I chanced on this old thread and the Mc name popped up,interesting as to his thoughts on fluting.

From: Gale McMillan <gale@mcmfamily.com>
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Stainless vs. Blued
Date: 13 May 1998 10:17:34 -0400

Bbemory wrote:
#
# #What advantages/disadvantages does stainless have over "regular" blued
# #steel for a rifle barrel? Am considering purchase of (another) varmint gun,
# #and am thinking of one of those newfangled stainless fluted barrels...
# #
# #
# #
# #Bill McCormick
# #Member, Los Fresnos Rodeo Committee
# #
# #
# #
# #www.hiline.net/~corbson/rodeopage.htm
# #Ring Master, Texas Rodeo Web Ring
# #Join the Texas Rodeo Web Ring:
# # www.hiline.net/~corbson/texasrodeo.htm
# #Texas Rodeo Schedules: http://www.hiline.net/~corbson/rodeosked.htm
# #
# #
#
# I would be interested in hearing from the match shooters who nave experimented
# with both. They have very different thermal characteristics and St St has
# generally poorer machining quality so is one more accurate than the other? I
# have never used stainless on a rifle.
# Blair
# JOIN THE NRA, IT'S OUR ONLY HOPE

Contrary to genral impressions Stainless steel that is used in the
firearms is not more difficult but is much more machineable than
chromoly. The s/s used in barrel steel is stainless screw stock 416R made
to run on auto screw machines at high speed. The steel used in s/s
actions is 1704, a tougher steel that take more tool pressure but
machines nicely. Stainless doesn't have the tensile strength that a
chromoly like 4340 does. Due to the softness of barrel s/s which is 27
to 29 Rockwell C it will not last as long as 4140 and while it is
believed to withstand heat erosion better I have not found that to be
true. As a summery due the better machine ability, s/s barrels can be
made with closer dimensions and surface finishes. It will produce more
accurate barrels. The sole benefit of fluted barrels is that to some
people it looks neat. If you are lucky a fluted barrel will shoot as
well as or nearly as well as an unfluted barrel. And the gunsmith needs
the money.
Gale McMillan