There is a pretty big difference between 304 and 316 stainless steel. 304 stainless steel has a higher amount of chromium and a lower amount of nickel. 316 stainless steel has a lower percentage of chromium and a higher percentage of nickel. 316 steel also contains 2% of molybdenum. The addition of the molybdenum helps to protect against problems with chlorides like salt and sea water. There are applications when 316 stainless steel is a much better application. In marine jobs where this type of steel is necessary, 316 stainless steel will work better than 304. I had to make some serious adaptations to my pontoon boat. I knew that I was going to be taking the pontoon boat out on the river and probably to the bay as well. The bay has salt water, so I knew it was important to use the right steel products when I was fixing up the boat. I didn’t want the products to corrode, rust, or melt away due to the sea water. I found a company close to my home that had a huge selection of products that could help with my project and many of the products were made in the usa. I prefer to buy American made products whenever possible. I think it is best to put our money back into the government and the people instead of sending our dollars across the sea. The company hooked me up with everything that I needed to complete my project and they delivered everything to my home for a small fee. I didn’t even need to worry about anything. Dealing with the metal company was a breeze.