SS versus blued steel

[Gabby]

It's time to move up to a Encore.  I have always thought guns should be blued steel but am thinking of SS.  Is SS as strong as the cast steel that is used now.  And will SS barrels hold up like the steel barrels with a lot of shooting hot loads.  Thanks

[Keith L]

I am moving to stainless steel with most new gun purchases.   Modern stainless is just more practical for me since it seems like times when I hunt are wet, and I am tired of the rust on the gun before I even get home.  Stainless still needs care, but not as urgently as blued steel.

There may be some instances where carbon steel is better.  An Internet site for carbon steel barrels was posted here on GB a few years ago that indicated the chemistry of stainless steel for free machining left small surface cracks in the material, and under extreme temperature stress strength could be compromised.  The shooting sport they were made for required machine gun like speed shooting, and I am not that fast at anything any more, so I didn't worry about it.

Good luck with your choice!

[Grumulkin]

I pretty much always get stainless steel Encore barrels unless I can get a blued one at a very attractive price.  I like not having to worry much about a little snow or rain.