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Posted: 3/12/2020 6:24:31 AM EDT
[#1]
Was thinking of asking the same question.
Many AR barrel manufacturers are using nitride vs chrome, with phenomenal results. In the the info |
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Posted: 3/12/2020 9:32:30 AM EDT
[#2]
Happy with the accuracy but I honestly can’t comment on anything else as I haven’t done enough abuse yet.
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Posted: 3/12/2020 10:54:48 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Many AR barrel manufacturers are using nitride vs chrome, with phenomenal results. Assuming both are properly applied, chrome-lining is superior to nitride. The main difference is how it protects a barrel as the temperature increases. The only comparative results which indicate nitride to be "just as good" are when the barrel doesn't get hot. Then it could theoretically last just as long as a chrome-lined barrel... except barrels do get hot. The more rounds you fire, the hotter they get. Companies didn't start switching to nitride instead of chrome because of better performance... They use nitride to decrease production costs. The only thing cheaper is to not protect the barrel at all. OP maybe didn't want a thread about chrome vs nitride though... ? I am interested in results/info also. It's rare that reviewers fire a few thousand rounds and then take photos through a good bore scope. I wish more would do so, but that's asking a lot. |
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Posted: 3/12/2020 11:15:52 AM EDT
[#4]
Don't have one - but I will say I'm not very impressed with the chrome lined FN AUG BBL - at all. My experiences with malonited AR barrels has been quite good, and given the choice, I'll take malonited over chrome-lined for anything short of sustained full-auto fire.
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Posted: 3/12/2020 1:09:53 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Don't have one - but I will say I'm not very impressed with the chrome lined FN AUG BBL - at all. People were talking about the FN AUG barrels starting to fail around 4k rounds I think. Chrome flaking/peeling and wearing off the bore. That's bad. They should last closer to 10k if they were made right. Idk if this production issue affected other chrome-lined barrels FN was producing, or just the AUG barrels. It seems the last chrome-lined AUG barrels known to be awesome were those produced by Sabre Defence for the original AUG A3, and the Austrian barrels produced by Steyr themselves (which haven't been commonly sold here since they were last imported in 1989 on complete AUGs, with some additional later imports as spare barrel assemblies by PJ's I think). (I suppose I should +1 the heavy Australian ADI barrels used on the USR in the 1990s. They were chrome-lined as well, and reportedly very precise.) |
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Posted: 3/12/2020 1:17:25 PM EDT
[#6]
I have Sabre 16”, FN 16”, and Steyr nitride 20”.
The nitride barrel is amazing. With Norma 223 55gr black box (actual Norma made), it was doing consistent 1.1 - 1.4 MOA 10rd group at 100 yards with 4x ACOG |
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Posted: 3/12/2020 1:54:10 PM EDT
[#7]
Slight thread drift, but,
What is the acceptable MOA performance of the AUG in military service? I was initially surprised the M4 platform had what many people would consider less than stellar 4 MOA standards. |
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Posted: 3/12/2020 2:00:53 PM EDT
[#8]
I tested 3 nitrided AUG bbls, one started losing accuracy at 3500-4000 rds under normal use, one i abused because of a major stringing problem. It ended up going to a host gun and by 6000 rounds was keyholing. The 3rd I never fired. Early FN barrels were very good but suffered from quality control issues later on. The nitrate barrels were all less accurate than the FN chrome barrels that i shot. Chrome lined barrels from Austria are still the best but not really an option. Steyr may have got their nitriding and finishing process worked out for the new US AUG barrels, don’t know. I don’t buy anything new from Steyr USA now. I will say this, Steyr Austria still uses CLB for a reason. there are still a few people at Steyr USA that won’t try to hide this fact... of course they don’t work in marketing either. The whole reason Steyr USA uses nitride isn’t for its superiority, it’s because they literally don’t know how to properly chrome line a barrel.
