Stainless Steel Ruger Revolver Ain't Just Stainless Steel:

Historically many different industrialists had serious input into the "Invention" of rust-less or Stainless Steel - about 100 years ago in the early 1910s.

 Poland, Britain, Germany, Sweden, & America all had metallurgists - metal scientists - who have some claim to it's development .. and you can "google" it as much as you fancy.

The powerful  .454 Casull caliber Ruger Super Redhawk is a big lump of stainless six-gun for sure .. but without the input from US steel makers Carpenter Technology - it would need to be even bigger and would likely be limited to five rounds only.

'Ordinary' original SS might consist of something like an alloy of 0.3% carbon, 20% chromium, and 1% copper  blended with iron - an alloy unveiled by Carpenter Tech. back in 1920.

When developing their .454 Casull cylinders - Ruger found that their then usual type 410 SS steel (low chromium @ 12%+-) couldn't repeatedly survive the 92,000 psi proof pressures - so they consulted with Humburto Raposo - a specialist at Carpenter's. - who suggested a high tensile Carpenter Custom 465 stainless that is: carbon 0.02% max., manganese 0.25% max., phosphorus 0.015% max., sulfur 0.010% max., silicon 0.25% max., chromium 11.0 – 12.5%, nickel 10.75 – 11.25%, titanium 1.50 – 1.80%, and molybdenum 0.75 – 1.25%.
- I won't be asking you to memorize that chemistry for later 🙂 - but that is a complex alloy mix that permits six "unburstable" chambers to be bored in the high strength cylinders.

 The commercial .454" Casull ammo runs at 62,000 psi. pressure (Note: the huge S&W X-Frame revolvers are 5 shooters with the average .500" S&W round running at 50,000 psi.).

The .454 Ruger's barrels too were treated to yet another different special SS alloy as recommended by Huberto Raposo - Project 7000 stainless which has great resistance to any high velocity flame cutting (and was somewhat quicker machining) ..

Some shooters regard revolvers as 'old-school' - but Ruger's are high-tech and as strong as can be.

I understand that there are both 'magnetic' (ferric - fcc), martensitic, & 'non-magnetic' (austenitic - bcc) stainless steels - you can check this with any old magnet .. the difference is down to differing microstructure crystal forms caused by the various additives in the 'cake' mix. - BUT be aware that some austenitics can be made partly magnetic by bending / deformation so don't be too pedantic about this eh.

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Galling.

'Galling' was a wear issue on some early stainless guns (as it can also be with aluminum) where sliding surfaces adhere when friction-working against each other.
 - Largely overcome now by those clever metallurgists but be aware that decent lubrication is a good idea on hard working firearms.

AND also be very aware that "easy-care" stainless steel WILL "pit" and corrode if badly neglected - particularly with black-powder .

.. I have a lovely old S.S 'Old Army' percussion revolver - bought online 'used' from a large Auckland gun shop - that has serious bore pitting (despite being assured by the dealership that it was 'good & unworn') .. but it still shoots better than me 🙂.

Marty K.

I Love My wee Ruger SP101's Eh.