New, eh? Let me be one of the first to say Welcome to The High Road! a more civilized community you would be hard pressed to find on the 'Net anywhere. We've got some very knowledgable people here, and I think you won't be sorry for signing on.
You might also take a gander at the sister sight of THR that has just lately celebrated it's re-opening after a year-and-a-half hiatus,
The Firing Line. TFL's closing was directly responsible for this site's existence, and it's worth a look.
I started a discussion of just such a question on TFL recently, just to get things hopping. It's proving to be most interesting, garnering many opinions and some expert testimony from folks in the field of metallurgy.
Now, my initial post is high-handed and laden with condemning pronouncements about the negative and unsavory aspects of stainless as an unsuiutable material for gun manufacture, but don't take it TOO seriously. One inspires good discussion by staking out an extreme position, dragging out a soapbox, climbing up on it, and beating a temple drum whilst predicting "the End is nigh!" in a loud voice.
It worked. Good stuff all around from all concerned. Perhaps this'll answer some of your questions.
Practical Snobbery: The case against stainless steel.
