Blued vs Stainless ...

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Tikka223

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Just wondering if there really is a difference between a blued rifle and a stainless rifle. Is the actual metal used different or is it just blueing applied to stainless steel? It seems like plenty of brands offer the same rifle in both configuration, usually with the blued version being the cheapest.

I'm taking my time deciding on a hunting rifle and just had this thought.
 
Stainless is resistant to corrosion blued not so much. However, with proper care I have never had a blued barrel rust. As far as shooting I cannot say I have ever noticed a difference tHat could be linked to the barrel material.

Many precision guns used stainless but that is probably due to the fact that stainless is easier to machine. If you live in damp or salty areas or plan to do a lot of walking around in the rain buy something synthetic stocked with a stainless barrel. There is a whole lot of choice out there suitable to any budget.
 
Do you know how to tell the difference ?
Very simple, a magnet will not stick to proper stainless steel.
I have both and I think for my use one is as good as the other.
Stainless is supposed to be better for weather resistance as in rainy conditions but if you are going to take good care of your rifle I don't think it makes a big difference.
 
Different steels. Blued steel guns are easier to machine, but will rust. Bluing is a chemical formulation of rust that happens to be dark blue, not brown.

Stainless guns won't rust, so don't need to have the same finish on the outside as blued guns do, but are much more difficult to machine. They wear the cutting tools faster, and can be tougher to get a good finish in the bore (sometimes).

I think some of the stainless steels might be more expensive to buy than other steels, but at the volumes that the big gunmakers buy steel at, it just might be a price point at the retail level. (More profit to sell a stainless vs a blued gun)
 
Stainless is for people who don't know how to take care of a rifle...

All kidding aside, I have and use both because I like them and think they look cool.
 
Blued firearms use chrome molybdenum steel. Don't be fooled by the term 'stainless steel'. It will still corrode given the chance. The higher the quality stainless - the more corrosion resistant it is. Though an untreated chrome moly firearm will corrode quickly.
 
Blued steel is carbon steel....stainless won't take a blue job, but can be blackened/nitrided/painted.
Stainless is a good idea for hunting as it is more durable to the elements, you don't need to wipe it down with oil as often which smells and can spook game.
As for the look I don't like it, and would probably get it nitrided black for hunting....
 
Had a stainless savage axis and it managed to get a bit rusty if didn't dry it off. Maybe just cheap steel for a cheap rifle. I was told it isn't the same kind of stainless that they use to make a sink and can rust. No idea how true that is though.
 
I have two Winchester Extreme Weather Ss rifles and they are quite magnetic. I wipe them down after using them so I'm not sure how easily they might rust but I have a magnetic tail cap on my flashlight and last year it stuck to the barrel of my rifle.
 
The idea of stainless steel firearms is that they are more resilient to wet conditions than they're chrome-moly counterparts. However, this resilience is not without limitations, and it doesn't mean that a stainless gun is indestructible. A blued gun that is used in harsh conditions, but that's well maintained, will never let you down. A stainless gun that is treated like a club and not maintained in the same conditions will fail. A good example is the year old 870 Marine Magnum that a fellow brought me and asked if I could replace the extractor. The gun is carried in a boat, and was repeatedly exposed to salt water throughout the summer season last year. The plunger was depressed in it's recess when it froze to the bolt, allowing the extractor to fall out. Left soaking for a few days in brake fluid did the trick, and I was able to remove the plunger and spring, I lubed the recess with Lubriplate 130A, and installed a new plunger, spring and extractor. But without some minor care, like pulling off the barrel and hosing it off inside and out with fresh water, then allowing it to air dry, this gun will fail again, and it has nothing to do with the quality of the excellent Marine Magnum.

By comparison, my parkerized Mossberg 590 is 15 years old, is used year round in a similar environment, but in all that time has only had a single failure, when the magazine follower froze to the magazine wall. This was resolved quickly and easily, and I replaced the steel follower with a long tailed plastic type. The 590 is stripped and cleaned frequently, and I don't give salt water the opportunity to have it's way with it.
 
Thanks for the replies folks. I had no idea the actual metal used to make the rifles differed.

