What's the deal with stainless barrels

[outwestidaho]

Thanks, i honestly like the look of the stainless and black synthetic stock, i view rifles as tools and as such expect them to work. I don't mind nicks and scratches because its a tool. I can admire beautiful rifles but again would not want to take them into the bush because i know what would happen. But all the negative comments on SS just got me thinking. We dont have wet weather like you (an assumption made from youtube videos) and we have summer rainfall in Africa so when hunting season is here it is extremely dry, but i do find the functionality of SS appealing

Ha I suffer from the same affliction. A rifle to me is no more than a screw driver or a wrench. Its a tool to get the job at hand done and done correctly. But they must be maintained also. I have a couple custom guns with Iranian walnut but they live in the gun safe. I love to look at them, but here in north central Idaho we beat a gun senseless in no time. Snow and water seem to be the norm during hunting season. So synthetic and SS is about all I hunt with. Remington has a black finish on their All Weather Rifles that is Cerakote its hard to beat. Have had SS to Africa many times never had a problem with it, it doesn't shine like a blued rifle does for sure. All my SS drive tacks right out of the box. I have had a few of them for over 10 years now and accuracy is as good as ever.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

As far as reflection being a problem, are there stainless barrels that are polished on the outside? I’ve only seen matte. More reflection from polished blued steel than matte stainless.

 

[Hogpatrol]

As far as reflection being a problem, are there stainless barrels that are polished on the outside? I’ve only seen matte. More reflection from polished blued steel than matte stainless.

Match barrels are sometimes highly polished. Haven't seen any on a hunting rifle. Actions are another story.

 

[outwestidaho]

As far as reflection being a problem, are there stainless barrels that are polished on the outside? I’ve only seen matte. More reflection from polished blued steel than matte stainless.

All mine are Matte finished.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I just came across a stainless Howa 30-06 on an online shop. I know the Alaskan hunters like them, but they aren't popular here in South Africa.

I have frequently heard that there are a couple of downsides to a SS barrel especially that it wears faster then standard blue. And that they still rust. So for those in the know and who own them. Whats the deal with them?

@Elton
Stainless will still rust if not looked after but needs a lot less maintenance than a chrome moly.
Accuracy and barrel life should be the same if both are done properly but cleaning is easier with the stainless as the pores in the metal are smaller. No real advantage it depend on what you like

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

If you are going to buy ss for the weather, may I suggest you also get a synthetic stock-obvious reasons. I prefer that look of a black stock with a ss barrel no matter what rings and scope it gets coupled with-

@Firebird
Why not compromise and go stainless and laminated wood. That can look nice to.

 

[Firebird]

I agree-but mine is a muzzleloader (smiling face)

 

[ZG47]

@Elton Stainless steel barrels are less susceptible to atmospheric corrosion BUT more susceptible to aggressive chemicals. They burn out more slowly BUT are also more brittle. Steel jacketed bullets will wipe out the lands very quickly and iron/steel core bullets should obviously be avoided. Skinny stainless steel barrels have reportedly ruptured in extremely cold conditions.

 

[sestoppelman]

I have heard and read that SS barrels are more accurate, dont rust etc. Its hard to prove these claims. Its like trying to prove that breaking in a new barrel does anything except waste time and ammo.
It might help but you cannot prove it with one new barrel because you can only break/shoot it in once.
Its more about how a specific barrel is treated and shot than whats it made of.
A few years ago I saw an article where a SS rifle was either accidentally or purposely left in a creek in Alaska I think for some time. It was of course all rusted up when they fished it out, now think corrosive salt water and oh boy, its gonna rust.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I have heard and read that SS barrels are more accurate, dont rust etc. Its hard to prove these claims. Its like trying to prove that breaking in a new barrel does anything except waste time and ammo.
It might help but you cannot prove it with one new barrel because you can only break/shoot it in once.
Its more about how a specific barrel is treated and shot than whats it made of.
A few years ago I saw an article where a SS rifle was either accidentally or purposely left in a creek in Alaska I think for some time. It was of course all rusted up when they fished it out, now think corrosive salt water and oh boy, its gonna rust.

"Rust never sleeps!" "Better to burn out than to rust"? (Neil Young) Ha! Ha! Ha!

 

[gbflyer]

I don’t think I own a rifle that I use that isn’t stainless.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I don’t think I own a rifle that I use that isn’t stainless.

Not even your Blaser R8?

 

[gbflyer]

Not even your Blaser R8?

No R8 for me. Must be thinking of someone else.

 

[Elton]

Thanks for all the replies and knowledge, i honesty appreciate AH app for all the knowledge that everyone has on here.

 

[CoElkHunter]

No R8 for me. Must be thinking of someone else.

Sorry, must have been @TOBY458?

