that "they don't rust" myth. Even stainless will rust if you abuse it. Friend of mine stored his rifle in the case under his bed on carpet covered concrete floor in a house that went unheated in the daytime when he was at work. It changed from stainless to orange - nasty experience.
 
Anyone that takes even reasonalbe care of thier rilfel will never have a CM barrel rust. Just a bit of silicone oil or paste wax and it is good to go. I am thinking very seriously about a CM barrel for the next 6ppc barrel on one of my bench guns. They are generally a bit cheaper and I am a tight wad. :eek::( Don't know that one would see any difference in 1,000-1,500 rounds.
 
Donald said:
Don't know that one would see any difference in 1,000-1,500 rounds.
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In my preferred disciplines, CM barrels have the reputation of gracefully aging (gradually losing their edge), while stainless are expected to hammer until one day they go belly up without warning - or so the story goes.
 
OldPPC said:
Don't believe that "they don't rust" myth. Even stainless will rust if you abuse it. Friend of mine stored his rifle in the case under his bed on carpet covered concrete floor in a house that went unheated in the daytime when he was at work. It changed from stainless to orange - nasty experience.
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Remeber it is "Stain Less", not rust proof!
 
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