i've got a question for ya'll. does colt make their barrels chrome lined? also, a local gun shop was trying to sell me a rifle with a fluted barrel. my question is, if they are suppose to be so much better, little lighter, cool faster, and stronger because of the ridges in the metal length ways, why doesn't the military use fluted barrels? or maybe they do and i don't know. I'm really taking up on this AR thing. my buddy loaned me his colt hbar. i fell in love with.

ArmaLite's position re fluting is the same as titanium firing pins and cryo treatment - nothing is gained.  (In fact, in the ArmaLite AR15.com AR-10 with the slim profile ss barrel, there's not enough excess material remaining to flute.)

all the stuff about fluting is just smoke and mirrors?

cowboy, I just happened to check on the possibility of getting a fluted barrel on an AR-10 last week and that's the response I got from ArmaLite's VP of sales.  She also told me that was Mark Westrom's position - Mark is ArmaLite's President.

No more do I know !!

Nah - you get a light barrel that is almost as stiff as an HBAR.  Its good to use with a Varminter - where you will be carrying it into the field but want the extra stiffness for that 24" barrel.

But the stiffness isn't need for GI type barrels so the military uses a lighter profile for more weight savings (which is far more important to them).

I see the application of fluting more in the varmint and target arena than combat.