Posted: 12/28/2010 4:27:01 PM EDT
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What would you recommend for a bull barrel for a rifle intended for self-defence, 4140 chrome-moly vanadium steel or stainless? And is there a difference in expected service life?
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In general, a stainless barrel will wear out quicker but it would still take several thousand rounds.
Stainless generally has better accuracy. Most stainless barrels are match barrels. Could I ask why a bull barrel for a home defense weapon. Bulls have a lot of weight that is not conductive to manueverability. |
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Quoted:
In general, a stainless barrel will wear out quicker but it would still take several thousand rounds. Stainless generally has better accuracy. Most stainless barrels are match barrels. Thanks. Unfortunately, 2000 rounds could be just a three day training class. That would argue to go for the regular barrel for higher volume shooting. Quoted:
Could I ask why a bull barrel for a home defense weapon. Bulls have a lot of weight that is not conductive to manueverability. First, it wouldn't be exactly home defense, in the sense that lighting off a 5.56 round inside a confined space is not my idea of fun. It could be used, of course, to defend the house from the inevitable hoard of zombies partying outside and presenting a threat. For that, the extra weight of a 16" bull barrel isn't going to bother me. I'm not taking it in the field for days on end, and within reason the extra weight isn't a deal breaker. I have several carbines with thinner barrels, and there are tradeoffs here that I don't like. Yes, the lower weight makes them easier to carry and quicker to maneuver, but there are downsides. I find that when I shoot a 5 shot string on my SIG 556, the first two or three rounds group fairly tightly, but the last two or three start to open up quite a bit. I'm assuming that this is the result of heat buildup in the barrel. Note that the gun is on a bipod, and I've repeated the results a number of times. My M&P15 has decent, but not great groups when compared against any of my competition rifles, or even the SIG 556. Yes, I know it's not designed for competition, and that the accuracy is "adequate," but I'm a bit picky, and want more than just decent accuracy. I discovered that the group size decreases when I really clamp down of the rifle, keeping the muzzle from jumping after being fired (off of a bipod). I'm thinking that the extra weight in the barrel would help stabilize it. I don't want to go to the extremes of using a competition rifle with a tight chamber or an adjustable gas block, but a heavier barrel would be fine. |