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Stainles Steel Slides....

4K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  JD 
#1 ·
My Sig has a SS slide. Since I only have a few handguns, and just my Sig's have this feature. I was wondering what other gun makers use SS as the choice of metal.

Also, why did they choose SS?
Its so damn heavy, and I always thought that the Frame rails take most of the abuse when the gun is fires.
And that is some sort of lightweight Aluminum Alloy.
I know SS is one of the strongest metals out there, but I really dont think its worth all the weight it carried with it.

I think my Glock is going to be my hot weather carry gun option.
 
#2 ·
Also, why did they choose SS?
As far as Sig, for the simple reason that in conjunction with a decent overcoating, SS will not rust, pretty much regardless of where you take it. The same reasoning generally applies to various carry guns. Blue is nice, but not a finish to give someone who views their weapon the same as a screwdriver- something occassionally useful to have around with no particular care.

Galling used to be a legitimate concern, but far less so with modern SS alloys. Can't say I've noticed a weight significant difference in the same frame between 4140 carbon and 17-4 or 416 SS.......??
 
#3 ·
My 226 ST certainly is no lightweight but I do relish the relative freedom from corrosion.

I sweat plenty in summer and it does cope well, except I have to be on guard for odd steel components like slide release, decocker, trigger, grip screws etc ......... and make sure they are kept protected.

I did find also with mine that grease for slide/frame lube is not good - tolerance is too tight and it all gets sticky with drag - and so light lube now is my way to go - Mobil1 - Militech1.
 
#4 ·
I would say the main reasons are corrosion resistance and looks. A SS slide just looks nice IMO.
Weight is very similar to carbon and alloy steels used in slides, so thats not a big deal.

As far as who uses SS slides, just about all mfgs have guns with SS slides. My Kimber is all SS actually, my Beretta has a SS slide.
 
#6 ·
Slide weight is important

Also, why did they choose SS?
Its so damn heavy, and I always thought that the Frame rails take most of the abuse when the gun is fires.
And that is some sort of lightweight Aluminum Alloy.
I know SS is one of the strongest metals out there, but I really dont think its worth all the weight it carried with it.
Almost every semiauto handgun made uses steel, either carbon or stainless, for the slide material. Frames are often made of polymer or aluminum, but slides only rarely use these materials. The primary reason is the need for weight to provide inertia and a slow enough cycle time to eject the spent casing and load the new round. Since the density of steel is about 3 times that of aluminum, the use of aluminum for a slide would require a recoil spring so stiff that it would be almost impossible for the normal person to rack the slide and load the first round.

And I agree with previous posters who said that the strength and corrosion resistance of stainless are also important reasons for its use.
 
#8 ·
Carbon steel, with a Nitride (IIRC) finish, aka "Tenifer". There is a company in Ohio, IIRC, that will do an EPA approved nitride coating, inside and out, for around $250 for a complete long gun. The nitride prevents oxidation and (by whatever compound it forms on the surface) kicks the hardness to something over 60 RHC, if I remember correctly. Generally regarded as better than stainless, in saltwater spray tests. The absolutely-most-corrosion-resistant finish you can do is Teflon/moly over Tenifer.
 
#9 ·
The thing with the Sigs is that the older models were made with a sheet metal slide, the reason that the newer Sigs make a big deal of putting "Stainless" on the slide is to signify the difference.

The older models were lighter causing more felt recoil IMHO, also if you look in the owners manual, my manual shows two parts diagrams one for the sheet metal slide, one for the milled stainless stell slide.


Then again, I may be totally wrong...
 
#10 ·
Way back when ( we are talking the first mod 60s that " went to viet nam " as private guns some SS guns had issues . It aint the 60s anymore , and galling is not an issue , SS weighs no more and as a rule nowdays costs no more . If you have a carbon pistol its good to know so you can take care of it , but IMHO carbon now offers nothing to the handgun market , and in fact the " old school " carbon steel is unavalable in quanity today . even todays carbon steel is closer to stainless than most want to admit . If you happen to have a carbon gun from the ... well lets say latter 80s and back , then treat it as such . Nearly any firearm from the mid 80s to today has a diff formulation on steel that is much more rust resistant . Now this isnt because the gun companys want to do good for us , it is because corrosion resistant steel has become standard .
 
#14 ·
LOL i find it strange to read the same fella ( not this poster but usualy ) whine about a " sheet steel slide " on a sig , and then espouse how wonderfull an ak is with a sheet steel receiver that anyone with a rudimentary skill on googal and 20 bucks worth of thin plate can duplicate in a home garage . Now not to say an ak is bad , but get on the same page guys ... a folded steel component is at worst just that , at best you will do your ak to the specs sig has required for 40 years or so .
 
#16 ·
I Have Morphed

I used to place a real high priority on the wonderful look of a nicely blued gun.

Don't get me wrong...I still love the look of nicely accomplished blue.

But, if I could switch all of my firearms over for the identical make and model in Stainless Steel I sure would do it at the drop of a hat.

I think Stainless Steel for firearms is the greatest thing that has come down the pike since Frozen Toast.

That is because I'm almost never 100% satisfied with any firearm right out of the box.
And making modifications and alterations and customizations to Stainless is a breeze and does not require sending the firearm out for re-blue or re-plating.

It can easily be refinished and touched up at home.

You can round off sharp edges - lower an ejection port - smooth up a trigger guard...whatever - and with no added shipping and refinishing costs and hassles.
 
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