Stainless for a competition gun?

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Has anyone got any comments about building a wad gun on a stainless chassis? I believe Colt made some stainless Gold Cups.

Galling typically looks like torn/gouged/grooved metal. Normally located on either side the frame rails. Usually on same spot of slide rail where it contacts frame galling. Most galled pistols will not allow slide to travel smoothly on the frame. If you take pistol apart and run slide back and forth on frame you can feel roughness. Normal wear is smooth.
Jon

IIRC there was a period where stainless guns (both revolvers and autoloaders) just didn't seem to work well. Some of the galling problem was solved by going to different hardness or different alloys on the fitted parts. Early model 60 and 66 S&W revolvers had plated carbon steel triggers and hammers in them because they didn't have stainless that would hold up as sear surfaces and the pivots galled too. RIG used to make a grease (maybe still does) that was formulated for stainless guns.

kwixdraw,  you make a good point in that stainless has changed over the years.  for instance, Ruger has made stainless guns for many years, so they know a thing or two about the issues.  I'd be interested in hearing from others, if they have a Ruger 1911, and how the fit/finish appears, and if any galling is present on the slide/frame surfaces.  I believe Ruger only makes the 1911 in stainless, but I haven't looked into their lineup lately.

What I have read matches my experience--stainless galling happens when identical alloys are mated together and then moved under some resistance/friction. Make the slide and frame from different versions of stainless and you get NO galling.

Good lubes prevent it, but I prefer guns that *will* function dry. Nitro-carburizing will make it possible to function dry in most if not all circumstances. The new hardened and changed microthin top layer is just not entirely the same as the original metal. Trade names for this abound. Anyway, when my gun works dry then I have confidence in the very light lube I apply.

Electroless nickle and especially that stuff with Teflon(R) mixed in are great ways to eliminate the galling problem. The surface is also hard enough to overcome any "softness" or wear resistance problems with some stainless alloys.

Don't treat "stainless" even in firearms as being all the same. If it's good enough for AMU barrels on M14s, I would not totally disregard it as an option.