AR Sponsor
Posted: 2/3/2003 10:55:20 AM EDT
|
I am looking to build my first AR15 out of a 0% forging. I would like to get a Bushmaster Heavy dissy barrel. The chrome lining looks very attractive from a wear and user maintenence view. I have heard of some pretty good groups coming from chromelined barrels despite what other claim. I would like to see your chrome lined groups, setup, ammo, and range. Prove some people wrong and get to show off your rifle! The problem is that all of the less expensive parts kits do not have chrome and so it would mean a more expensive rifle to purchase the barrel separately. I have three forgings to to complete. Hopefully I get two at least. Maybe I could buy kits and swap barrels to get the best match for ME. What are your suggestions? I look forward to some good answers! Brett |
|
Yeah, that is a pretty good way to look at it I guess. A question though, what do you mean by a "toy"? I am just wondering. I have pretty much decided on the dissy barrel. I am already thinking about figuring out how to make "DCM" style free float handguards after I get it. Of course, then I will have to have a 20 incher. Then an ultralight, and then...What is the cure for the bug?! Thank you! I would still like to hear about some you your chrome-lined groups though...pretty pretty please?! Thank you! |
|
123... In my humble opinion, which is sure to bring forth lots of disagreement, there is entirely too much made of this, and if you are pretty much a normal AR shooter, it doesn't make a lot of difference if you buy a chrome lined barrel or a chrome moly barrel. Normal AR shooter = you clean it (at least run a few patches of Hoppes down the barrel) after each range session. You don't intend to shoot it 10,000 rounds a year. You aren't going to use in on a full auto lower. Accuracy is supposed to be better with a non-chrome lined barrel, and I'm sure it matters to the top match shooters, but I have an off the shelf chrome lined Colt barrel (and a skinny barrel at that) which will shoot sub-moa all day long with at least three brands of off the shelf ammo. Naturally its a keeper. I have also had many many many good quality non-chrome lined barrels, Colt, Bushy, DPMS, etc., that wouldn't shoot a decent group with anything you put in it. I think (my opinion again) accuracy in the AR world has a lot more to do with the quality of the ammo, the quality of the shooter, and the proper match of twist to bullet style than it has to do with the chrome question. |
|
Thanks guys! I have decided to go chrome. I was leaning that way in the first place, but it sure helped to lay out my thoughts and get you opinions. While I hadn't really given it much thought, the theory is that chrome is less accurate because it cannot be applied evenly over the bore, that is dimensionally rough. So it makes sense that a lower quality ChromeMoly barrel could be rougher than a quality chrome lined. Free floating is important in both and they are only as good as the ammo you feed them. Bore life and cleaning says chrome to me. Is it appropriate to think of group potential as overlapping circles? Example may be tricky to put into words but here goes. The shooter is almost always the weakest link so he/she is represented by a big circle. The inside of the circle represents where the sights are floating around on the target. The gun and/or ammmo, whichever is the next most in importance, is another circle or cone of fire. This center of this circle goes around the edge, at anypoint, of the the larger circle. There is a next smaller circle that has its center on the edge of the next smallest circle. Every other factor would then be included, the order of which is determined by its importance, which determines the circle, which would then be positioned as noted above. Given a sight or mechanical zero at the moment of firing could then show your largest and smallest cones of fire determined by different variables of user, rifle, ammo, weather, etc... So what your barrel is made of, as long as it is good quality and of apropriate twist, actually plays a very small part in hitting your target. This is just the way I think of it, especially when someone say that their rifle shoots better than they do. This doesn't mean that they wouldn't do better with a more accurate rifle, just that the rifle's cone/circle of fire is smaller than thier cone or circle of aiming. Did anyone understand this or do I need to draw up a picture to post? |
| Simple translation. It doesn't matter how well you shoot, if the rifle, ammo and wind suck, so will your score. However, if you get no wind, perfect ammo and rifle combination, but can't shoot your way out of a barn, your score will suck. IE... if you are an average shooter, don't waste money on competition grade firearms because you will not be able to shoot any better with those than with any other "Quality " gun. But don't buy garbage either or that is all you will ever shoot. |
|
I do note that most of the rest of the shooting community does just fine without chome-lined bores. Yes, it makes for a rifle that will hold up longer, resisting corrosion. But so does stainless. But for most shooters who will not drag the rifle through the salt marsh, or be on patrol during monsoon season for an extended period without cleaning, chromemoly will do just fine. Personally, since I live in a high humidity area, I prefer to buy stainless barrels, but also have chromemoly, too. |
AR Sponsor