stainless vs blued

[pfw4666]

I am looking at buying my first ML-II. I have read on this site that the blued barrels may be tighter that the stainless barrels.

Is this true? What are your opinions?

Thanks in advance

[Harley]

Opinion from experience with both: Get the blue just to be on the safe side of the argument.

Harley

[rcr]

From my experience, the blue is tighter than the stainless.

[hunter]

I have a preaccutrigger model with the flat top in both blued and stainless.
The blued barrel is tighter than the stainless. I just got the blued model a month ago,
and havent had time to shoot it much. On a dirty barrel, The stainless takes about 45-50# pressure to load the tmz's and the blued barrel will not hardly go down after a few shots, more that 80-100#.

[Panhandle]

I own a blued barrel and just recently set up a new stainless barrel for a friend. They both shoot .458 bullets and BCR's with the same snug fit. Not a whisker of difference.
Zen

[lc]

I have one of each, blue is tighter, slightly more accurate and is easier to find loads that are accurate (I keep increasing loads as my grandson gets older )

[fowlplay]

I have the odd ball barrel. My stainless is so tight that you need a hammer to get the 290 TMZ down the barrel with the yellow sabots. My gun is a 2004 model.
Steve

[Buckrub]

this continues to floor me. This is a MASS PRODUCED MACHINED item, computerized factory made. There is no reason for this variance in tolerance.

I have a 2006 stainless and it has none of the problems anyone else seems to have. I've loaded 5 or 6 kinds of bullets and sabots, and all load and shoot just fine. I am very tickled that I don't have the frustrating issues that others have. But I don't get it, and ain't sure I ever will.

I don't think your question can be answered, honestly. If the mass production process allows for such variance, then there is not enough 'pattern' between stainless and blued to be able to make a definitive statement.

It appears to be random luck.

[rangeball]

I read something awhile back that was a different take on blued vs stainless. May be a stretch, but the author was claiming blued is preferred in a ML because the alloy is harder than stainless and will suffer less wear at the muzzle from loading over time.

[mike3132]

My findings are the blue barrels are usually slightly more accurate than the stainless but not by much. I suggest you buy the one you like best. mike

[skin290]

Jan 9, 2009 10:23:48 GMT -5 Buckrub said:

this continues to floor me. This is a MASS PRODUCED MACHINED item, computerized factory made. There is no reason for this variance in tolerance.

I have a 2006 stainless and it has none of the problems anyone else seems to have. I've loaded 5 or 6 kinds of bullets and sabots, and all load and shoot just fine. I am very tickled that I don't have the frustrating issues that others have. But I don't get it, and ain't sure I ever will.

I don't think your question can be answered, honestly. If the mass production process allows for such variance, then there is not enough 'pattern' between stainless and blued to be able to make a definitive statement.

It appears to be random luck.

The 2 materials have different machining characteristics...and the tolerances we are talking about here are very small...could have something to do with it, I'm not sure. Some stainless machines well, some very poor.

(Disclaimer-have never used a rifling machine or gun drill, so no expert here.)

[Panhandle]

Has to be random luck.[/quote]

I vote for random luck !
Zen

[savedbyjc7]

i own both. my stainless is the more accurate of the two. i shot some of the easy glide sabots out of the ss ml with excellent accuracy, the blue would fire the primer and you could find the bullet/sabot down range about ten yards. just my experience.

[elkboy65]

I honestly don't believe blued IS more accurate than stainless or stainless IS more accurate than blued.....each barrel as we all can attest has it's own characteristics...my SS shoots 61gr VV120 with a BCR Sabots and a 300gr BO your stainless may like VV110 and all the rest the same, your group may be smaller or mine may be smaller.....My SS shoots better groups than your blued but Joe Schmoes blued shoots better than mine and yours, and John Does' ss shoots better than all of ours...you getting the point, each gun is like a women..They all are the same yet very different...

[SW]

These barrels are button rifled, and I understand that Savage does straighten barrels as needed during the barrel making/inspection process. As the buttons go from new to worn-out, additionally some barrels need straightening - correct me if this is wrong, the cutting differences on the 2 different metals all can make serious differences in barrels. You more knowledgable individuals add/correct info here.

[petev]

Jan 9, 2009 10:53:21 GMT -5 rangeball said:

I read something awhile back that was a different take on blued vs stainless. May be a stretch, but the author was claiming blued is preferred in a ML because the alloy is harder than stainless and will suffer less wear at the muzzle from loading over time.

I've read this too. A while back I found alot of good articles on this online. Glad I bought the blued barrel, but I tend to be conservative anyway.

[dougedwards]

SAE 4130,4140,4150 is the type of steel used in chrome moly barrels. It is also the type used to make truck axles. It is very hard and strong.

Type 416R is a chromium type of steel in which sulfer is added and is softer, has less tensile strength and is much more machine-able than chrome moly. This type of steel usually does very well with the button pulling-or pushing method of rifling. It also is slightly easier to lap.

I believe that if I were to choose a button rifled barrel it would be stainless. However after talked with several of the barrel manufacturers I chose a chrome moly for my custom muzzleloader only because it is a harder steel and more resistant to scratching or "peening" of the rifling due to the constant insertion of a ramrod for loading and cleaning from the muzzle.

I am rather suprised that the chrome moly version is considered more accurate in the Savage 10ML since is is a button rifled barrel. Maybe we could ask Joe Degrande of his opinion of why this perception persists.

Doug

[hunter]

I had declared earlier that my blued ml-ll was tighter than the ss model. All loads load 10-15 pounds harder in the blued barrel than in the ss barrel. I bought both of these guns used and I think from the previous owners that the stainless was fired 2-300 rounds more than the blued model and I do not know if the stainless had any lapping done before I aquired it.

[northny]

I have two SS and one blue. I could not claim there is a difference in tightness or accuracy between the three. The SS units are three years old, the blue is a year old. The only reason I have a blue is my yougest son wanted to easily tell the difference between his and his brothers.

[mshm99]

My experience mirrors many others. Blue= tighter. The only loose one I know of was stainless.

mshm

[pfw4666]

Thank you to all have replied, I will come to a decision as to what barrel in the near future.

Thanks again!

[mike.dawson]

If your concerned about rust in a blue, several of us have sent the rifles to Black Ice Coatings in Utah and had them Teflon coated, this makes the rifle black all over and looks great, especially in the laminated stock.
Mike