Flynt
Member
I'm 60, and I don't ever remember seeing any stainless guns when I was a kid. I saw chrome & nickel plated handguns, but we thought of them as pimp guns at the time. I've started wondering, when did manufacturers first introduce SS?
How long have we had stainless guns?
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garyhan
Member
S&W brought out the M60 in the mid 1960's. That was the first all stainless firearm I am aware of. It took a few years for other handguns to follow, then rifles.
gary
gary
Jesse Heywood
Member
From the Smith & Wesson website:
oldfool
Member
what they said, but I don't "remember" (?) 'em as that common/prolific until maybe ~1980
mostly in revolvers, more in pistols after, and rifles bringing up the rear
own a pretty even mix of SS and blue now
still a lot of good things to be said for "deep blue", even though many now not as "deep" as used to be back when
plastic and alloy works good, but "deep" it ain't
mostly in revolvers, more in pistols after, and rifles bringing up the rear
own a pretty even mix of SS and blue now
still a lot of good things to be said for "deep blue", even though many now not as "deep" as used to be back when
plastic and alloy works good, but "deep" it ain't
Stevie-Ray
Member
Very common in Ruger "Six" revolvers since 1975 and of course, Redhawk in 1979.
Police departments started issuing stainless duty guns in 1970-71, S&W Model 64 and 66. My old department didn't buy them until 76 or so, as the rangemaster thought they were too shiny and would give up our positions when sneaking up to calls. 
Them someone compared a bright blue gun to the matte stainless, and pointed out to the chief how the blue gun actually reflected more light.
Not to mention our shiny badges, buttons, name tags, Sam Browne buckle, key rings, etc.....
Them someone compared a bright blue gun to the matte stainless, and pointed out to the chief how the blue gun actually reflected more light.
Not to mention our shiny badges, buttons, name tags, Sam Browne buckle, key rings, etc.....
Someone correct me if I'm wrong...I know you won't hold back...but wasn't the first stainless semi-auto pistol the AutoMag back in 1970-71
oldfool
Member
heckifiknow
my 1st and only Automag was the Automag II (22 WMR) bought NIB before AMT Irwindale got bankrupted by legal beagles and antis
still got it
but I don't think that was ~40 years ago (??).. 30 mebbe ??
I thunk the centerfire versions came out only about when Dirty Harry promoted it in a 2nd rate sequel movie sometime after that
sufferin' from "sometimers" here
then again, that "bankrupted a bunch" nonsense was about the despicable GCA '68 yada yada ??
uhh.. shoulda' knowed better - wiki sez...
In 1970, Auto Mag Corporation president Harry Sanford opened a factory in Pasadena, California. The first gun was shipped on August 8, 1971 and the factory declared bankruptcy on May 3, 1972 after making fewer than 3000 guns. Production guns were made in .44 AMP (Auto Mag Pistol).
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bannockburn
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I remember back in the mid to late '60's one reason given for not seeing many S&W Model 60's for sale stateside was that they were being bought up by servicemen (primarily pilots and aircrewmen), for use in Vietnam. Something that was small enough to have with you if you had to bail out, used the same ammo as our service revolver, and was made from a corrosion resistant material. I also recall that the stainless steel S&W was using at the time was very hard on machinery at the plant and that this slowed down production as well.
Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
Smith & Wesson may have introduced their model 60 revolver in 1965; but they
were very scarce, and could hardly be found on dealer's shelves. Seems like they
didn't become plentiful (word used cautiously), until 'bout late '72 or very early
'73~?
were very scarce, and could hardly be found on dealer's shelves. Seems like they
didn't become plentiful (word used cautiously), until 'bout late '72 or very early
'73~?
SwampWolf
Member
Maybe the scarcity you speak of was regional in nature but I had no trouble finding (and purchasing ) a new Model 60 in 1968. I bought the revolver from a hardware store in Port Huron, Michigan.
) a new Model 60 in 1968. I bought the revolver from a hardware store in Port Huron, Michigan.JohnBT
Member
Winchester used stainless rifle barrels back as far as the early 1900s iirc. I know they were an option on the Model 12 shotgun beginning in 1926.
bubba15301
Member
winchesters introduced the 220 swift in a stainless model 70 in the 30's
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
S&W Model 60 was first all stainless steel revolver in 1965.
Ruger stainless revolvers were second in 1975?
Some would argue AMT (then known as Ordnance Manufacturing Company), or Vega, or Randall, or Sterling were first to offer an all stainless auto pistol.
They were the first ones I can recall seeing in the early 70's anyway.
The rest of the rifle was blue carbon steel.
Some early & rare Model 12 barrels were stainless steel, but again, the rest of the gun wasn't.
rc
Ruger stainless revolvers were second in 1975?
Some would argue AMT (then known as Ordnance Manufacturing Company), or Vega, or Randall, or Sterling were first to offer an all stainless auto pistol.
They were the first ones I can recall seeing in the early 70's anyway.
Just the barrel was stainless.
The rest of the rifle was blue carbon steel.
Some early & rare Model 12 barrels were stainless steel, but again, the rest of the gun wasn't.
rc
Well since the question in the OP was when did manufacturers introduce SS in their guns, not when was the first all SS gun, i'm pretty sure winchester wins this one with the Model 52 .22LR which was available 1930-1931 with a new stainless steel or nickel steel barrel.
So answer unless someone can come up with an earlier date is 1930.
Source:
Houze, Herbert, The Winchester Model 52: Perfection in Design. Gun Digest Books 1997
So answer unless someone can come up with an earlier date is 1930.
Source:
Houze, Herbert, The Winchester Model 52: Perfection in Design. Gun Digest Books 1997
I can see how you might have read it that way, but the OP was:
Flynt said:
But I can also see how folks could read the introduction question as referring back to the first line of the paragraph which mentioned stainless guns and well as the title of the thread.
perhaps the OP will return and clarify which they were inquiring about
BLACKHAWKNJ
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The S&W Model 60 in 1965 was the first production handgun, Winchester used it for barrels decades earlier as has been noted. and the gas piston on the M-1 Garand was made from stainless to cope with the corrosive primer ammunition then in use.
IIRC S&W had a lot of problems due to to stainless being so much different from blued steels, problems with galling when it was being machined, etc., took them a while to find the right alloy, etc. Plus I have read there are about 17 different alloys of "stainless" steel in common use. Not sure what problems Ruger had with their molding processes.
IIRC S&W had a lot of problems due to to stainless being so much different from blued steels, problems with galling when it was being machined, etc., took them a while to find the right alloy, etc. Plus I have read there are about 17 different alloys of "stainless" steel in common use. Not sure what problems Ruger had with their molding processes.
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