Stainless steel

[meles meles]

Only for over-wraps. Think about it, ooman. Carbon is charcoal. You're sending a hot fire down the middle of it. Not good for longevity...

[ozone]

Only for over-wraps. Think about it, ooman. Carbon is charcoal. You're sending a hot fire down the middle of it. Not good for longevity...

ozone

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[ovenpaa]

410 or 416 Stainless for barrels and yes it does machine nicely however so does carbon steel, it is just a matter of feeds and speeds a decent cutting tip and a good coolant/lubricant. I think the last we got in was a neat oil approaching fifty quid a gallon.

Yes you can wrap barrels with Carbon Fibre and it seems to work well at reducing weight in Rimfires, the idea is not new and aluminium sleeves over carbon steel cored barrels has been around for many years and even tested for military applications.

[ozone]

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ozone

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[North Star]

What about the longevity of stainless versus carbon steel?

[meles meles]

Much depends, ooman, much depends....

In theory, the stainless barrel will last longer afore the rifling is eroded and corroded, but so many other factors come into play too that it's not always a clearcut advantage

[ovenpaa]

For me the biggest plus is corrosion resistance however a blued barrel takes a lot of beating when it comes to aesthetics and there are some superb steels out there.

[dromia]

In all practical respects I have never found a problem with the properties of blued barrels so that the need for a "better" type of steel isn't necessary.

Then I don't shoot thousands of round of barrel burning ammunition, mind you if I was using barrel burning ammunition then I would be unlikely to get thousands of rounds out of most barrels stainless or otherwise.

I object to stainless for aesthetic reasons, shiny just looks plain tacky and cheap to my eyes. If I had a practical need for stainless then I would use it and get the tins of Humbrol gunmetal enamel out.

To have the choice is nice but I suspect the vast majority of shooters never need any of the benefits that stainless may give.

Ordinary blued steel barrels work just fine.

We are in an industry like all others where for some strange reason "new" seems to sell.

[meles meles]

We supposes that a steel developed for gun barrels by Harry Brearley back in 1913 is 'new' to Dromia....

[R.G.C]

For me the biggest plus is corrosion resistance however a blued barrel takes a lot of beating when it comes to aesthetics and there are some superb steels out there.

David,
There can be more:

Just for information, hereunder the characteristics of steels used for barrels making. To my knowledge, only Walther use the AISI420. AISI4140 is only one,but the most common CrMo used for this purpose.
It is to retain the hardness, Rm and and thermal conductivity.

1°) AISI/ASTM/SAE 416R (Euronorm X12CrS13 or Werkstoff Nr 1.4005).
-The 416, supplied in annealed condition, is about:
Brinell Hardness : 170
Rm: 630MPa
Modulus of Elasticity: 200GPa
Thermal conductivity:
25W/m-k

2°) AISI 420, Euronorm X20CR13
Brinell Hardness 205
Rm: 725MPa
Modulus of Elasticity: 200GPa.
Thermal conductivity: 25W/m-

3°) AISI4120, Euro 42CrMp4 Carbon Steel:
Brinnell hardness: 225 to 241
Rm: 1000MPa
Modulus of elasticity: 205GPa
Thermal conductivity: 43W/m-K
R.G.C
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