just based on the shape and the cuts, it's obvious that the slide is machined from bar. but the bar was cut from a slab of steel.
the steel gets alloyed with other metals to produce the exact grade of steel desired. it is possible that as the steel is pored into the slab and the slab cures from molten to hard that air pockets form. or that certain parts of the slab contain more or less alloying agents than others. these can be invisible until you x-ray the steel. in production quantities, using steel known to be high quality, these measures are rarely taken becuse they rarely yeild any actionable evidence.
so in other words, sometimes stuff gets weird; even with steel.
steyr on the whole churns out good product, but nobody's perfect.
it would make sense that the barrel is of much higher quality steel because you're asking a lot more of it in terms of heat and pressure resistance. the same that you're drive axles are much higher quality steel than the bracket holding on your side view mirror.
the steel gets alloyed with other metals to produce the exact grade of steel desired. it is possible that as the steel is pored into the slab and the slab cures from molten to hard that air pockets form. or that certain parts of the slab contain more or less alloying agents than others. these can be invisible until you x-ray the steel. in production quantities, using steel known to be high quality, these measures are rarely taken becuse they rarely yeild any actionable evidence.
so in other words, sometimes stuff gets weird; even with steel.
steyr on the whole churns out good product, but nobody's perfect.
it would make sense that the barrel is of much higher quality steel because you're asking a lot more of it in terms of heat and pressure resistance. the same that you're drive axles are much higher quality steel than the bracket holding on your side view mirror.
