Can a Stainless Steel AR-15 be made?

[IXLR8]

I will admit that I have my share of all stainless steel firearms.
Does anyone make a SS AR-15 upper/lower?

I know that SS is much harder to machine, but is there any technical reason not to make one?

Sure it would be heavier, there is no doubt. Of course you would need matching hardware bolt release and such.

Is anyone else interested?

 

[Dawico]

Two pieces of Stainless rubbing together will gall and lock up. That is my understanding anyways.

May be an issue with a stainless BCG and upper.

 

[DubiousDan]

Weight and cost and nothing gained. Saw this in another forum in an answer to someone with the same question.

Weight and cost. The lower receiver in a AR simply holds the parts together but it does not carry a significant load. The load of combustion is carried between the bolt and the barrel shroud, both of which are a high grade of steel. Rifles in which the receiver is a load path, like Mausers, FN/FAL's, Garand, etc, their receivers have to be made of steel and it costs more in material and machining.

 

[Vaquero]

Two pieces of Stainless rubbing together will gall and lock up. That is my understanding anyways.

May be an issue with a stainless BCG and upper.

My 1911 begs to differ.

 

[DubiousDan]

My 1911 begs to differ.

Yep, my understanding is that it will only gall and lock up if there is no lube.

Years ago I read an article (in a gun magazine) that recommended removing all the lube from a stainless revolver and dry firing it until it locked up as a way to smooth out the action. I tried it on a stainless GP 100. After it locked up I oiled it and it returned to normal but I didn't really notice any difference in the action.

 

[Vaquero]

My understanding is that the stainless alloys need to differ slightly between the frame and slide. Identical alloys will gall . Unlike will slide.

 

[rman]

for what purpose?

you can polish aluminum if that's theblook you're going for.

if I cared enough I would have gone full crazy, but I knew it would just get scratched up







Sent from my SIG Sauer

 

[Mikewood]

Let's say you can make something out of a 2x4 block of wood. What is the benefit or making it out of titanium? A stainless AR is much like this. The upper and lower parts are the size and shape they are in because aluminum parts of this size and shape will do the work and hold together. You could make them out of stainless and they be half as thick. So you have an AR that looks more like a Winchester 92 and less like a marlin 336. iE not as "beefy". Or It's the same size and twice as heavy and twice as durable...


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[Dawico]

My understanding is that the stainless alloys need to differ slightly between the frame and slide. Identical alloys will gall . Unlike will slide.

That is kind of my understanding. If the mix is different enough it isn't an issue.

 

[DubiousDan]

My understanding is that the stainless alloys need to differ slightly between the frame and slide. Identical alloys will gall . Unlike will slide.

You a most likely correct but should add that likes will not gall if properly lubed. I base this on my experience with my GP 100, since without lube it did gall but with lube there is no issue.

 

[IXLR8]

For the sake of argument, the bolt is a standard AR-15 carpenter steel bolt. It should not gall the contacted surfaces, right? Is there any other place the SS to SS contact would gall?

 

[Eli]

I will admit that I have my share of all stainless steel firearms.
Does anyone make a SS AR-15 upper/lower?

I know that SS is much harder to machine, but is there any technical reason not to make one?

Sure it would be heavier, there is no doubt. Of course you would need matching hardware bolt release and such.

Is anyone else interested?

Group Industries made cast stainless lowers back in the 1980s, with about half of them select-fire. They weighed about a pound more than aluminum...

Eli

 

[Maverick44]

There's no reason you can't do it, but really no reason to do it either. You can achieve a mirror shine with the aluminum, or just the general look with duracoat.

I will say though that I'd like a case hardened AR, if only they didn't cost an arm and a leg...

 

[Dawico]

For the sake of argument, the bolt is a standard AR-15 carpenter steel bolt. It should not gall the contacted surfaces, right? Is there any other place the SS to SS contact would gall?

Correct, it should not gall. The only other part that moves enough to gall would be the hammer. Assuming that is a steel piece or drop in unit you should be good.

 

[IXLR8]

Someone must make billet uppers and lowers. Change the material in the CNC program to make the speed suitable for SS.
It would make an interesting conversation item for Shot Show or trade shows...

 

[rman]

the lower I posted is billet. I'm sure for the right price he'd do ss. 80 or serialized.

Sent from my SIG Sauer

 

[sucker76]

There's no reason you can't do it, but really no reason to do it either. You can achieve a mirror shine with the aluminum, or just the general look with duracoat.

I will say though that I'd like a case hardened AR, if only they didn't cost an arm and a leg...

That thing is dead sexy!

 

[Dawico]

That thing is dead sexy!

I was thinking the exact opposite.

 

[Texasjack]

Just because stainless doesn't corrode (or more correctly, doesn't corrode as easily as carbon steel), doesn't mean that it's the best choice. As the metallurgist at work put it, "shiny" is not a reason to select a metal.

 

[IXLR8]

Just because stainless doesn't corrode (or more correctly, doesn't corrode as easily as carbon steel), doesn't mean that it's the best choice. As the metallurgist at work put it, "shiny" is not a reason to select a metal.

It is not necessarily being "shiny" as much as not worrying about chipping paint, wear marks and such. Even worn SS has a very interesting look...
If I wanted "Shiny", then nickel plating, hard chrome, or some of the higher tech coatings would be fine.