Hi Everyone,

I am thinking about getting a glock, and I keep on hearing all these stories about G17's shooting  up to 10,000's of rounds, and no problem.  It seems handgunners shoot lot's of rounds in there pistols.  Now, glock barrels are not lined, they appear to be normal chrom-moly barrels.  If pistol barrles are not lined, do they last longer then rifle barrels, and if so, why?

Bottom line, how long will a SS or un-lined barrel last shooting 5.56, I guess the velocity difference would play a large role too (the rifle has more....and more barrel wear.?).

Thanks,
lake

Hey Lake. I wouldn't worry too much about the difference unless you're gonna shoot off a couple hundred rounds at a time on full auto. My service rifle was abused (made in 1989) We put 5 or 6 30 rounders through it quick, and then set it down, the delta ring was even to hot to touch!. I read that a 1/7 chrome lined lasts the army about 20-25000 rounds, remember there played with and treated rough, and run full auto. All else equal 1/9 bbls. last a little longer. 4140 or 4150 chrome moly bbls last a little less theoretically, but if treated right in my biased and hopefull opinion ( I got a 416 stainless h-bar and a 4140 chrome moly h-bar) they should last almost as long as the military light bbls. if you don't burn them out. Chrome bbls. are supposed to be .5" to 1" moa less accurate as well because they are less cocentric. Hope I helped tell you what you wanted to know.
p.s., if you handload just load the rounds up to what you need to reliably cycle the action, and that should preserve a LOT of bbl. life.

First off your Glock (I got one two) has a Tennifer treated barrel.  Its a hardening process that almost gives the steel chrome plated like qualities (then they parkerize over the tennifer treated steel - that is the black stuff).  And with the pistols shooting low pressure rounds (compared with the 55,000 psi of 5.56) and relatively low duty cycle - Glock barrels are not unknown to go 50-100 thousand rounds.  BTW the Beretta military barrels ARE chrome lined...

All things being equal the chrome lined barrel will outlast an unchromed barrel.