Steel wire rod or steel bar having excellent cold forgeability

Abstract

A steel wire rod or steel bar as hot-rolled, including: by mass %: C: 0.1 to 0.6%, Si: 0.01 to 1.5%, Mn: 0.05 to 2.5%, Al: 0.015 to 0.3%, and N: 0.0040 to 0.0150%, and P: limited to 0.035% or less and S: limited to 0.025% or less, and the balance substantially consisting of iron and unavoidable impurities, wherein a depth of d (mm) from the surface of the surface layer region with 20 HV 0.2 or more higher, relative to HV 0.2 that is the average hardness in the region where the depth from the surface is from sectional radius R×0.5 (mm) to the center satisfies the formula (1); the steel structure of the surface layer region has a ferrite fraction of 10% or less by area ratio, with the balance being one or two or more of martensite, bainite and pearlite; the steel structure where the depth from the surface is from the sectional radius R×0.5 (mm) to the center is ferrite-pearlite or ferrite-bainite; and the surface roughness Ra in the circumferential direction when scales adhering to the surface have been removed is 4 μm or less.