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Posted: 11/17/2007 9:25:39 PM EDT
| I'm not really knowledgable when it comes to inspecting ar-15/m4/m16 barrels. In other words, if I were to buy a used barrel. What are the important things should I be looking for? Does dent mark on the outside means something? How can I tell the condition of the bore? I'm pretty much a noob in this so please help me out. Thanks! |
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Nothing like a borescope. But on the cheap......... First, don't be afraid to ask questions about how it was used, etc. Ask about round count. Slow fire use is not the same as continual FA use. Look for evidence of damage at the crown. A small hand-held magnifying glass helps. Look down the bore to see if the barrel has been bent by overheating or trauma. Look for rings - evidence of a squib in it's history. Remember that the gas port is not a defect, it's supposed to be there. Run a patch through the bore to get rid of all lube, then look through the breech - you want to see crisp rifling starting at the throat. If you have a barrel of known pristine condition that you can use as a "control", by all means bring it with you. Look back and forth a few times to compare them. If you can find a known shot out barrel to play with, run a tight patch down the bore slowly (from breech). Repeat with a pristine, new barrel. You can actually feel the rough throat, and get some idea about how far the rough area extends. One of my 11.5s is rough for 3 to 4 inches from the throat. It ought to be - it's been fired over 5,000 rds of nothing but FA multiple mag dumps. Now, a dirty barrel will also feel rough, so you'll need to sort that out - either by trusting the seller's representation or by cleaning the thing yourself. Don't know what you mean by dent, but cosmetic external scratches are nothing to worry about. Sam |
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