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I was wondering just how much corrosion to the steel occurs if your using a stainless steel barrel. I've been thinking of trying black powder in the 45-70 and a stainless steel barrel for my TC Encore would not be a bad option. But if BP or any of its substitutes still corrodes the SS I want to know before I see a pitted barrel.
JD, don't clean any firearm of any metal type shooting black powder or substitutes, over time the bore will be pitted. I have a pair of Ruger Stainless Steel Birds Head revolvers. They have had over 10,000 BP reloads shot in them. I clean them after I shoot them and the bores look like the day they came out of the boxesQuote:
But if BP or any of its substitutes still corrodes the SS I want to know before I see a pitted barrel.
My cleaning method is a hand steam cleaner with a spritz of Dash in the water and normal oiling with Eezox
JD,I can see that you might have been around some Saturday Morning Gun Experts. The subs starting with Pyrodex is very corrosive. Bp is hygroscopic meaning that it will attract moisture. But in the times when it was used as the only powder around the primer caps and primers were the problem. I have shot my blued guns and not cleaned them for 5 days with out a single problem. They have so many falsehoods about BP that it is sickning. Even people who profess to know about it have spread some scare tactics that keep people from even trying it. I had a member on the SASS wire that wanted to buy a gun I had for sale. When he asked if I had shot BP in it I said of course I have as it is the only powder I shoot in any gun. He told me that my gun was ruined and I should not be selling it. If they are not given any care at all then they will rust and have problems but you don't have to rush home to clean them either. The SS would take a lot of abuse before any problems. In fact you might have cylinder bind before that happens.
Black powder is NOT corrosive.
Black powder substitutes are corrosive and stink and are vexations to the spirit.
I shoot black powder (Goex & Shutzen) in my stainless Roooooger gunz and they seem to like it. They have actually gotten more accustomed to black over time -- just like carbon steel gunz do. I don't really think this is "seasoning", rather getting all the petro chemicals out of them over time has made black powder use smoother in them.
Do not hesitate to use black powder in stainless. Do not worry about corrosion with real black powder (assuming you clean your guns within a week, or so). Do not expect the same performance from substitute formulations and clean them immediately to avoid problems with corrosive salts.
+1 to what others have said here. I have been shooting black powder for over 45 years and have yet to have a problem with a gun rusting as long as I clean it within several days of shooting it. Pyrodex is another topic. That stuff needs to be cleaned then the gun cleaned again several days later or rust will start. I would only use that stuff if I could not get real black powder. As long as you clean your gun and lube it with a good perferably non-petrolium based lube you will have no trouble at all.
More then a few of the Top Creedmoor Shooters these days are using stainless barrels. Doc Lay, Dan T, Mike Rix, Liege Harris. Jimbo Terry just joined that group with his Ballard.
These guys are some of the Best Long Range shooters in the WORLD.
So Far I only use Shiloh barrels or my 38-50 has a Douglas barrel, My next project rifle will most likely carry a Stainless Barrel. I have a project in mind, a very heavy 1000 yard Muzzle loader Slug gun along the lines of Carlos Gooves rifle false Muzzle the Works, scope blocks and A tang set up for a MVA.
I am also looking real real hard at Lee Shavers Muzzle loader he built and Shot at Raton this year, he is thinking around $2500 for the rifle, I am thinking real real hard on one for Creedmoor, if I want to do that way.
Right now Dora has begun to really show me that it is, up to snuff, and the load I took to Raton is a real stinker past 200 yards. I did a major test this past weekend with 4 different bullets and 2 different kinds of Paper, plus a excellent quality Sizing die. When I Finish writing it up should be a very interesting read. If weather premits the end of October I intend on a Major Test session at the Ranch at 800 and 1000 yards with Dora and the top two bullets-paper combo's along with good lord willing, a test of Bullshops bullet lube in my 38-50.
KW
The Lunger