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Posted: 3/12/2020 4:42:54 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I tested 3 nitrided AUG bbls, one started losing accuracy at 3500-4000 rds under normal use, one i abused because of a major stringing problem. It ended up going to a host gun and by 6000 rounds was keyholing. The 3rd I never fired. Early FN barrels were very good but suffered from quality control issues later on. The nitrate barrels were all less accurate than the FN chrome barrels that i shot. Chrome lined barrels from Austria are still the best but not really an option. Steyr may have got their nitriding and finishing process worked out for the new US AUG barrels, don't know. I don't buy anything new from Steyr USA now. I will say this, Steyr Austria still uses CLB for a reason. there are still a few people at Steyr USA that won't try to hide this fact... of course they don't work in marketing either. The whole reason Steyr USA uses nitride isn't for its superiority, it's because they literally don't know how to properly chrome line a barrel. |
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Posted: 3/12/2020 4:43:51 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I tested 3 nitrided AUG bbls, one started losing accuracy at 3500-4000 rds under normal use, one i abused because of a major stringing problem. It ended up going to a host gun and by 6000 rounds was keyholing. The 3rd I never fired. Early FN barrels were very good but suffered from quality control issues later on. The nitrate barrels were all less accurate than the FN chrome barrels that i shot. Chrome lined barrels from Austria are still the best but not really an option. Steyr may have got their nitriding and finishing process worked out for the new US AUG barrels, don’t know. I don’t buy anything new from Steyr USA now. I will say this, Steyr Austria still uses CLB for a reason. there are still a few people at Steyr USA that won’t try to hide this fact... of course they don’t work in marketing either. The whole reason Steyr USA uses nitride isn’t for its superiority, it’s because they literally don’t know how to properly chrome line a barrel. And then I had a cheap other AR BBL pre malonited, that you can pretty much watch the throat erode with each outing. |
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Posted: 3/12/2020 6:50:04 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Good to know. In my usage experience I suspect that not all maloniting is the same. There's cheap-fast surface corrosion resistant maloniting; which is what your $80 AR barrels come with. And then there's true all-out hardning maloniting. I have a stainless barrel that was separately malonited by an oil-field tool hardnening company. It wins 600 yard matches at 6000 rounds still, and still looks crisp. And then I had a cheap other AR BBL pre malonited, that you can pretty much watch the throat erode with each outing. |
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Posted: 3/12/2020 7:10:05 PM EDT
[#12]
I actually took mine out today and shot some test groups with it at 100 yards after I zeroed it with my initial load at 50 yards. The optic is a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6. I'll post images from my targets below. Above each image is the load and group size. Most groups were 3 shots, and I had two 10 shot groups I did with 62gr green tip. These aren't every group I shot, as there some that were larger. The ones here are the best groups I got on the day with each load. The Federal 69gr SMK was pretty consistent, where-as the Hornady Superformance was decent.
62gr green tip - 10 shot group - 2 1/2" 
62gr green tip - 10 shot group - 2" 
Federal 69gr Sierra MatchKing BTHP - 3 shot group - 5/8" 
Federal 69gr Sierra MatchKing BTHP - 3 shot group - 1/2" 
Federal 69gr Sierra Matchking BTHP - 3 shot group - 5/8" 
Hornady 55gr Superformance - 3 shot group - 1 1/8" 
Hornady 55gr Superformance - 3 shot group - 1 3/8" 
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Posted: 3/12/2020 7:28:32 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:...they should contract with Daniel Defense to get them chrome lined The issue with melonite is throat erosion due to flame temperature. So, no matter the firing schedule, chrome lining will last longer than melonite. |
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Posted: 3/12/2020 7:43:45 PM EDT
[#14]
How were the CL 16'' AUG barrels Pete sold a few years back? [made in the USA]
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Posted: 3/14/2020 9:15:09 AM EDT
[#15]
In for this since I have three spares.
Also, did Pete’s parts kits come with a barrel? I got one of those, too. |
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Posted: 3/14/2020 12:28:27 PM EDT
[#16]
The Steyr AUG nitrided barrel is plenty accurate :)
With Norma 223 55gr black box (not the new red box Lake City), 100yards, 10rd, 4x ACOG 
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Posted: 3/14/2020 1:18:15 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The Steyr AUG nitrided barrel is plenty accurate :) With Norma 223 55gr black box (not the new red box Lake City), 100yards, 10rd, 4x ACOG https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49658762341_07e5b9a769_o.jpg 
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Posted: 3/15/2020 9:58:02 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I tested 3 nitrided AUG bbls, one started losing accuracy at 3500-4000 rds under normal use, one i abused because of a major stringing problem. It ended up going to a host gun and by 6000 rounds was keyholing. The 3rd I never fired. Early FN barrels were very good but suffered from quality control issues later on. The nitrate barrels were all less accurate than the FN chrome barrels that i shot. Chrome lined barrels from Austria are still the best but not really an option. Steyr may have got their nitriding and finishing process worked out for the new US AUG barrels, don’t know. I don’t buy anything new from Steyr USA now. I will say this, Steyr Austria still uses CLB for a reason. there are still a few people at Steyr USA that won’t try to hide this fact... of course they don’t work in marketing either. The whole reason Steyr USA uses nitride isn’t for its superiority, it’s because they literally don’t know how to properly chrome line a barrel. |
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Posted: 3/15/2020 1:34:36 PM EDT
[#19]
Does Made in USA mean nitrided? Can anyone post a pic showing the difference?
