Bohler barrels

[Bill Quillen]

I have older Beretta and Merkel guns marked Bohler Antinit barrels. I associate this with a high grade steel with high nickel and other metals to approach being classified as stainless steel. The Boehler or Bohler name also carries other grades or types of gun barrel steel ( Rasant, Special or Spezial )

What is the difference in these grades of steel ? What characteristics do these products posess which makes them desirable ? How do these steels compare to the steel being used by high grade gun makers today? I notice that Beretta is still using the Antinit on its SO competition guns but does no say what the steel is on the new SO10 and the new Merkel 303EL no longer identifies the steel in the barrels.

Hopefully this knowledgeable group will have some insight into these questions.

Thanks. Bill

[bro.steve]

Bohler antinit is anti-corro. The others are fine grades but I cannot comment on the metallurgy. Strangely enough I have seen more antinit on shotgun barrels than rifles. Have seen it on Mannlicher Schoenauers and it helps keep the frost out of the grooves! It is harder to blue...Steve

[bro.steve]

Have been musing about your post, and need to add....these steels are desirable not just because they are stronger, but more importantly, being stronger, they can be made thinner and therefore LIGHTER! Remember that one of the reasons the 16 ga. ruled in the manufacture of drillings, was that it was a smaller, therefore lighter tube. I have a 12 bore Funk drilling that is as light as I desire because of the use of better metallurgy. Steve