Reg. Blued VS. Stainless barrels

bj426

New member
obviously Stainless has an advantage in the "stainless" category but how does it hold up compared to a regular barrel life?

ie: which barrel is more likely to be "shot out"
 
Depends on caliber/brand of barrel/care and how hot the loads are. For the most part in .308 a S/S will last longer than a 'regular blue'. I do hope you mean a blued chrome-moly barrel. Anyway, that's my $0.02 worth.
 
FWIW, I've not found stainless steel barrels to be as accurate as carbon steel barrels. This is based on some really bad experiences with a Ruger M-77 MkII All-Weather Stainless

Stainless sixguns are OK, but no more stainless rifles for me.

Doc
 
M77 Stainless synthetic?

The stock is too short (on the 222) period - is there anywhere where one can buy an extension for it?

thanks,
Battler.
 
Stainless steel resists heat erosion better than regular carbon steel. Since throat erosion has a close effect on the accuracy (i.e. barrel life), SS would usually outlast carbon steel. The hotter it gets between shots, the quicker it will erode.
Cleaning has a effect on the barrel life, too. Depends on exactly the type of SS used, carbon steel might have a higher hardness to resist scratch. Just be carefully whenever you clean the barrel for either type.
 
Spatula,

You might well be correct regarding erosion resistance, but those light spporter barrels Ruger uses heat up QUICK!!!

If you were to hold the barrel for a few seconds after shooting a magazine full rapid fire, I' bet it would blister your hand. The rapid heating is what I suspect caused the lousy accuracy in my Ruger Stainless All-Weather.

Doc Hudson
 
Heat hurts. So does poor cleaning habits. Thin whippy barrels and accuracy are customary starngers. For what it's worth, I have not had good luck in the accuracy department with Ruger rifles.
 
re: not had ...luck in the accuracy department with Ruger rifles.

Nimrod,

Do you think the problem with Ruger accuracy is in the barrle profile?

Call me strange, but I don't like my guns to be excessively light. I consider heavier guns that have reduced recoil and stiffer heavier barrels to be more accurate.

Do you think a Ruger M-77 MkII action with a medium or heavy sporter barrel would be more accurate?

Doc Hudson
 
This subject has been studied to great depth in laboratory situations. In some cases stainless wears faster than carbon steel and in others it does about the same while in most cases it will not be as accurate as carbon barrels. Outside of the "stainless factor" carbon steel is just better. For barrel life the prefered method is the carbon barrel with chrome lining as this will out last several stainless barrels.
 
Hi,

I'm not sure about barrel life----but I have a Weatherby SLS in .257 Wby that will put em into the same hole at 3700 fps. My buddies chrono and factory Wheatherby 100 gn ammo. Stainless barrels are accurate.
 
stainless vs. crome-moly (4140)

Personal experience:

With Model 70 Winchester Target Rifles (course guns), I had quite good results, and as I recall 6000 plus round life from the factory barrels. I speak of 30-06 and 308. There would be throught erosion certainly, however adjusting loads to compensate was doable, and results were quite good, I thought.

Once had a Hart Stainless tube on an 06, it was very accurate, but as I recall, did not seem to last as long as the chrome-moly barrels did.

As for replacement barrels, Douglas at Crosslanes W. VA, that's near Charleston used to do very good barrles. The last time they did anything for me was more than 10 years ago, but back then, they did a very good barrel (premium air gage), and installed them well too.

The gentleman that used to run their shop, Tim Gardiner and I got to know each other slightly, and on the subject of choosing between satainless steel and chrome moly, as I recall he once said that for the difference in price, he did not think that the stainless barrel was worth the extra charge.

Other than that, pay your money, take your choice, and hope for the best. By the bye, a Remington 40X that I had came with a stainless barrel, from the factory, which was very accurate.
 
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