Chrome lined barrel vs. not..

[sig22018]

What is the benefits of a chrome lined barrel in an AR 15 vs one without? I've got the OLL.

thanks

[glockman19]

Longer barrel life. Less fouling, easier to clean.

[ar15barrels]

Chrome-lined: longer barrel life, less fouling, easier to clean.

Non-chrome-lined: less expensive, more accuracy potential.

[mcubed4130]

Chrome-lined: longer barrel life, less fouling, easier to clean.

Non-chrome-lined: less expensive, more accuracy potential.

I dunno - I might rewrite your accuracy comment as:

Non-chrome-lined: baseline accuracy potential.

Chrome-lined: the possibility depending on company to screw up your accuracy.

-M3

[ar15barrels]

I dunno - I might rewrite your accuracy comment as:
Non-chrome-lined: baseline accuracy potential.
Chrome-lined: the possibility depending on company to screw up your accuracy.

Say it however you want, but the likelyhood is that two identical barrels,
one having chrome added to it, the chromed one is most likely to be less accurate than the one that has not been etched and chromed.
That's not to say that a chromed barrel is not ALSO going to be accurate,
just that the process of etching and chroming introduces more variables to the consistency of the bore.

Regardless of the chrome, there are other inconsistencies within a run of barrels.
You can get a turd chromed barrel OR a turd non-chromed barrel.
You can also get a winner chromed barrel or a winner non-chromed barrel.
There are more occurances of turd chrome lined barrels than non-chromed barrels though.

[-hanko]

Say it however you want, but the likelyhood is that two identical barrels,
one having chrome added to it, the chromed one is most likely to be less accurate than the one that has not been etched and chromed.
That's not to say that a chromed barrel is not ALSO going to be accurate,
just that the process of etching and chroming introduces more variables to the consistency of the bore.

Regardless of the chrome, there are other inconsistencies within a run of barrels.
You can get a turd chromed barrel OR a turd non-chromed barrel.
You can also get a winner chromed barrel or a winner non-chromed barrel.
There are more occurances of turd chrome lined barrels than non-chromed barrels though.

+1.

With 2 "non-turd" barrels, one lined and the other not lined, accuracy differences won't be noticeable to the average shooter. E.g., accuracy with chromed line barrels appears at least adequate for the US military.

I like a lined barrel because it lasts longer and is easier to clean. If I need long distance accuracy beyond what an ar can provide, I look at a bolt gun.

=hanko

[Fjold]

Say it however you want, but the likelyhood is that two identical barrels,
one having chrome added to it, the chromed one is most likely to be less accurate than the one that has not been etched and chromed.
That's not to say that a chromed barrel is not ALSO going to be accurate,
just that the process of etching and chroming introduces more variables to the consistency of the bore.

Regardless of the chrome, there are other inconsistencies within a run of barrels.
You can get a turd chromed barrel OR a turd non-chromed barrel.
You can also get a winner chromed barrel or a winner non-chromed barrel.
There are more occurances of turd chrome lined barrels than non-chromed barrels though.

+100

[Boomer1961]

The US armies position was to try to have their cake and eat it to by having a chrome lined chamber with a naked barrel as it is well documented that naked barrels have much higher degree of accuracy.

For almost all Calgun members though I would recommend all chrome as a typical Calgun member does not shoot to that level of accuracy plus is inclined to have to hide the weapon from the wife in dark, grungy, wet, environments hence are better.

[bobfried]

The US armies position was to try to have their cake and eat it to by having a chrome lined chamber with a naked barrel as it is well documented that naked barrels have much higher degree of accuracy.

For almost all Calgun members though I would recommend all chrome as a typical Calgun member does not shoot to that level of accuracy plus is inclined to have to hide the weapon from the wife in dark, grungy, wet, environments hence are better.

What???????

I only started playing with M16 and M4's in the late 90's for the Army and they were all chrome lined by than. You must be speaking of some GI Joe fantasy Army. And there's only one US Army, we don't consider all the other nut job wackos to be "armies".

[bwiese]

The 'inaccuracy' in chrome-lined barrels is really due to the acceptance/rejection rate.

Once the bbl's chromed, "it's it". No tweaks that can be done on unlined bbls.

For AR bbls, the $35- $50 price difference reflects the cost of chrome (relatively small), the cost of chroming (a fair portion, and given toxics handling costs these days not unreasonable), and the cost of rejected bbls. It appears roughly 1/3rd of chromed bbls get tossed.

Global/Tactical Denny's Guns is offering a chrome-lined Mike Rock bbl that appears to have stunning accuracy.

The FN SPR 308 bolt gun has a chromed bbl and it's a same-hole-at-100yds gun.

You can bet that they throw out/reject more than the typical 1/3rd.

Want more accurate chrome-lined bbls? Demand them - the marketplace can shift toward a higher rejection rate (i.e, allowance of tighter tolerance) and thus a higher price.

[ar15barrels]

Global/Tactical Denny's Guns is offering a chrome-lined Mike Rock bbl that appears to have stunning accuracy.

The FN SPR 308 bolt gun has a chromed bbl and it's a same-hole-at-100yds gun.

You can bet that they throw out/reject more than the typical 1/3rd.

Very few chrome lined barrels are rejected, they just get passed through to consumers.
Armalite, Mike Rock and FN know some tricks.

If you LAP the barrel before chroming and you make the bore oversize enough that you don't need to etch it, you can make excellent chrome lined barrels.
Take LMT/Denny (both Mike Rock), Armalite and FN as examples.

[guimus]

and you can always sell the rejects to Model 1

(and I'm a proud Model 1 owner)

[ar15barrels]

and you can always sell the rejects to Model 1

Or any manner of other "gun show" parts sellers...

[bwiese]

Or any manner of other "gun show" parts sellers...

Yes, but those parts all come from "FN".

<bwaaah>

[ar15barrels]

Yes, but those parts all come from "FN".

Of course they do.