Posted: 10/17/2006 3:00:32 AM EDT
|
I am going to be buying a rra A4 shortly and have a couple questions. I am looking for a multi-purpose gun that I can plink from longer ranges and still have the same profile as my work gun. Is there any cycling or other pros and cons to go to the middy handguard? Is the stainless barrel the same profile as the standard barrel? What is the weight difference? I have read several articles lately saying stick to a NATO chamber for reliability, how does the wiley chamber campare? I believe that is is bigger with a tighter throat. so extraction should still be good right, or not quite as good? Thanks in advance Mags |
|
Whooo...lts of questions in one short topic. The barrel weight and profile are the same between moly/chrome-lined moly and stainless. Mid length solves a lot of the issues associated with a CAR gas system, as well as providing a smoother operation, less wear and tear on the carrier key and gas rings, and less perceived recoil. It also provides a two-inch longer sight radius. The Wylde chamber is a match chamber for semi-autos. It handles the .223 Remington or 5.56mm NATO equally well, and will generally give better accuracy than a NATO chamber on its own. Extraction is not an issue with the Wylde chamber, either. Hope I covered everything. If not, or if you need more info, just let me know. Steve/RRA |
|
thanks for the quick response, under 4 hours i am impressed. beside the wylde chamber what advantages would stainless provide. I assume longer life and easier cleaning that cromoly. i looks like friday is order day. just have to decide if stainless is the way to go. Thanks again Shane |
I own a RRA UTE with 16" barrel and mid-length handguard. I have fired just about everything through the rifle. I like the longer sight radius. 8,000 rounds with no problems (except the cost of all the ammo).  |
|
Mags, Stainless and moly are two sides of the same coin. A lot of barrel issues such as longevity and cleaning depend on what you're going to do with the rifle, how you're going to shoot it, how you're going to maintain it, etc...Of course, the stainless bbl is silver, and generally polished versus the flat Parkerized finish on a moly bbl. The 1:8 twist that's standard in the stainless bbls would allow better accuracy with some heavier/longer bullets than a 1:9, but conversely, may not be as accurate with some lighter/shorter bullets. Steve/RRA |
|
There's no magic number that I can easily point to. It largely depends on how you shoot it. If you shot at a leisurely pace, never get the barrel too hot, shot decent ammo, clean it without over-cleaning it, etc...you've easily got thousands and thousands of rounds. If you start doing mag dumps, get it hot, and keep it hot, and that's your primary shooting style, you're eroding the throat at a pretty decent rate and drastically cutting the barrel life. Every barrel is going to be slightly different and every shooter's unique actions are going to be different as well. Steve/RRA |
| Bottom line - if you are not planning on mounting a grenade launcher on your AR, then there is no advantage of an M4 carbine over a middy gas system. 2" longer sight radius, reduced recoil, better ergonomics. The middy design is just better than the carbine design, hands down. |
Wilson chrome moly barrel with 1:9 twist. I have never fired the rifle until the barrel was smoking hot. I clean the rifle like I do my match rifle and I am extra careful around the muzzle crown. The groups have opened up to 2 1/2" from 1 1/2" at 100 yards in the past 400-500 rounds, but after all of the use the barrel has seen it's acceptable. I am a cheapskate and will shoot the rifle until something breaks or the headspace is out of spec. I don't see a great advantage to a chrome lined barrel, but I am sure someone will argue the point. Like Steve indicated, if you quickly hose down the target like you are in a fire fight every time you go to the range don't expect to get the barrel service life I have enjoyed.  |