AR Chrome lined barrels

[gasman]

A little info I have come across that I thought I would share with you all.


DSA does offer chrome lining for our ARs as an option. Having said that, it is worth commenting as to why we offer most of our rifles without chrome lining. We work with many of the nation’s battle labs on various projects from barrels to suppressors. We get the data that comes with building and testing hundreds or thousands of these items. Chrome lining on military rifle barrels is done for various reasons. Reducing barrel wear and increasing barrel life is the main reason. The military uses chrome lining because of the higher barrel temperatures caused by using high rates of fire in select fire weapons or machine guns. This has nothing to do with using corrosive ammo. U.S. mil-spec ammo is non-corrosive. Does having a chrome lined barrel help when shooting corrosive ammo? YES it does, but can you remember the last time you saw any U.S. made corrosive 5.56mm or .223 ammo for sale? How about corrosive 7.62mm ammo? It is pretty rare, and really does not justify the need for a chrome lined barrel. Of course AK-47 type rifles are another story. Another fact most people don’t know is that many of the “chrome lined” barrels out there are indeed chromed lined, BUT do not meet U.S. military specs for chrome lining.

It is a well proven fact that a non-chrome lined, standard chrome molly barrel will be more accurate than ANY chrome lined barrel 99% of the time. A poorly produced chrome lined barrel will experience plating peeling in less than 1000 rounds causing accuracy problems. Many companies state that they produce chrome lined barrels and they do BUT they are not plated to U.S. mil-spec requirements. Producing proper chrome lined barrels to military specifications is super expensive, and difficult to do correctly. There has been extensive testing on this issue over the last 3-4 years, and the data shows less accuracy is usually the result of a chrome lined barrel whether it is done correctly or in correctly.

[dscubame]

Interesting info

[Heredoggydoggy]

Thanks for that info, GM.  I have never been a fan of chrome-lined barrels due mainly to seeing so many peeling chrome bumpers on '50s and '60s cars when I was younger.  They probably used a cheap process to save money, but it left a lasting bad feeling in my mind for chrome to this day.  When auto companies started chroming plastic in the '90s it peeled off too, until they got the process down pat.  The science of metallurgy has gotten so much better in the last few years, that I think chroming gun barrels is old-school, and unneccesary.     

[Biggerhammer]

See how long your non chromed barrel lasts when really running it hard or a non chrome lined being run full auto. There are several purposes for chrome lined barrels. If your the varmint hunter, traget shooter, plinker type non chromed barrels will serve you well. Burn through 10, 20, 30 mags, get that barrel white hot with the smoke rolling off it, especially suppressed and you will be wanting a chrome lined barrel.

[Machias]

See how long your non chromed barrel lasts when really running it hard or a non chrome lined being run full auto. There are several purposes for chrome lined barrels. If your the varmint hunter, traget shooter, plinker type non chromed barrels will serve you well. Burn through 10, 20, 30 mags, get that barrel white hot with the smoke rolling off it, especially suppressed and you will be wanting a chrome lined barrel.

So who makes a reliable properly done chrome line barrel?

[Heredoggydoggy]

See how long your non chromed barrel lasts when really running it hard or a non chrome lined being run full auto. There are several purposes for chrome lined barrels. If your the varmint hunter, traget shooter, plinker type non chromed barrels will serve you well. Burn through 10, 20, 30 mags, get that barrel white hot with the smoke rolling off it, especially suppressed and you will be wanting a chrome lined barrel.

I don't run full auto or suppressed, so it's a moot point.  Are you trying to impress someone, or what? 

[Biggerhammer]

See how long your non chromed barrel lasts when really running it hard or a non chrome lined being run full auto. There are several purposes for chrome lined barrels. If your the varmint hunter, traget shooter, plinker type non chromed barrels will serve you well. Burn through 10, 20, 30 mags, get that barrel white hot with the smoke rolling off it, especially suppressed and you will be wanting a chrome lined barrel.

I don't run full auto or suppressed, so it's a moot point.  Are you trying to impress someone, or what? 

Well, then you have nothing to worry about. Carry on... Smoke rolls off my chrome lined barrels, with ample mags and ammo to feed them. I don't know about you but I'm not easily impressed.

Straight from Spikes Tactical. Guys in the know how.

"Chrome-moly (aka Chromoly, aka CM) is a type of steel alloy used to make the barrel itself. There are many grades and variations of this alloy used by different rifle companies. Not all are created equal.

Chrome lining is an additional process added to the interior of the barrel to provide protection. Yes, poorly done chrome lining could negatively impact accuracy, but not to a degree that would make it worse than an unlined chromoly barrel.

Stainless barrels are barrels made from stainless steel instead of chromoly alloy. They have the highest accuracy possible of most barrels on the market and are not chrome lined for corrosion resistance. They can however be melonited to provide corrosion resistance and still provide a perfectly smooth material.

Today's chrome lining, from top barrel suppliers, is far better than it was 10 years ago. You can achieve a very smooth chrome surface now with minimal to no impact on accuracy of 16" or less barrels. The longer the barrel, the more accurate you expect and the tougher the challenge for chrome lined barrels.

There are only a few companies left that will do unlined chromoly barrels. Some are match quality, but most are not.

And yes, all the but the worst barrels will do a better job than the shooter can."