In [IFast and Fancy Revolver Shooting][/I] Ed McGivern has pictures of one hole machine rest targets fired out of 1920s vintage S&W K-22s with over 200,000 rounds apiece. Barrels in Browning designs-and many other semiautos are easily replaced. Perhaps cheaply made handguns-say Spanish off brands of the 1920s and 30s and Khyber Pass copies are made from low grade steels that will wear quickly but it seems all the major and many of the minor US-and European-manufacturers use proper alloys. Also I think there is some evidence with some of the hotter rifle calibers-220 Swift,e.g. that stainless steel holds up better than carbon steel,and stainless has to alarge extent displaced blued steel in modern manufacture.
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