Need help!!!! what type of stainless steel bar stock I should use?????

[ImtheNut]

Folks, any one know what types of stainless steel can be used to make gun parts? Im trying to make some stainless steel parts in my brother's workshop.
what Im tring to make are slide stop, hammer and trigger...etc. have no idea what type of bar stock to used. 304 stainless steel.??

Thank you

Gary

 

[BCRider]

For the hammer and slide stop you're going to want one of the heat treatable alloys. There's a wide variety of those. Pretty much anything suitable for good quality knife making should work out. For the trigger anything would do as long as it's not going to have a snap action on one of the edges such as with a hammer and sear. If it does then stick with the same heat treatable alloy.

Stainless alloys often need special heat treating processes. Depending on which alloy you select you may need to send it out instead of doing the job yourself.

 

[ImtheNut]

BCRider, Thank you.

304 is pretty much enough for those parts I guess. what kindda heat treating processes they need? what specific equipment I will need to get job done?

 

[BCRider]

I dunno. You'll want to check with the supplier of the alloy. There's WAY too many to keep track of all of them and the "families" of alloys all have their own requirements that vary in ways that make the basic carbon toolsteels seem kindergarten simple by comparison.

I do know that with most stainless alloys it is best to send them to a commercial treater. The old carbon steel heat until a given color or a magnet won't stick doesn't apply to most stainless alloys. The least reason being that most stainless alloys are non magnetic to begin with... If this is just for a few parts it just won't be worth all the money and hassles to set up for treating them when there's commercial outfits that'll do it for quite a reasonable price. You just need to find someone that is doing small batches so they'll talk with you. This complexity in how to deal with stainless heat treatment is likely why I'm the only one to have replied so far. Hell, I haven't even looked up the specs for 304 to see if it IS a heat treatable tool grade alloy.... er.... it IS isn't it?

 

[aric84]

304 will give you no end of headaches when machining, believe me. I know 416 stainless is used for barrels and is hardenable. There is also 17-4 stainless, hardenable too but i cannot tell you waht the prices are. 416 should not be too bad.

Also, as a note, 17-4 will be very shiny and pretty, whereas 416 is duller looking, but can be polished up.

Hope that helps

 

[tjhaile]

I think I would stay away from 304 SS for firearm applications, especially for that slide stop. It is a fairly low-strength, inexpensive alloy.

I'm not sure what grades of SS are typically used for gun parts besides 416 for barrels, but the grades used for making knives would seem to be a good start.