An experimental program has been conducted on Type 316 stainless steel uniaxial specimens to determine the main characteristics of their behavior under repeated loading. The cyclic stress-strain curve measured under constant repeated load, without high preloads, is independent of the level of the mean stress. Two different behaviors with respect to the occurrence of progressive deformation have been observed: (1) at room temperature, progressive deformation occurs when the maximum value of the tensile stress exceeds a critical value, and (2) at 320°C and for loading with temperature cycling between ambient temperature and 320°C, progressive deformation occurs when the amplitude of stress exceeds a critical value. These results show that Section III of the ASME Code, which limits the range of variation of the primary plus secondary stress intensity to the value of 3 Sm, gives an effective guarantee against progressive deformation for operating conditions in the range of 20 to 320°C. It is recalled that the absence of progressive deformation is a necessary condition for the validity of conventional low-cycle fatigue analysis.