M&P 40 slide magnetized?

[Bmanz]

Anyone have an M&P slide that is magnetic?

I was showing a Glock-friend how to field strip the M&P 40 and while he was flipping the sear deactivation lever with a small flat-tip screwdriver, the screwdriver was magnetically drawn to the slide. Thinking the screwdriver itself was magnetic, we tried some paper clips and they stuck to the slide. Strange; it sleeps on a nightstand and goes into a safe during the day. Nothing magnetic in either place. Any possible non-paranormal explanation?

 

[BigRich315]

Oh yeah, it's definitely time to break out the tinfoil!!!

 

[Bmanz]

I had put the M&P40 in the safe before posting yesterday and it sat there for the past ~48hrs with a paper clip magnetically attached to the slide of the (assembled) gun. I checked on it a couple times until finally this evening I find that paper clip finally fell off and now there is no magnetic attraction. It's just strange and I wondered how something stainless can get magnetized unless it was a steel component inside that did.

No issues....and no need for breaking out the foil hats.

 

[handgunner356]

Time to call Mulder and Scully.

 

[NBV7000]

Several types of stainless are capable of becoming magnetic.
-Allan

 

[scooter123]

Nothing magical going on, you can magnetize a sewing needle by stroking it with another piece of steel. Also, becuase the stainless steel used in handguns is almost universally a 400 series steel, they are all capable of becoming magnetized. I would expect that the slide rail inserts in the frame of your M&P are steel, so the simple act of shooting the gun will cause both the slide and the frame rail inserts to become magnetized. However, most 400 series stainless steels don't retain magnetism well, so the effect will degrade over time.

 

[Waterfowl Woody]

is the safe a small electric style?

 

[mkk41]

Yep , 400-series (416L) stainless will attract a magnet , and become magnetic itself , as well as rust. Almost any machine shop should have a 'demagnatizer'. These are used to demagnatize machined parts after they have been put on a magnetic chuck of a surface grinder. Some series of stainless become magnetic during heat treating and/or tumbling