BARRELS: chromemoly VS stainless steel

[dawgmaster]

Sorry, if its been gone over...did a search with no luck!

Simply, is a CM barrel inferior to the SS ???
And, if so, should a person always spend the extra $$$ fo a SS ?

 

[KevinThomas]

The inferior barrel is the one that's poorly made, whichever material it's made from. There's plenty of outstanding chromemoly barrels, just as there are superb SS barrels. Go to a good maker and you'll probably get a good barrel. Have it chambered by a competent smith, and you'll have a shooter, simple as that. Stainless barrels seem to give marginally better life, but it's not a huge consideration.

 

[lynn]

I've shot both and the only difference is the stainless barrels require less maintanence on the outside and inside.The Chromemoly barrels need to be blued and have some oil put on them from time to time.Stainless is maintenance free.
Lynn

 

[Scott Harris]

I'd just be sure to get the CM blued or otherwise coated. They rust super easy without any coating.

 

[D-mon]

Hi,
If you are going to use your barrel in Sub 0 Degrees (celcius) temperatures then you would be better with a chrome moly, specialy if you are shooting a big bore magnum in a thin barrel. Stainless barrels dont have as much tensile strength in general.

 

[oldroper]

Sorry, if its been gone over...did a search with no luck!

Simply, is a CM barrel inferior to the SS ???
And, if so, should a person always spend the extra $$$ fo a SS ?

If you add the cost of bluing to a CM barrel the SS may be cheaper??

I agree with Kevin Thomas as to getting a good barrel/gunsmith. I'd been a SS guy from my early BR days in the early 80's. Acouple years ago got a Kreiger CM and I've added two more Kreiger CM good barrels but with the cost of bluing may not get anymore.

 

[artbosco]

Is a CM barrel inferior to the SS? If so, should a person always spend the extra $$$ for SS?

It's like anything else, you get what you pay for. I you're a hunter vice a competitor, the CM is fine.

If you compete and want a competitive hand lapped barrel that's going to ensure you've got an even chance when you go to the line, you best have SS in your hands.

 

[frankgreen]

Guys for the most part I see no difference in accuracy or barrel life. I've got c.m. barrels on some of my match guns, and on all my hunting rifles. It's personal preference more than anything else, how you want it finished etc....The c.m. and s.s. do wear differently when you look at them in the bore but again for the most part no difference in barrel life. If I had to pick one to last longer from the feed back I get from ammunition and gun makers that we make test barrels for I would lean towards the c.m. Again though there are so many things that contribute to barrel life such as the types of powder being used, how it's being shot and cleaned etc....makes it hard to put exact numbers on it.
Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels

 

[FroggyOne2]

I have been thinking that my next bbl would be a C.M. bbl with melonite treatment.