Stainless Action Parts versus Carbon steel

[Cincinnati Slim]

Howdy Y'all,

Got a stainless Pietta 1858 Remmie on order which will recieve an action job at BigIrons. I already have a blue steel Pietta 1858 Remmie and like it a lot.

I was on Cabela's website a while ago and noticed this...

Replacement Pistol Parts Kit Item:IG-214052  @ $42.99

This was all the internals for their stainless Pietta Remmie; hammer, trigger, hand, bolt and springs. I'll probably order it just to have all the spares I might need.

Here's my question...

Do Y'all think I should have BigIrons fit these stainless pieces into my blue steel Remmie ? Aside from the added corrosion resistance, would the stainless bits be harder, stronger or generally better quality steel than the internals in a standard blue steel model? :confused:

Just wondering  if anybody who has done action jobs or any other smithing on the Pietta Remmies might have an opinion here regarding stainless versus regular carbon steel action parts for these sixguns.

Thanks for any info !

Cincinnati Slim

[SFT]

It certainly wouldn't hurt to do so, and you probably will get better corrosion protection by using stainless parts, but as for needing to have them fitted I don't think that'd be neccessary, everything should drop right in.  If you are going to have an action job done anyway, then stainless parts may not even be needed.  "stainless" steel will rust and corrode, just not as quickly as carbon steel, and may not be a good choice for certain applications, depending on how resistant to flexing and "spring" is needed.  In this case it's just a more expensive option for what may be a limited benefit, but will be just as strong and reliable.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I needed a new trigger & hand.  I got vti stainless parts.  They did have to be fitted, maybe 'cause my Pietta RNA was a 70's vintage.  Not a problem.

[Joe4d]

Stainless isnt automatically harder than blued steel, generally it's weaker and more likely to gall, just try torqing a stainless bolt then doing a grade 5 bolt the stainless one will break first, basically only advantage is it "Stains   Less"  If the parts are visible I say buy the ones that match all that being said I generally buy and build stainless guns because they do Stain Less.

[Riot Earp]

Don't use small internal parts made of stainless steel. (I always thought stainless guns had mostly carbon steel internals.) Most stainless steels are softer than the carbon steels used in firearms and will wear much more quickly. Carbon is the principal hardener of steel. In general, the more carbon, the harder the steel. (Unfortunately, the more carbon, the more easily it will rust.)

The most rugged knife and sword blades are made of carbon steel.

The forcing cones of the S&W Model 66s were known to wear more quickly than the cones in the blued Model 19s.

[sundance44`s]

I never did know why ... i never did like the feel of a stainless steel pistol ....just couldn`t put my finger on it ... they always looked better to me with someone else holding them ..the steel guns always felt stronger ..now is see why . thanks .