Quoted:
Quoted:
dragging a steel rod through a barrel ain't good.
5sub
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That's why cleaning rods are aluminum. That way they are softer than the rifling they come in contact with.
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Until you have a sectional aluminum rod break. Aluminum is softer than steel, but you can still make a very good gouge in the rifling when the (weak) aluminum rod snaps when pushing a tight patch through. Take a piece of aluminum and swipe a sharp edge of it across a piece of steel. The aluminum deforms more, but the steel will have marks, too.
As far as accuracy on Chrome/Non-Chrome: If you are shooting at 8" target under 200 yds, you probably wouldn't notice the difference in an M4. Barrel length, non-floated, sight radius, etc. are affecting your accuracy more than the bbl. If you are wanting to shoot smaller at longer ranges, you probably don't want an M4...
Chrome is great to keep the barrel from rusting when carried in rain, easier to clean, but the downside: The Chrome lining does wear off. After a few thousand rounds, you won't have a lined barrel, at least near the throat, especially if you do a lot of rapid-fire.
Chrome loses accuracy mostly because the blank has to be cut a bit wide on tolerance to make room for the 0.00075 - 0.002" layer of chrome plating, which isn't always perfectly even or exact. A triple cut/lapped steel barrel will have exact diameter entire length with no irregularities.
I will now put on my asbestos suit.