best material for a 1911 barrel ? Stainless vs Carbon steel

[joepistol]

While visiting my gunsmith the other day, we had an interesting conversation on barrel material.
I tend to prefer SS pistols, having experienced a friend's thumbprint form a nasty rust -spot on my pristine, blued, Gold Cup slide.
I'd always believed that a SS barrel was tougher than a carbon steel barrel, as SS is (usually, I learned) a much harder material.
Doug, my gunsmith, explained that high grade SS is very hard, so hard, it's difficult to cut or machine. Doug tells me that some
barrel manufacturers actually use an alloy of stainless steel that is softer, making it easier to machine.
According to Doug.. ( as a master gunsmith,& expert builder of 1911's, he has more experience on this than anyone I know) a carbon steel barrel will often last longer than many SS barrels currently being sold. As someone that re-barrels 1911's & other pistols, rifles,shotguns, he should know. Doug knows someone @ Kart barrels, & he learned than one of the biggest custom 1911 builders used to use Kart barrels in his 1911 builds, but had Kart stamp the barrel with his name.. No reason to make this up.
Apparently , this builder no longer gets his barrels from Kart..
I found the information about softened forms of SS used in barrel construction to be an interesting discovery.
It makes sense, that it would be used, to make production easier. As this was one of several topics we discussed,
I didn't think @ the time, to ask, how you'd know or determine what quality of material was used in the construction of a SS barrel.

 

[STI]

Barrels stainless, knives carbon steel.

 

[Babboonbobo]

While visiting my gunsmith the other day, we had an interesting conversation on barrel material.
I tend to prefer SS pistols, having experienced a friend's thumbprint form a nasty rust -spot on my pristine, blued, Gold Cup slide.
I'd always believed that a SS barrel was tougher than a carbon steel barrel, as SS is (usually, I learned) a much harder material.
Doug, my gunsmith, explained that high grade SS is very hard, so hard, it's difficult to cut or machine. Doug tells me that some
barrel manufacturers actually use an alloy of stainless steel that is softer, making it easier to machine.
According to Doug.. ( as a master gunsmith,& expert builder of 1911's, he has more experience on this than anyone I know) a carbon steel barrel will often last longer than many SS barrels currently being sold. As someone that re-barrels 1911's & other pistols, rifles,shotguns, he should know. Doug knows someone @ Kart barrels, & he learned than one of the biggest custom 1911 builders used to use Kart barrels in his 1911 builds, but had Kart stamp the barrel with his name.. No reason to make this up.
Apparently , this builder no longer gets his barrels from Kart..
I found the information about softened forms of SS used in barrel construction to be an interesting discovery.
It makes sense, that it would be used, to make production easier. As this was one of several topics we discussed,
I didn't think @ the time, to ask, how you'd know or determine what quality of material was used in the construction of a SS barrel.

This is all true, I've used many grades of SS in the manufacturing process. Some are very soft, some are very hard, some are gummy, some are brittle and everything between and yes....SS can rust!

 

[HooDoo Man]

Barrels stainless, knives carbon steel.

That's for sure. The only way to go with a knife is Carbon.

 

[Rooster]

I've read so much conflicting info on carbon steel vs stainless barrels. I haven't got a clue as to which grade of stainless or carbon steel makes the best barrel .

The good news is I'm not a good enough to where a better barrel would improve my target groups . That saves me from going down that rabbit hole .

I got that goin for me !

OP , you sound like you 'gotta guy'. That's some interesting stuff . I had heard the same story about Kart making barrels and someone else putting their brand on them .

 

[joepistol]

" OP , you sound like you 'gotta guy'.".. Very true.
When 1st met Doug, he had 4 dirt bikes in his "lobby", 2 of them I'd owned the same model. Saw various engine pieces from a Sportster motor in a corner & a pic of Doug , drag racing a heavily modded Sportster, set up for racing. I knew right away we were kindred spirits. The fact that he's so knowledgeable about
191's , and all firearms, was an extra blessing.

" I had heard the same story about Kart making barrels and someone else putting their brand on them ." This is nothing new in the firearms business. I read / learned that Mec-Gar , an Italian magazine manufacturer, makes magazine for most U.S. & European firearm manufacturers, most of these companies have their name or logo stamped on them.

 

[DPM]

This is all true, I've used many grades of SS in the manufacturing process. Some are very soft, some are very hard, some are gummy, some are brittle and everything between and yes....SS can rust!

You are correct , SS can rust depending on grade, chromium content , nickel content ,carbon content , it goes on and on ! You can really go down a rabbit hole with that one . This is why there are so many alloys now days , back in the day you could weld most any SS with 308, or 316 not any more. I really don't know how they keep up with them or how they identify all of them these days.

 

[AZ Husker]

Back in my Kimber days I experienced exterior barrel rust. I assumed they were stainless. Wrong. They were in the white, no protection at all. I'll never understand why. Luckily Robar was local, they charged $30 to do their wonderful Np3 on a barrel. Problem solved.

 

[Ohrings]

Dog Jones is my gunsmith also and I trust him with any of my pistols. In particular is my 1973 Colt Gold Cup. That being said, I also have two stainless steel 1911's and try to use the best in lubricants in them. I also clean then when I finish for the day. Good lube and keeping either a stainless or standard steel will both have long lives. My Gold cup has over 60,000 rounds through it. I have been loading since the beginning with lead, then coated lead bullets. That was the best advancement in for me, so I did not have to get the copper out of my barrels. Coated lead, such as the HiTek coating keeps my barrels darn clean and with less wear on them. The two 45acp's have Kart barrels on them.

 

[Kiwi49]

TrueFlite (local New Zealand rifle barrel machiner/reseller), uses S/S barrels of 416R material. The barrels fitted to various actions (Barnard, Defiance, et al), have won competitions, in most major countries around the world.
Apparently, 416R stainless has easy machineable qualities, but good heat/wear resistance.
They make button rifled tubes. Haven't seen pistol barrels offered on their website.