STAINLESS STEELS
I will not go into this type of steel to much as we find that barrel life with stainless is not much greater
than other barrel steels such as 4150.
Its value comes in with the over bore cartridges, where barrel life is a little better. Stainless steel is also
harder to drill, ream, and will give lots of trouble in rifling.
It has a tendency to gall, when it is button rifled. I have not found there is enough barrel life gained from
its use, except for a person that insists on it, and is willing to pay the added cost. A barrel maker can
use any kind of steel and call it any name he wants.
To state a particular type of steel is Chrome-Moly, chrome-nickel, or similar term, is more illuminating,
because a trace of the alloying elements in the smallest amounts can justify using these terms. There
are trade names such as Ryerson, Crucible, and many others, which does not mean anything except
that it tells of the company that made the steel.
Types of Steel,
I will give you some of the commonly known names of the better steels used in barrel making, all of
these I have used. Ryax or Stress Proof are commonly designated as carbon manganese (1350), and
are very free machining but at the same time possess the required physical requirements needed for
rifle barrels.
Rycut 40 or Rycut 50 is a modified 4140 or 4150. Modified 4150 contains about 1.65% manganese.
This manganese definitely increases the machine ability. For a barrel maker to say his barrels cost
more does not mean he is using better steel than his competitors.
Steel cost about the same from all suppliers. The bottom line is that it hardly pays the average shooter
to worry about the steel in his barrel. If a certain type, or make of barrel is what you want, then get what
makes you happy.