Are there any benefits to stainless steel barrel in a Grendel

[bugsbunny45]

I know they look dang good but are there
Any other benefits to the stainless barrel or
Drawbacks to having one.

[A5BLASTER]

Draw backs yep, they rust when wet much easyier then a coated barrel.

[Wanderson]

Stainless isn’t as hard as a chrome lined or nitride bore.
But either lining could adversely affect accuracy in exchange for a longer life.
So an unlined barrel is preferred for ‘match grade’ accuracy.
Stainless has some advantages in corrosion resistance vs unlined moly steel. I’ve heard some claim stainless is easier to clean and break in.

So if you plan to do mag dumps of Wolf steel with bimetallic bullets then a nitride or chrome bore will have the longest life.
Most Match Grade barrels I’ve seen are stainless steel.

The first upper I owned was a stainless 7.62x39 upper, back when corrosive surplus ammo was cheap and plentiful. I didn’t know enough to clean it correctly and while the barrel & chamber looked good, I was getting rust in other areas of the upper. So I’d say stainless is more corrosion resistant than untreated moly steel.

[grayfox]

SS barrels are easier to JB-paste break in than nitrided, the nitride makes for a super hard surface, pretty much impervious to any JB-approach. Drawbacks to the nitride are that artifacts (small pcs of junk) can get baked in to the nitride finish, which won't come out to save your soul. Advantage to the nitirde is less wear during the shooting process, plus highest corrosion resistance, pretty much zero Corr. to speak of.
In material science as in life there is no such thing as a free lunch, there are advantages yes but for a real quality barrel you'll find them SS, not nitrided, for a reason.
All that being said I have both, my nitride Faxon gunner 16" is really good, my BA SS (and criterion SS) barrels are better however. Actually a couple of chrome-moly's too I just keep them cleaner and watch for rusting with that eagle eye a bit more.
I don't plan on living in a foxhole or out in the elements in pouring rain, you can keep SS clean with a little oil, it does have good (not perfect) corrosion resistance, more than Cr-Moly but true, not as much as a nitrided barrel.
If I were going to do hunting in a rain forest type of environment, like some places in Alaska or in sub-tropics, the nitride would have an advantage.... as long as the QC was really good and there are no bumps/artifacts/etc baked into the finish.

[Wargrendeleagle]

SS barrels are easier to JB-paste break in than nitrided, the nitride makes for a super hard surface, pretty much impervious to any JB-approach. Drawbacks to the nitride are that artifacts (small pcs of junk) can get baked in to the nitride finish, which won't come out to save your soul. Advantage to the nitirde is less wear during the shooting process, plus highest corrosion resistance, pretty much zero Corr. to speak of.
In material science as in life there is no such thing as a free lunch, there are advantages yes but for a real quality barrel you'll find them SS, not nitrided, for a reason.
All that being said I have both, my nitride Faxon gunner 16" is really good, my BA SS (and criterion SS) barrels are better however. Actually a couple of chrome-moly's too I just keep them cleaner and watch for rusting with that eagle eye a bit more.
I don't plan on living in a foxhole or out in the elements in pouring rain, you can keep SS clean with a little oil, it does have good (not perfect) corrosion resistance, more than Cr-Moly but true, not as much as a nitrided barrel.
If I were going to do hunting in a rain forest type of environment, like some places in Alaska or in sub-tropics, the nitride would have an advantage.... as long as the QC was really good and there are no bumps/artifacts/etc baked into the finish.

Hopefully, my match series Faxon 20" turns out ok being nitrided. I've read some good reviews and some where people weren't happy with the barrel. I'll be putting it downrange soon!

[rabiddawg]

Hopefully, my match series Faxon 20" turns out ok being nitrided. I've read some good reviews and some where people weren't happy with the barrel. I'll be putting it downrange soon!

[Wargrendeleagle]

I know this. My 12” Faxon group buy was supposed to be intruded. I decided to paint it with my automotive paint system. I scuffed the outside with a red 3m scuff pad the finish came right off. Do nirtiride I’m my opinion isn’t all it’s made out to be. Or faxon’s nitrider did something wrong.

The barrel is a shooter, that’s what is important to me.

Ultimately that's all I'm worried about!

[montana]

Drawbacks to the nitride are that artifacts (small pcs of junk) can get baked in to the nitride finish, which won't come out to save your soul.

From what I have understood, nitride is not a finish, but hardens the metal. There is no coating imperfections with nitride like chrome so there should be zero effect with accuracy from nitride. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[depletedyourcranium]

From what I have understood, nitride is not a finish, but hardens the metal. There is no coating imperfections with nitride like chrome so there should be zero effect with accuracy from nitride. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I think what grayfox is saying is that with a nitrided barrel, any imperfections already on the bore surface from the rifling process will also be extra-hard and more difficult to break-in after the nitride is applied... whereas a plain chrome moly or stainless barrel will allow these imperfections to 'break-in' sooner than a nitrided barrel.

[montana]

I think what grayfox is saying is that with a nitrided barrel, any imperfections already on the bore surface from the rifling process will also be extra-hard and more difficult to break-in after the nitride is applied... whereas a plain chrome moly or stainless barrel will allow these imperfections to 'break-in' sooner than a nitrided barrel.

I wasn't sure, but thank you for clarifying.

[grayfox]

right.... unless it is hand-lapped/polished prior to nitriding then all the existing roughness (however much that might be for that particular barrel) is basically nitrided in place to a nice hard, relatively unfixable surface.

[Keef]

I have not found this to be true. Nitride'd barrels cut the same with a hacksaw and sandpaper works through it and the metal below like it does on most other metals. The first one I went to cut, I expected the blade to skate across the surface based on my internet reading....

[Mark611]

well I put my 2ct on this Nitride/Melonite, I have a Brux M40 contour SS barrel in 308win, and from my understanding from my gunsmith who did the work Meloniting is the best thing you can do to a SS or any other barrel, Nitride/Melonite is a chemical bath that impregnates carbon into the metal! This process makes the barrel last a lot longer and aids in rust prevention, it has other great properties as well, I can tell you this, with my hand loads this rifle will shoot 1/4moa @200m consistently! my thoughts on this process of Nitride/Melonite will be done or I will purchase a barrel that has had this done way before I will use a barrel that has not been Nitride or Melonited, to me this process in necessary, I don't what to be replacing barrels any sooner then I have too my 2ct

[Jakegsxr11]

I also have a SS Brux barrel in my 6.5 grendel AR. I live about 30 minutes from their shop. IIRC when I asked the owner of Brux about nitride he simply recommended I paint the barrel exterior if I wanted it black. You can take that for what it's worth.

[Mark611]

well I guess what I did was even better then what they suggested