Would a blued rifle be made more impervious to the elements with a paint job? Say a coat of Krylon paint?
 
Tikka223 said:
Thanks for the replies folks. I had no idea the actual metal used to make the rifles differed.

Would a blued rifle be made more impervious to the elements with a paint job? Say a coat of Krylon paint?
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Cerracoat or the like yes, krylon not so much...it will literally scratch off when it rubs anything exposing the metal.
 
There is no real difference between stainless and carbon steel, just varying degrees of laziness.
 
DAJA said:
There is no real difference between stainless and carbon steel, just varying degrees of laziness.
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As an up and coming barrel maker I can tell you there most certainly is a difference in the metallurgy of the two barrel steels........stainless steel barrel blanks are made from 416 ss stress relieved and annealed, the CrM blanks I use are 4150 and are stress relieved and annealed. These are also the 2 types that Ron Smith uses.
The SS blanks are no more difficult to machine than the CrM blanks but one must use the correct cutting oil for each. There are some oils that do double duty quite well but I prefer the specific oils per type of steel.
416 SS RESISTS corrosion much better than Crm steels do, but will stain.....I have never seen a SS barrel pit though. The biggest problem with not maintaining SS rifles is that not all parts of a barreled action are stainless. Rem 700 bolts for example, are 4340 and will rust. This is done as SS on SS will gall very quickly without some lubrication, rendering the rifle useless, but of course no one here would ever run their locking lugs dry.............other parts like extractors, firing pins, and springs are usually not SS so one must still maintain them somewhat.
Most 416 SS barrels will still hold a magnet as the primary material is still steel and the other materials which create the stainless properties are a minor part in the make up of the barrel steel. All my barrels that I use are now SS and I wonder why anyone would use anything else unless building a custom rifle and want a super deep and lustrous blue job for appearance sake. If one doesn't like the white appearance one can always Teflon or cerracote it any color he chooses.

I have used SS Rem 700s in some of the most inhospitable climates in the world, like the Congo, and my barreled actions show no signs of discoloration but I daily had to WD40 (no wait, they took my WD40 away at the airport, along with my duct tape. Terrorist devices you know, I used some gun oil left in camp by a previous hunter.) to protect my bolt and scope mounts. The heat and humidity will really raise hell with CrM steel parts.

The benchrest crowd have also determined that 416 SS resists throat erosion slightly better than CrM steels do so barrel life is extended somewhat.

And this is what rain looks like in the Congo, and its 28 degrees..............I was told this is about 4"/hr, the heaviest rainfall I have ever seen !!! This was pretty much the scenario every mid afternoon.

 
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stubblejumper said:
A magnet will stick to most of the stainless steels used in firearms.
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+1

Most people think Stainless = non-magnetic, but it's only Austenitic stainless steels that fits this description fully (if stress-relieved). Austenitic steels are pretty expensive due to high % of Cr (>13%) and Ni(~6%) and better suited for cookware and such, very formable but can be work-hardened. Barrels are made from martensitic or ferritic steels due to mechanical properties.

BTW, I've seen pitted "stainless" barrel (Ruger revolver).

s>
 
hometownhero said:
Had a stainless savage axis and it managed to get a bit rusty if didn't dry it off. Maybe just cheap steel for a cheap rifle. I was told it isn't the same kind of stainless that they use to make a sink and can rust. No idea how true that is though.
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That's because the Savage Axis stainless isn't actually stainless. Its made to look like its stainless.
 
Stranger said:
+1

Most people think Stainless = non-magnetic, but it's only Austenitic stainless steels that fits this description fully (if stress-relieved). Austenitic steels are pretty expensive due to high % of Cr (>13%) and Ni(~6%) and better suited for cookware and such, very formable but can be work-hardened. Barrels are made from martensitic or ferritic steels due to mechanical properties.

BTW, I've seen pitted "stainless" barrel (Ruger revolver).

s>
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I was speaking specifically due to outside corrosion, not throat or forcing cone erosion and pitting. Which are you speaking of?
I have seen throat erosion and pitting inside a SS barrel, but I have not seen corrosion pitting from moisture on the exterior of any stainless firearms.........was what you saw possibly due to a chemical as opposed to just moisture?
 
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