Normally, such barrels have an alloy steel or stainless steel bore liner. New materials and manufacturing techniques have made possible several types of non-traditional, specialized barrels having composite or multi-component construction. However, columbium is scarce and very expensive, making it a rare choice for a gun barrel. Barrels made of stainless steel are more expensive than those made of alloy steel, as the cost of the raw materials is higher.Ĭolumbium is an elemental metal with similar physical and strength characteristics to stainless steel, but with superior resistance to heat erosion and corrosion. Like all stainless steels, it contains a high percentage of chromium (about 10 percent) and small amounts of sulfur to make it easier to machine. An especially popular stainless steel alloy used by many barrel makers is called 416R. Stainless-steel barrels have become a popular choice for competition rifles, varmint rifles, all-weather rifles, combat handguns and marine shotguns. However, they have recently seen widespread use for two reasons: First, their resistance to heat erosion is superior to chrome-moly barrels second, their resistance to rust nearly eliminates corrosion in humid environments. Stainless-steel barrels have been around since the 1930s. Most standard barrels are made with alloy steels, as they offer an excellent balance of strength and cost.

In Europe, vanadium and nickel-steel alloys are preferred. is called SAE 4140 chrome-molybdenum or 'chrome-moly' steel. A popular example and perennial favorite in the U.S. Suitable barrel alloys include types having varying amounts of chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, nickel and manganese as alloying metals. Suitable metal alloys for monolithic gun barrels include: Most barrel steels have a hardness of around 25 to 32 on the Rockwell Cscale. Here, it should be noted that different rifling methods utilized by barrel makers (more on that in a bit) often work best with specific steel alloys and levels of hardness. The majority of barrels are monolithic-that is, the entire barrel is made out of a single piece of metal.

Ordnance-grade alloys are subjected to special handling, careful heat treatment and rigorous analysis to assure quality and consistency. Steel makers offer special 'ordnance-grade' steel alloys for the manufacture of gun barrels. Today, various alloys of steel are universally preferred for gun barrels because they are: To safely function with smokeless propellants, new metal alloys had to be developed. However, these metals proved unsuitable for the new smokeless propellants introduced after 1885. What is the best material for a gun barrel? The answer is 'it depends,' but before we delve into that, it's important to understand the challenges that barrel makers face. Prior to 1880, alloys of brass or iron were commonly used to make gun barrels.

Gun barrel steel grades