Steel or aluminum?

[Glock 'em down]

Well, I was giving my Winchester 94AE a good ol' CLP rubdown last night. While doing so, I was looking it over with a flashlight...yeah, I do that.

Anyway...

I noticed that the rifle's barrel had a different color than the magazine tube did. Now I've seen and owned enough Airweights to kinda recognize aluminum when I see it. Or at least, I thought I did.

So...since this carbine is a "newer" production rifle (1994) is this Winchester's mag tube made of aluminum or steel?

I'm sure the older ones used a steel mag tube...right?

 

[Perplexed]

Have you tried using a magnet?

 

[Glock 'em down]

Have you tried using a magnet?

Now THAT'S a helluva idea!

BRB!!!

 

[Glock 'em down]

ALL STEEL!!!

Thanks Perplexed!

 

[Perplexed]

ALL STEEL!!!

Thanks Perplexed!

Glad to hear it's made of the right stuff

 

[Glock 'em down]

Glad to hear it's made of the right stuff

Yessir!

I wonder why the slight color variation in the bluing? Thicker steel walls on the barrel over the mag tube maybe?

 

[Glock 'em down]

Speaking of the Winchester, I got a couple boxes of these in the mail just the other day...

I found a company that had 'em for around $22 a box. I bought one box for loading and one for "just 'cause." Being nickel cased, I figured they would be better than brass cartridges in my Galco butt cuff. You know...leather and brass together make GREEN.

 

[NikatKimber]

Different hardness of the steels is my opinion. I notice the same thing looking at some of the Ruger revolvers and my S&W 22-4. The barrel and some other parts appear slightly different colors.

 

[flatwins]

Yeah the barrel will be made of a different steel altogether than the mag tube.

 

[Old Fart]

That would be my guess also.