Stainless is king! Care for non stainless?

drvrage

drvrage

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Hi Folks,

After experiencing the "pumpkin" on some of my "normal" blued finish rifles and shotgun early on in my purchases, I made the vow to only buy nickel plated or stainless from now on.

Do you believe as I do that stainless is the only way to go?

If you don't what do you do to care for your pistols and rifles?

I've noticed that almost all guns manufactured come in stainless versions so I'm guesing I'm not the only one. What about you?
 
When I first started shooting some five years ago now, I bought a universal cleaning kit that came with a silicone impregnated cloth. Every time I clean my guns or get fingerprints on them, I wipe them off with that (the same one I've been using for 5+ years). I've never had a problem with rust or tarnishing of any sort.

I DO like the extremely rust resistant Tennifer finish on my Glock's slide, and the blackened stainless slide of my M&P, though. I'm not a big fan of shiny silver guns, so bare stainless or nickel plating don't do much for me.
 
Stainless steel is softer than blue. easier to machine but not quite as "slick". Good lubricants are even more important on a stainless action.

Stainless does not have the high nickle content of tableware, so still needs a little oil or silicon to prevent corosion.

Personaly, I like the frosted gray nickle finish on my AMT, or the dull gray nickle finish on my Colt 45 officers's model.
 
Stainless is a cool touch...for a gun...or two.

It doesn't really offer anything cosmetically for me, so I don't own any stainless guns. I did have a Ruger 345 in stainless and it was alright, but she's gone.
 
Stainless is a cool touch...for a gun...or two.

It doesn't really offer anything cosmetically for me, so I don't own any stainless guns.
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I don't choose guns based on cosmetics,so I only buy stainless when possible.They are not totally corrosion proof,but they are much more corrosion resistant.
 
I really like stainless finishes and the Beretta Inox finish (im not sure if thats considered stainless?) but I only own blued or black finishes.
 
I also prefer stainless and will always get it if it is an option.
Unfortunately there are no stainless cz-858's :D
 
I'd go Tenifer/QPQ over carbon before SS. I used to be a stainless guy, but no longer. But of course now I see guns more as tools that are easy to replace, than the delicate things I once did.
 
CanAm said:
I'd go Tenifer/QPQ over carbon before SS. I used to be a stainless guy, but no longer. But of course now I see guns more as tools that are easy to replace, than the delicate things I once did.
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Me too, black is man's gun. I used to love stainless steel gun but one day I saw a model 10. The black just killing me, my shinny 686 become NOT SO NICE.

Trigun
 
GANDERITE said:
Stainless steel is softer than blue. easier to machine but not quite as "slick". Good lubricants are even more important on a stainless action.
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Easier to machine? give me a break, if you don't use cobalt bit on thick stainless, you'll use many bits quite fast. Also carbon steel can be make harder or softer than most stainless but you can get hardened stainless that will be better.

But for firearm harder is not better, it shatter.
 
Stainless does nothing for me. I have a Ruger 10/22 in stainless, and most days I wish it was the regular blued model.
 
The stainless used for making firearms is a IRON based stainless, the 400 series being ferritic/martensitic material, so, unlike popular creedence, while it has better resistance than carbon steel, it can rust (the 300 is the better corrosion resistance familly of alloy, it is also more ductile, and tougher to machine than the 400 series, wich can be tempered, too). The hardness and/or machinability is close to any other high alloy steel such used for making guns as chrome-moly (the 400 series is now widely used to make pump shafts, progressively replacing the 4140 and 1045).
The nickel coated metal is a much better corrosion (externally, anyways) resistant finish than the 400 series stainless itself.
The 400 series have slightly less ductility under extreme conditions (in very cold weather) than the Chrome-Moly alloys.

In very wet conditions, a SS with a synthetic stock is a good way to go, but it really lacks the esthetics of a classic walnut stocked blued rifle.
For handguns, I have no preferences, I like both.
 
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###XX said:
Stainless does nothing for me. I have a Ruger 10/22 in stainless, and most days I wish it was the regular blued model.
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ouch, that's a costly burn since the only steel on those guns in the barrel (which is usually replaced anyway) ;)

I too would want the blued model for the black alloy-receiver.
 
I like stainless steel guns for ease of maintenance but I would never turn down a Smith & Wesson Model 29-2, 6 1/2" Dirty Harry revolver.:cool:
 
What about the cost and hassle of re-bluing? Scratches, when they happen look better on stainless than blued.
 
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