AR barrel difference

[IRISH1]

What is the difference between chrome lined barrel and non chrome lined barrel..... How much value(in general) do they add to a rifle?

 

[Sainte]

chrome lining is desired as chrome is much, much harder than steel. that being said, I ALWAYS go for chrome lining in my barrels vice a plain or even stainless steel barrel.

and do NOT...EVER use things like WD-40 etc on a gun. especially a plated gun. that stuff is designed to penetrate and displace water. well, it will also lift chrome and other types of plating off a base metal.

 

[IRISH1]

What about value.....how much more do barrels cost with chrome plating?

 

[Manatee]

There are many variables that comprise the cost of a barrel. Your question does not have a simple answer. Steel type/metallurgy (carbon content and alloys therein), hammer forging, rifling, quality control, etc etc etc. All are factors in barrel quality and cost. Chrome does not add to accuracy in almost all cases. But chromium alloy (stainless steel) might be more accurate.

No easy answer. Perhaps a better question might be: what are some of the best barrels I can get for $xxx?

 

[Sainte]

One problem with stainless barrels though is that they heat up faster ans will then "warp" more causing accuracy to degrade.

stick with a barrel by a well known mfg if you are building your own rifle from the ground up.

if not, my advice is to avoid a lot of these "fly by night" AR builders and stick with companies that will be around in a few years and that will stand behind their product.

BCM, spikes, aero precision are all awesome companies that have a low price point, a great product and offer you pretty much what you are looking for all in one pkg.

daniel defense, lwrc, colt, lmt etc all offer outstanding rifles, good customer service but, you are going to pay for those products.

there are tons of good deals out there for good parts. There are also several people on this site that far outstrip my middling knowledge of the AR. I have only built a couple dozen, others here, well......they maaaaayyyyy have an addiction......

 

[mvician]

Roughly $50-75 over a non chrome lined barrel of the same type/material.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

There are many variables that comprise the cost of a barrel. Your question does not have a simple answer. Steel type/metallurgy (carbon content and alloys therein), hammer forging, rifling, quality control, etc etc etc. All are factors in barrel quality and cost. Chrome does not add to accuracy in almost all cases. But chromium alloy (stainless steel) might be more accurate.

No easy answer. Perhaps a better question might be: what are some of the best barrels I can get for $xxx?

Don't want to hijack anyone's thread, but trying to remember my material's science class from WAY back in the day...Stainless has a number of components, but the two additions that make it stainless are chrome and nickel. If I remember right - generally - the higher the nickel content the more corrosion resistent and the stronger it becomes? Not sure what stainless steel is used in barrels, but I think 316 is the marine grade that's extremely corrosion resistent and pretty darn strong. Anyone know what stainless steel is generally used for making gun barrels?

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

OK, did a little quick digging and it seems variants of 416 are used in the making of SS barrels. They have no nickel in them, but may be heat treated, whereas 316 or other nickel type SS materials may not. So, for higher pressures, and heat treating, non-nickel type stainless is used. I guess that's why SS barrels are prone to corrosion, not as bad as carbon steel, but a necessary compromise.

Another interesting tid-bit in the quick reading was that SS is not recommended for extreme cold. SS especially the heat treated type used in making rifle barrels tends to yield at temperatures below zero. Chrome-Molly is pretty darn hard and doesn't lose properties at extreme cold and thus a fine military application. Couldn't find anything about how the gun industry addresses this problem of very cold temperature application for SS barrels.

 

[actaeon277]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...-chrome-lined-barrel-vs-non-chrome-lined.html