Why are shotguns made the way they are?

BullOnParade

BullOnParade

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In general, my experience with shotguns is not expansive, but I know my way around a couple different models. They all share one thing: they're made of carbon steel. I know there's gun's like the 887 in tupperware, but it's definitely the exception, not the rule. While we have pistols and rifles being made out of stainless steel, why are shotguns destined to be carbon steel for all of eternity? Is it a cost thing? Surely if people are willing to compromise for "marine" coatings from the factory, someone would pay a premium for a more weather proof shotgun. Is it a metallurgy thing? This one I'd understand, but can someone confirm? I don't see more friction occurring in a pump action than a stainless bolt or semi auto rifle.

Why are the internals raw steel? Is it not worth bluing internal components to reduce the risk of rust? Yes, a coat of oil should keep these parts safe for a lifetime on service, but why risk it in a platform so many use for hunting in the rough. I'm not going to cancel a back country hunt because of driving rain, but wouldn't a little more resilience from my firearm be an assurance.

Love to hear some thoughts on this, school me, if you must.
 
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BullOnParade said:
Yes, but the bolt, locking block and slide assembly are all raw steel. Why are they not blued or stainless?
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Those parts move and rub against each other as well as the side of the receiver and loose their finish if they are blued. There are a lot of bolt action rifles that have unblued bolts as well.
 
A lot of the manufacturers make a stainless, or marine grade shotgun available, some have a salt water resistant coating on them.
 
Stainless is not as resistant as you think. Many stainless alloys are subject to crevice corrosion.
Many things go into selection of steels for firearms, some related to machining ease and finish.
You can expect that manufacturers in less regulated countries cut corners on materials. Chinese steels imported into Canada have frequently been caught fraudulently out of spec for bridge and building construction.
 
guntech said:
Cost and what the market will bear...
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sillymike said:
+1

The Ruger Red Label was made with a stainless receiver. You'll see many with aluminum receiver, various type of sheet-metal polymer combo are coming out...
But as Guntech said, it's often a question of much it would cost to build something and would people be willing to $$ for it
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I don’t know...

People seem willing to drop a pretty hefty wad for some shotguns. I think OP’s got a good question.
 
There are some very high grades of stainless, but then machining can become a problem because of the hardness of the alloy. Then your costs go way up because of the added expenses in the production process.
 
i have worked with stainless in a machine shop. i am far from an expert but i do know that once you got stainless hot it went hard and was impossible to work with.
 
farmer47 said:
i have worked with stainless in a machine shop. i am far from an expert but i do know that once you got stainless hot it went hard and was impossible to work with.
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But again, it's been done in pistols and rifles, to produce a product requiring much higher tolerances. I can't really see it being a problem of "it cannot be done". People pay thousands for accurized, smoothed out pumps and semis, why not cut the middle men?
 
Lots I've seen come coated.

My fabarm has a blued carbon steel barrel, but all internals are various coatings.

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I also have a nickel coated fabarm pump.
 
I have the nickel plated with Teflon coated 870 Marine magnum. I’m not sure if stainless would be better because the nickel/Teflon is pretty slick. I’m surprised that they don’t sell chromed ones. That stuff is really durable
 
I don’t really buy the price issue. There seems to be no end to the price people will pay for this feature or that gizmo.

All I can figure is that stainless is too hard/brittle when made in the typical thickness (or less due to weight) of a shotgun barrel.
 
Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
Shotguns aren't taken out on hunting trips for days on end. They're usually day trips and taken home the same day.
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Wut?

I've spent weeks at a time out in the bush living out of my jeep with my dog chasing grouse with my Citori and 686/687's. I'm very sure I'm not special in that regard. Nor have any of my shotguns seen anything approaching the service they would hunting ducks up the Labrador coast. I'm sure I baby them compared to many, and they definitely see many days away from "home."
 
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