Weight and price are the only differences you will ever notice. The Boelher barrels can be made a bit lighter

 

Claysmoke, weight (according to the published data on 32" barrels):

Steelium Pro
Gauge: 12
Barrel Length: 32”
Chamber: 3"
Weight: 8 lbs 14 oz
Barrel Weight: 1.62 Kg

Boehler Antinit Steel
Gauge: 12
Barrel Length: 32”
Chamber: 3"
Weight: 9 lbs
Barrel Weight: 1.62 Kg

You are right on the price, though. The difference between a SO5 with Steelium Pro vs. Boehler Antinit is about $6000 USD.

 

Beretta AFAIK has not revealed the composition of Steelium, but has published this:
"Steelium/Excelsior HSA Steel" is "proprietary tri-ally steel (Ni/CR/MO) (that) goes through a unique manufacturing process. Deep hole drilling cold hammer forging and vacuum distension create the very best ballistic performance available".

AISI 8620 is a chromium, molybdenum, nickel alloy steel often used for modern double shotgun frames and likely on some high $ barrels, and may be what "Steelium" is
Carbon - .18 - .23%
Manganese - 0.7 - 0.9%
Chromium - 0.4 - 0.6%
Molybdenum - 0.15 - 0.25%
Nickel - 0.4 - 0.7%

There have been lots of threads regarding Boelher Antinit which Beretta (SO and ASE) and Krieghoff were using until about 2004 when it apparently either became unavailable or too expensive.
The original 1912 Bohler "Antinit" (Rostfrei Laufstahl) was chrome-molybdenum-vanadium but I have no data regarding the more recent alloys.

Both are high quality, and the composition thereof has no relation to convergence issues, nor patterning, despite the marketing hyperbole.

 

There's no such material as Steelium, it's just a ridiculous made up word. The actual steel is the same as they've used for many years, specifically Excelsior HSA. They even stamp it on the Steelium barrels.

The much vaunted cold forging process, which uses highly expensive NC machines, is just more cost effective than bored barrels and I've yet to see the slightest evidence that it's ballistically superior.

 

There's no such material as Steelium, it's just a ridiculous made up word. The actual steel is the same as they've used for many years, specifically Excelsior HSA. They even stamp it on the Steelium barrels.

The much vaunted cold forging process, which uses highly expensive NC machines, is just more cost effective than bored barrels and I've yet to see the slightest evidence that it's ballistically superior.

Trickster, you are correct. The barrels on my DT11 are indeed stamped "Excelsior H.S.A. Steel" (btw, same as a 686 Silver Pigeon!). The argument (from Beretta) about the Steelium Pro barrels is that the long forcing cones (almost the entire length of the barrels) deliver better and more homogeneous patterns (and they go so far as to claim "regardless of ammo").

I'd love for someone to disprove that claim, and AFAIK, the only scientific way to call Beretta on that claim would be to shoot guns of the same model and similar characteristics (barrel length, gauge, chokes, ammo, etc), under similar conditions (wind, barometric pressure, temps, etc), that is, eliminate as many variables as possible. A true scientific test, if you will. That is, put some lead on paper, under controlled conditions, and see what's what.

Beretta claims to spend millions of dollars annually in R&D, and I believe them. The difficult part would be to sort fact from fiction, particularly in regards to their "forcing cone" theory, and whether it is all they claim it to be.

Interesting subject, for sure.

 

Marketing hyperbole.

Winchester model 12's that are 100 yrs old are still shot regularly with 100's of thousands of rounds through them and they're holding up fine.

Shotgun ammo is a low pressure game.

 

Folks,

I've been considering purchasing a Beretta SO5 Sporting, and am trying to learn as much as I can about Boehler Antinit vs. Stellium Pro barrels.

Would someone familiar with the intricacies of metallurgy, any patterning advantage with the Stellium Pro barrels and convergence issues with either care to comment?

Thanks!!!

I can't tell you about the Boehler unit,but I can state that the Steelium Pro barrels on my DT11 ACS,throw some great patterns.I have had this gun since 2017 and would not sell it at all.I have only seen one for sale used,since then,people like and keep them.

 

Same here, Creeker. I shoot a DT11 Sporting, with Steelium Pro barrels, and REALLY like the way it patterns with Muller Chokes.

In theory, the forcing cones (as explained by Ricardo Oliveri) make sense to me, but I'd love to contrast the patterns from a DT11 with Steelium Pro barrels with a ASE, SO or such (or any other high end Beretta gun) without forcing cones, just to see what's what...

 

Thank you every one for your comments.

Regarding the forcing cones effect on patterning, has anyone done patterning comparisons between Boehler Antinit vs. Steelium plus vs. pro?

Just curious if indeed, there is any significant difference.

Thanks all!

 

BTW, I found this interesting video last night. Rich Cole discussing barrels and forcing cones on Steelium plus vs. pro with Ricardo Oliveri, Head of Products at Beretta.

Quite interesting.

 

Good video. Thank you for sharing.