If anyone wants to try something cheap, slick and hard to remove, give leg makeup a try! Don't ask...

Name withheld

Renraf,

quote:

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HunterJim, Pardon me for asking, but are/were you a F___ing Nuke (if you were, you should understand the context of the question)? I was an ELT for 11 years, and your descriptions of Chloride stress corrosion and Neo-lube gave me some flashbacks.

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Yup, you got it. I was a 3353/3354 EO&RO, plus did a tour at S3G Core II as an instructor. All before I went NESEP.

Small world...jim

HunterJim, I was 3356/3366, two 688s (721 & 757) and a tour as an instructor and section advisor at Nulear Field "A" School, then the Navy decided I was too broken to be a Submariner and offered me surface or civilian.

Good Luck,

Mark

[ 02-18-2003, 22:09: Message edited by: RENRAF ]

What WE see: Assembling a run of stainless actions is a bit more trying than 4140. Extra attention to the stainless shroud (polishing the threads and cocking piece bores. Running a tap down inside the bolt to smooth the threads. Can't cut the damn stuff (Bolt is Rc 48) even with a tap. Just sort of "squeaks" them smooth. Careful polishing of the bolt. Absolutely lube the shroud threads and bolt lugs with moly anti-seize.

We fire 89,000 psi proof loads in every receiver. No galling, but that's only one round and there is the antiseize afterall.

We charge a bit more for 415 stainless because it costs more to machine. The cost of the raw casting is the same. It wouldn't break my heart if stainless steel disappeared from the face of the planet however, as we "eat" the extra labor costs in assembling them.

At first, only one and five orders were stainless. But then it seemed a huge surge appeared and we now see something like 40% stainless. If this continues, stainless is likely to get uplifted a bit more because of those extra labor costs.

This is turning out to be an interesting thread. Lots of good information kicked about.

I removed a barrel from a Remington 700 titanium action rifle the other day and the threads were full of loctite. I was a little nervous to say the least, since a titanium action would definately be expensive.

For locking lug lube I like a good grade of moly grease or Shooters Choice markets a red grease specifically for locking lugs.

I do a good deal of truing and lapping bolt/locking lugs/seats and it has been my observation that once lugs are lapped for full contact, they will gall much easier if allowed to get dry. So if your lugs have been lapped or you have a high grade action with good lug contact be especially vigilant.

I have a lot of customers who think since the gun is SS that it needs zero maintenance. They will allow the gun to sweat from condensation and the magazine spring, trigger compnents, and firing pin will rust. A customer brought a Rem 700 SS muzzle loader in the other day. He had fired the rifle and stored it with out cleaning it thinking it could not rust. Rust had totally eat up the nipple and bore.

I have a LH M1999 Montana action on order, in stainless. This discussion makes me wonder if I'm not actually better off with a CM action, properly treated, however I'm not exactly sure what "rust bluing" is, and I worry about the internal parts as much or more than the external finish. JBelk, I'd value your opinion on rust bluing versus some other coating like NP3.

Is a finish like NP3 on a CM action with a stainless barrel (since the bore is what counts) the way to go for hunting in very wet, coastal Alaska conditions?

Jack,

A discussion regarding the use of grease just got me thinking out loud about another place, another time... Tap Magic, good stuff.


Malm

Rod,

A quick question.

Are the bolts on the SS actions hardened in such as way so as too make them harder than the receiver, or are the bolts and receivers of equivalent hardness?

If so, do you employ this strategy on the CM actions as well? Are they (the CM versions) the same hardness as the SS actions?

Thanks!!

BlackBart: Bolts are hardened to Rc 48 in the S&W automated line. Receivers are running about Rc 42. This holds true for both stainless and CM.

[ 02-20-2003, 03:14: Message edited by: Rod@MRC ]

Rod-

as always, thanks for the info!!