A question about stainless - Rockwell Hardness

[modrifle3]

So I went to Gander Mountain to put another SR1911 on layaway and before deciding on the Ruger I was looking at the Kimber Stainless II. It was $300 more and the $680 I spent was about the most I wanted to spend right now.

I know I tend to be critical of Rugers, but I just really like the SR1911 and should not have sold mine. As cool as the 9mm RO is, it is kinda grown old. I did so because of the really bad finish on the barrel crown and rifling. The rest of the pistol was perfect.

OK so here is my question. The salesman said the metal in the Ruger was softer and lower quanlity than the Kimber. In general stainless is far softer than carbon steel by design. This is due to the trade offs of making it rust resistant. I have never heard that there stainless was softer as a whole. I am excluding past issues the SR striker pistols had with soft barrels. I believe this just to be a manufacturing defect, not an alloy issue. Has anyone actually done a Rockwell Hardness test on the slide and barrel of a SR1911?

I would like to see the specs for hardness vs a carbon steel Colt.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

I would not listen to that guy any more. He does not know what he is talking about.
There are different alloys of steel, both stainless and carbon steel. Stainless has been considered harder to machine than carbon steel for a long time. That to is just a property of the grade of steel being dealt with.
Another gun counter expert.... Probably worked in the shoe department last year. :?

 

[modrifle3]

Haha most likely. Stainless is harder to machine because most stainless posses it's hardness after forging and the heat treat process is nothing like carbon steel. Carbon steel is machined in its unhardened form. After heat treating most tool quality carbon steel is far harder if done correctly.

It was interesting that that comment was made though.

 

[6gun]

Never listen to anything a person behind a gun counter has to say, if they knew anything they wouldn't have to be a sales clerk for a living.

 

[DGW1949]

If ya want to nit-pick enough, you'll find that there aint no perfect guns.
In the end, they are all just machines.
The SR1911 has been out a long time now. I haven't heard of one yet that has wore it's slide or barrel out.....but given enough ammo, I'm quite certain that it's possable.
Ruger, Kimber, Wilson or Colt?....to me the deciding factor between them would be what I'm actually getting for my money. Which one out of a certain production lot of each that happens to have the hardest slide that day wouldn't even enter into it.

Just sayin'.

DGW

 

[lashlaruhe]

I have had more than one 1911 and I don't know about Rugers' 1911, but most 1911 will begin to exibit some slight bulging at the slide stop contact on the slide after several thousand rounds. None of my 3 Kimber have done this. Indicates to me that Kimber uses better grade of Stainless or that the heat treating is better than the "famous" company 1911's.

 

[DA_TriggR4Ruger]

Most modern 1911s will not exhibit this. Neither out my Sigs have. One of them has an alloy frame. The C3. Never aany issues.

 

[dakota1911]

Hard to believe what you hear in any gun store unless you really know the people.

 

[Snake45]

Most modern 1911s will not exhibit this. Neither out my Sigs have. One of them has an alloy frame. The C3. Never aany issues.

I think he's talking about the slide stop notch on the slide, which has nothing to do with the frame. I've seen 1911s that have this slight peening--will have to take a look at my guns to see which if any of them have it.