Nickel or Stainless steel??? How can I tell

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pred

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OK, I picked up this Rossi Pump .22 on Saturday, I cant call Rossi about it yet and their web sight does not support this serial #.
I read that 1 year only they made the model 62 SAC in Stainless steel, (1989) and the other SACs were blued or nickel,,, Not the earlier ones were .22 short/long and LR, The newer ones were LR ony which this one is, And I cant find the cutoff date.
Well I have nickeled Smiths, and stainless ones,,, But this Rossie I believe is stainless, BUT I would like to know of there is a real way to tell!
Smith and Wesson Stainless guns ARE magnetic, and so is this Rossi.
I broke it down and all reciever parts look the same,,, Nice and Stainless looking with blued parts,, I scratched the finish inside the reciever and looks like stainless to me,
Outer areas are real shiney and internals are more of a matt finish.
Is there a simple test I dont know about?
Here is a pic,,, No flash, And in color,
WHat do you think?
Serial is G466*** if it helps.
Thanks for any info you may have!
ro2.jpg

Peter
 
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If it has a "white" coloration to it, it is stainless.

The nickel ones have a "yellow" or "golden" tint to them.

If it is still bright silverish, which is what it looks like in the photo, it's stainless.
 
Better pics here
ross1.jpg

ross2.jpg

ross3.jpg

This is in daylight, No flash and cloudy.
I feel like I should empty the safe and get lots of pics on such a fine day!
But I wont.
So what do you all think?
Peter
 
Without actually seeing and touching it up close and personal, it appears to be stainless to me. Generally if it has any scratches or dings on the finish they will still look the same if stainless. Nickle is a plating so it usally will pit and rust if scratched down to the base metal. The magnet test usually only works with real high grade stainless like used on boat hardware and a magnet will not ''stick" It not the same alloy used in guns.

Looks like a fun 22. Nice find.
 
It looks like you've got the rifle laying on a stapler to take the pictures. Actually, it does kinda look like there's a stapler attached to the side.:) Nice .22.
BobL
 
There is one positive way to identify any stainless steel alloy. However it does require that any plating be removed, it will only work if you fully expose the base material.

On mild steel, exposure of the raw steel to a slution of copper sulphate will cause it to plate out with copper. Adding a bit of hydrochloric acid to the copper sulfate can assist in the plating process. However, just wetting some sandpaper with copper sulfate works well if you sand vigerously. If the steel alloy has any content of chromium, it will not plate with copper, wipe it dry and all you will see is shiny stainless steel.

BTW, 300 series stainless steels are normaly non magnetic. However, when a 300 series stainless steel has been cold worked the grain structure is changed and it can become magnetic. Even light machining on 300 series stainless can cause it to become slightly magnetic. Marine hardware uses the type 304 stainless and this alloy is the most common stainless steel in use. It provides a good balance between corrosion resitance and strength. The most corrosion resistant stainless is type 316, however it's use is limited by it's much lower strength.

400 series stainless alloys are normally magnetic. Most can also be heat treated in a manner similar to mild steel, which the 300 series cannot. Nearly every firearm made in stainless uses the 436 alloy because of it's ability to be hardened in the same equipment as mild steel, it's machability, and it's similarity to the properties of the 4140 and 4340 steels. It will also take a very nice polish and is fairly resistant to corrosion but it will corrode under the right conditions.

BTW, I learned the copper sulfate test while working for a supplier of automotive exhaust systems. Type 409 stainless is widely used for the exaust tubing ahead of the catalytic converter because it is resistant to corrosion while being somewhat low it cost. However, type 409 will corrode in a manner similar to aluminum (the corrosion doesn't scale off, it just seals the steel) and the raw tubing is nearly impossible to distinguish from mild steel. Every inventory we would be issued a bottle of copper sulfate and some sandpaper so that the raw tubing could be correctly identified. Since that time I found this test will work on any stainless and that it's also a fairly effective method for plating weld fixtures in copper to reduce the tendancy for weld spatter to stick to the fixture. However, recent experimenting has shown that coating weld fixtures with linseed oil and letting it dry makes the fixture act like teflon for resisting weld spatter. For any welders out there, get yourself some boiled linseed oil and let it dry for 24 hours, spatter flat out won't stick to any surface well coated with it.
 
Originally Posted by red14
Does the stapler, connected to the right side, affect accuracy?


pred said:
Dont know what this means.
Peter
Click to expand...


It means my joke wasn't very good. Sorry.

I do like the rifle though.


.
 
scooter123 said:
There is one positive way to identify any stainless steel alloy. However it does require that any plating be removed, it will only work if you fully expose the base material.

On mild steel, exposure of the raw steel to a slution of copper sulphate will cause it to plate out with copper. Adding a bit of hydrochloric acid to the copper sulfate can assist in the plating process. However, just wetting some sandpaper with copper sulfate works well if you sand vigerously. If the steel alloy has any content of chromium, it will not plate with copper, wipe it dry and all you will see is shiny stainless steel.

BTW, 300 series stainless steels are normaly non magnetic. However, when a 300 series stainless steel has been cold worked the grain structure is changed and it can become magnetic. Even light machining on 300 series stainless can cause it to become slightly magnetic. Marine hardware uses the type 304 stainless and this alloy is the most common stainless steel in use. It provides a good balance between corrosion resitance and strength. The most corrosion resistant stainless is type 316, however it's use is limited by it's much lower strength.

400 series stainless alloys are normally magnetic. Most can also be heat treated in a manner similar to mild steel, which the 300 series cannot. Nearly every firearm made in stainless uses the 436 alloy because of it's ability to be hardened in the same equipment as mild steel, it's machability, and it's similarity to the properties of the 4140 and 4340 steels. It will also take a very nice polish and is fairly resistant to corrosion but it will corrode under the right conditions.

BTW, I learned the copper sulfate test while working for a supplier of automotive exhaust systems. Type 409 stainless is widely used for the exaust tubing ahead of the catalytic converter because it is resistant to corrosion while being somewhat low it cost. However, type 409 will corrode in a manner similar to aluminum (the corrosion doesn't scale off, it just seals the steel) and the raw tubing is nearly impossible to distinguish from mild steel. Every inventory we would be issued a bottle of copper sulfate and some sandpaper so that the raw tubing could be correctly identified. Since that time I found this test will work on any stainless and that it's also a fairly effective method for plating weld fixtures in copper to reduce the tendancy for weld spatter to stick to the fixture. However, recent experimenting has shown that coating weld fixtures with linseed oil and letting it dry makes the fixture act like teflon for resisting weld spatter. For any welders out there, get yourself some boiled linseed oil and let it dry for 24 hours, spatter flat out won't stick to any surface well coated with it.
Click to expand...

Pred, I think calling Rossi Tuesday AM would be easier!
 
CAJUNLAWYER said:
How in the wide world of sports is vegetable oil and egg yoke gonna corrode stainless??????
Click to expand...

Mayo also has lemon juice and salt. Whether there is enough in it to corrode stainless, I don't know. And don't think I'll try, just in case it does.
 
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