The paper studies the effect of quenching in a wide range of temperatures on the quantity of metastable residual austenite, its stability, hardening and wear resistance in the process of abrasive wear of high-carbon tool steels of the pearlitic and ledeburitic classes -150KhNML and Kh12MFL. Despite decreasing initial hardness with increasing quenching temperature, the abrasive wear resistance of the steels increases, this being due to a change in the quantity, composition and deformation stability of residual austenite. The increase in the relative wear resistance of both steels with increasing quenching temperature correlates with hardenability determined by measuring the microhardness of the gauge surface after wear. The cold treatment of the Kh12MFL steel after hightemperature quenching additionally enhances its abrasive wear resistance by 25 % due to the formation of 15 % of high-carbon-chromium cryogenic martensite and increases the initial hardness to 60 НRC with the preservation of 20 % of residual metastable austenite and carbides. Shabashov V.A., Korshunov L.G., Mukoseev A.G., Sagaradze V.V., Makarov A.V., Pilyugin V.P., Novikov S.I., Vildanova N.F. Deformation-induced phase transitions in a highcarbon steel. Materials Science and Engineering: A, 2003, vol. 246, pp.196-207. DOI: 10.1016/S0921-5093(02)00549-X. 2.Filippov M.A., Gervasiev M.A., Khudorozhkova Yu.V., Legchilo V.V. Effect of quenching temperature on the phase composition, structure and wear resistance of the 150KhNM steel. Izvestiya vysshykh uchebnykh zavedeniy.