 

[Woodcarver]

While my preference is blued with good wood, SS does have it's place. One thing to be aware of though, a lot of SS barreled rifles have blued trigger groups, Savage being one of them. My Rugers are all SS, including all the parts in the trigger group; never had an issue with them in snow or rain.
I have never seen that one of my deep blued, oil finished rifles or shotguns has spooked or flared any game. Paying attention to anything reflective is just part of hunting. In most aerial photos I've seen of duck blinds for instance, what stands out is faces, not gun barrels.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I have done a bit of reasearch, for purpose of making an article on barrels.
There are two basic materials to make barrels: chrome molybden steel and inox (stainless steel).

Inox as general will be type inox 416, martensitic type.
Because of this material structure, it is generally accepted that such type of materials can be best polished and lapped, significantly better then chrom moly. It is also beleived that this highly polished surface of barrel interior reduces fouling of barrel. For this reason, best long range shooters, prefer exclusively stainless steel barrels, deeply beleiving that smoothness of material will give them best consistency in long strings of shots with minimum fouling.

(of course, it goes without saying that stainless is more resiliant to rust, and weather conditions, as well as extreme as extreme spread of temperatures, especially cold)
Howeever even stainless, is not 100% rust proof. Rifle has to be maintained, like any other rifle

Barrels can be made in general in three accepted ways: hammer forging, button rifling and cut rifling.
For stainless steel 416 barrels hammer forging is difficult, so in case that stainless steel barrel is hammer forged, most probably will be type 410. For button rifling, and cut rifling 416 can be. So 410, different material for hammer forging is possibly a compromise, but I am not sure of actual differneces between 416 and 410. It could be also that factories producing hammer forged barrels for their rifle, also import stainless steel barrels from other makers to fit in separate assembly line, if this material makes them difficult to produce by hammer forging.

But....
But, if a good hammer forged chrome moly barrel can produce 1/4 od 1/3 moa groups (with chosen factory ammo) , and if we talk about hunting, i wouldnt be bothered with accuracy issue.

Comapring three types of barrel production: hammer forging, button rifling, and cut rifling:
It is generally beleived (I am not using word proven) that hammer forged barrels will last the longest, and cut rifle barrels will have the shortest longevity. (then button rifled barrel could be in the middle with this estimate). So, in this way you can also look at stainlees steel barrels becasue 416 most probably will not be hammer forged, so if barrel is cut, will hav a bit shorter life span.

(top long range shooters prefer cut rifled barrels, and button rifled barrels, and hunters, genereally dont care)

Additional way to look at it: as mentioned, stainless steel is sweetheart of long range shooters, often using hot loads, and shooting long strings on a match or training in addition to having barrel burning calibers. Of course, such abuse will shorten barrel life significantly. (one barrel per season?) But this is not average rifle usage for hunters.

All in all: if I am resident hunter in Alasca, or frequent hunter in tropical rain forest, or top long range shooter, I would consider having a stainless steel barrel. If I am just hunting, in normal dry or moderately humid conditions, chrome moly will do just fine for me.

Also, one more point: stainless look fancy, especially when is fluted. One more thing to consider, but it has nothing to do with ballistics.

And another point, fitting the iron sights - i dont remember seeing stainless steel barrel with iron sights.

@Mark_Hunter
A friend of mine buys his mates stainless benchrest barrels when they no longer shoot. He gets the chamber cut off and reamed to 6mmBR for his predator work.
Neil says he gets the inaccurate barrels cheap because the are starting to group 0.1 inch they are now inaccurate.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I guess I’ve always thought that a shiny stainless barrel up in the air was a bit akin to carrying a white flag. I don’t really like the look of them and only have one .22 mag and one .17 WSM in stainless.
I would like to cerakote some rifles for use in wet areas.

@Philip Glass
The 2 stainless barrels I have started out looking like a nice polished chrome bumper bar.
Stood out like the proverbial dogs balls. Cured the problem by getting them bead blasted to a nice matt finish.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I've hunted with stainless barrels a lot and mine don't rust, kinda the reason I got it so I wasn't beating up my wood stocked and blued guns. I work in a machine shop and I've seen some stainless corrode some but not my guns

@R.M.C.
I don't have a problem with rust, but then I don't hunt in areas like Alaska and other wet harsh areas. I do hunt in the rain tho.
All my rifles blued and timber as well as stainless with timber or synthetic are polished with Gilleys gun wax, even the barrel chanel and underside of the barrel. Makes water run off stocks and barrel like water off a ducks back.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

If I could purchase all the big bore rifles I have in stainless with a matte finish I would, but I do live in one of the most tropical areas in the world. Keeping blued rifles from rusting in the climate I live and hunt in is a nightmare. Verney will make you a stainless double if you want one I have already looked into it and am still considering it for my next purchase.

@Aussie_Hunter
Try Gilleys gun wax on everything mate. Won't stop it but sure will slow it down. I hunted for 3 days down south after sambar in the rain with blued and timber. When I got home after the hunt I stripped the rifle for a clean. Zero rust. A wipe down repolish with Gilleys and put it back together. Still no rust 5 years later. The barrel now sits in my shed as I rebarreled to 35 Whelen and the 270 barrel is still rust free and shiny.
Bob