Author Topic: Blued more accurate than stainless? (Read 1074 times)

Idahohunter · « **on:** May 06, 2003, 07:16:40 AM »

I was at a gun show this weekend and talking to a vendor about Contender barrels. He said that he does not/would not own a stainless Contender barrel because they are not as accurate as a blued barrel. I have heard the comment from time to time but have dismissed it without much thought. Is there any merit to this belief that blued barrels are more accurate than stainless? If there is what is the cause? :?

Thanks,

Mike

BobMachus · « **Reply #1 on:** May 06, 2003, 07:20:28 AM »

Sounds like BS to me.

KYODE · « **Reply #2 on:** May 06, 2003, 07:49:46 AM »

:shock: sounds like he had more blue barrels to sell than stainless barrels to sell. i wouldn't believe it myself.

foxcaller · « **Reply #3 on:** May 06, 2003, 09:52:27 AM »

That would be hogwash!

Nate C · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2003, 10:28:41 AM »

Most of the Benchrest guys I see are shooting stainless... Maybe this is for bbl life, I dunno but it certainly doesn't look like a handicap.

PJ · « **Reply #5 on:** May 06, 2003, 11:12:42 AM »

IT's

BS

Gregory · « **Reply #6 on:** May 06, 2003, 12:51:26 PM »

I know my Amour Alloy barrel is easier to clean than my blue barrels, the plating is "slippery" and leading and jacket fouling is minimal.

spinafish · « **Reply #7 on:** May 06, 2003, 12:54:17 PM »

its a HO_AX....

or just a stupid gun dealer..they take all forms you know..

Bullseye · « **Reply #8 on:** May 06, 2003, 04:40:01 PM »

No doubt in my mind the blue ones shoot much better.

Oh, by the way, all 9 of mine are blued barrels.

Duffy · « **Reply #9 on:** May 06, 2003, 05:51:31 PM »

I would think it's just the opposite by the way my blued bbl looked inside. It took me 2+ hrs to clean all the after-blue and crap out of it from the factory. If you look at it with a magnafier there's pits and all kinds of flaws in it but it shoots pretty good. The stainless has scratches along the length of the bore but it's quite a bit smoother and it shoots fine also. Better wear your hip waders next time at the show.

SD Handgunner · « **Reply #10 on:** May 07, 2003, 03:47:39 AM »

I too have heard this same thing from my local gunsmith. However in questioning him further to get his reasoning his preference became apparent. His reasoning was that Stainless-Steel is harder to machine than Chrome Moly Steel, and it wears out his tools quicker. GIven that he reasoned that it would also be harder to rifle Stainless-Steel Barrels without the Rifling Cutters chattering causing a bad barrel.

The more and more I talked to this gunsmith it became more apparent that he just did not like working with Stainless-Steel period.

As for my own personal experience, I have had both Stainless-Steel and Blued Steel Contender Barrels both from T/C and Custom Barrels. If there was a difference in accuracy between the two I never found it, and to be honest I would imagine that the differences from barrel to barrel have more to do with it than Stainless-Steel vs Blued Steel.

Larry

Idahohunter · « **Reply #11 on:** May 08, 2003, 08:03:42 PM »

Thank you for the replies. I was mainly looking to put the issue to rest since I had now heard this a couple of times. I usually take comments like this with a grain of salt but wanted a definative answer from what I believe is a much more knowlegable group of contender shooters. :-)

Thanks,

Mike