Stahlstab oder-grobdraht zur Verwendung beim Kaltschmieden und Verfahren zu deren Herstellung

The present invention provides a steel bar or wire rod for cold forging excellent in ductility after spheroidizing annealing and capable of preventing the occurrence of cracking in the steel material during cold forging, which cracking has so far been a problem when manufacturing machine structural components by cold forging, and a method to produce the same. Specifically, a steel bar or wire rod for cold forging according to the present invention has a chemical composition comprising, in mass, 0.1 to 0.65% of C, 0.01 to 0.5% of Si, 0.2 to 1.7% of Mn, 0.001 to 0.15% of S, 0.015 to 0.1% of Al, 0.0005 to 0.007% of B, and the restricted elements of 0.035% or less of P, 0.01% or less of N and 0.003% or less of O, with the balance consisting of Fe and unavoidable impurities, and is characterized in that: the area percentage of ferrite structure is 10% or less at the portion from the surface to the depth of 0.15 time the radius of the steel bar or wire rod; the other portion consists substantially of one or more of martensite, bainite and pearlite; and further the average hardness of the portion from the depth of 0.5 time its radius to its center is less than the hardness of its surface layer (the portion from the surface to the depth of 0.15 times the radius) by HV 20 or more.