Stainless Mark V finish

[dubyam]

I just picked up a Mark V stainless synthetic in 300Wby, and am wondering what the finish on this rifle is.  Is it some sort of nickel, or something else, or is it the raw stainless in a bead blasted matte?

[340 Weatherby]

It depends on the date of production. If the serial number starts with a "H" (Japanese) It's the Alaskan that was nickel plated. If the rifle is US made, it's stainless steel.

[dubyam]

It's a US made gun, so it is stainless.  Is there any kind of coating on it, or is it just raw stainless?

[340 Weatherby]

I believe Weatherby does a kind of treatment on the Stainless Steel after machining. This to avoid that you get fingerprints etc. marking the steel then the rifle is new. Anyhow it's always a good rule to keep the steel oiled. Stainless Steel is not rust proof, if you try with a magnet it will stick to the barrel.This is due to that the steel contains a small amount of iron. All firearms in Stainless Steel contains Iron.

* Post edited due to miss spelling (I used the word carbon instead of Iron  )
Thanks to DPhillips for telling Me!