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Posted: 3/15/2020 1:48:09 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Does Made in USA mean nitrided? Can anyone post a pic showing the difference? |
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Posted: 3/15/2020 8:51:14 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: New owner here who I really hope more than 4000 rounds out of a barrel. That’s just terrible. Quote HistoryQuoted: New owner here who I really hope more than 4000 rounds out of a barrel. That’s just terrible. Quoted:
Does Made in USA mean nitrided? Can anyone post a pic showing the difference? 
Nitrided (small polished ring) 
Chrome Lined (large chrome ring) |
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Posted: 3/17/2020 9:50:13 AM EDT
[#22]
Thanks for the pics FullAssault
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Posted: 3/17/2020 10:08:39 PM EDT
[#23]
I have only one nitride barrel. I see no lessened or degraded accuracy compared to a typical FN AUG barrel. It's full-time suppressed with wolf gold so I wouldn't be able to say exactly how it compares to CL barrels, but I'm pleased with it thus far.
I'm not pleased that Steyr's cheaped out, but whatever - I'm not quite happy with their direction either... |
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Posted: 5/4/2020 4:45:24 PM EDT
[#24]
Does the Austrian government put up barriers to export some gun parts like the Germans and our ITAR? I’m aware of the 922r issues with importing some parts.
I thought I read that was a barrier to Steyr USA just calling up Austria and ordering a batch of barrels. Steyr needs a new marketing dept. to say the least! |
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Posted: 5/4/2020 4:57:19 PM EDT
[#25]
They way I understand it, the ATF during the Bush II days reinterpreted an import law in a way that prohibited barrels from being imported if the gun they go to was also banned from import. Steyr USA can get the barrel blanks from Austria but they have to make the barrels here. I've read the import statutes and it seems like there should be a way to get imported barrels if the firearm is made here. But I'm sure that would take another ATF 'reinterpretation'
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Posted: 5/5/2020 9:37:19 AM EDT
[#26]
They could probably just Import them much like what they are already doing just with a finished bore, no gas block or threads and finish them in-house but they make more money per bbl nitriding them and charging you for the price of a CLB. Fact is most people don’t know they are not chrome lined anymore, many don’t care so there is no incentive for Steyr to give up their bottomline to bring you a Austrian Mil spec AUG. They could offer both types of barrels to make both groups happy (even make more $ doing so) but their PR has spent so much time and effort to justify the use of nitride I doubt you’ll see that happen.
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Posted: 5/5/2020 10:35:44 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By FullAssault: They could probably just Import them much like what they are already doing just with a finished bore, no gas block or threads and finish them in-house but they make more money per bbl nitriding them and charging you for the price of a CLB. Fact is most people don’t know they are not chrome lined anymore, many don’t care so there is no incentive for Steyr to give up their bottomline to bring you a Austrian Mil spec AUG. They could offer both types of barrels to make both groups happy (even make more $ doing so) but their PR has spent so much time and effort to justify the use of nitride I doubt you’ll see that happen. I wonder if this is the method that IWI uses to provide Israeli CL barrels for the Tavor? |
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Posted: 5/5/2020 11:16:24 AM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I wonder if this is the method that IWI uses to provide Israeli CL barrels for the Tavor? it seems crazy to me that we can get Tavors and even many mid-grade AKs imported with CHF CL barrels, but Steyr can't find a way to bring in Austrian made barrels |
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Posted: 5/5/2020 11:27:56 AM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By maleante: I wonder if this is the method that IWI uses to provide Israeli CL barrels for the Tavor? I doubt it, those barrels are uniformly finished under FH on the threads. the US mag and FCG counts as the 922r parts on both the Tavor & Galil so the BBL is still considered a foreign part. The fact FN,IWI,CZ,CSA,Cugir,Zastava,Arsenal,HK and anyone else selling these type of rifles gets their barrels in tells me it’s not that hard to do. |
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Posted: 5/5/2020 11:54:34 AM EDT
[#30]
This is the 922r list on the A3 not sure if it’s still up to date.
Parts restricted under 922r Parts followed by * apply to AUG (1) Frames, receivers, receiver castings, forgings or stampings* U.S. ON A3 (2) Barrels* U.S. ON A3 (3) Barrel extensions N/A (4) Mounting blocks (trunions)* IMPORTED (5) Muzzle attachments* U.S. ON A3 (6) Bolts* IMPORTED (7) Bolt carriers* IMPORTED (8) Operating rods* (CHARGING HANDLE) U.S. ON A3 (9) Gas pistons* U.S. ON A3 (10) Trigger housings* IMPORTED (11) Triggers* U.S. ON A3 (12) Hammers* IMPORTED (13) Sears* IMPORTED (14) Disconnectors* IMPORTED (15) Buttstocks* IMPORTED (16) Pistol grips N/A INTEGRAL WITH STOCK (17) Forearms, handguards* IMPORTED With the 20/20 sear and Magpul AUG mags they could import anything they want. |
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