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Posted: 9/29/2004 4:45:43 PM EDT
[#1]
Go chrome or go home. It is seriously worth it in barrel life and corrosion resistance.
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Posted: 9/29/2004 4:46:33 PM EDT
[#2]
Barrel lasts longer and won't rust as easy. Takes a hit in accuracy (slight).
If it's a fighting gun, go chrome lined. |
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Posted: 9/29/2004 4:49:08 PM EDT
[#3]
If you have a choice, Get chrome
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Posted: 9/29/2004 4:52:22 PM EDT
[#4]
Go chrome. Its what I'm trying to do now on a mid length barrel but the costs are killing me. So I may just skip the mid length barrel, all just to get a chrome lined barrel.
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Posted: 9/29/2004 4:58:12 PM EDT
[#5]
CHROME! The only Way to go
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Posted: 9/29/2004 4:59:05 PM EDT
[#6]
To chrome
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:10:07 PM EDT
[#7]
IMHO chrome is so HIGHLY over rated! I'm still surprised to see all the argument PRO-chrome. Like many here will benefit from it. Unless your running FA and ALOT sustained FA, chrome is a gimmick.
Longer barrel life? That's easy! Clean your weapon, maintain it WELL and your barrel will easily outlast YOU. The fact is, everyone wants to think that their config is THE STUFF, so, naturally there are those who will tout "Go chrome or go home". If the config you've bought comes with chrome, GREAT!, of not, GREAT! Chances are, you're never going to shoot that rifle to the point where you are going to wear out a non-chrome lined barrel. Go chrome of you WANT chome, but you certainly won't NEED chrome. I've mentioned this before and I'll do it again, the amount of disinformation here is staggering. |
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:13:56 PM EDT
[#8]
You think maybe that includes your (mis)information also? 
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:16:43 PM EDT
[#9]
WizardofAhs, I do a lot of rapid fire, and that just plain KILLS non chrome barrels.
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:19:31 PM EDT
[#10]
Wow, so throat irrosion is just disinformation? |
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:23:29 PM EDT
[#11]
Chrome lined resists corrosion and rust realy important in a jungle environment.I know people will say "I dont live in a jungle"I would rather have it chromed for the best in reliability and ease of cleaning and extraction and it wont wear out as quickly as regular barrel steel.To say as one guy said that chrome is a gimmick Im sure guys who had rounds fail to extract from a rusty chamber when they needed the weapon the most would disagree.I suppose when it was included in the M14 design it was a gimmick too.Like troy saysgo chrome or go home.
 like anything else I would rather have all the features the military requires and not need them than to need them and not have them.
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:30:38 PM EDT
[#12]
+1 chrome
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:32:18 PM EDT
[#13]
Chrome.
I dont want to have to keep my bore and chamber oiled just to prevent rust. |
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:38:45 PM EDT
[#14]
+1 Go Chrome or Go Home! |
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:40:11 PM EDT
[#15]
Where'd this DORK come from 
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:54:45 PM EDT
[#16]
Maybe the same place as the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow???? 
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Posted: 9/29/2004 5:58:48 PM EDT
[#17]
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Posted: 9/29/2004 6:01:55 PM EDT
[#18]
Damn good one Shamayim! +1 4 Chrome |
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Posted: 9/29/2004 6:07:28 PM EDT
[#19]
Get a chrome lined barrel, when it's all said and done you'll be happy that you did...
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Posted: 9/29/2004 6:29:16 PM EDT
[#20]
Another vote for chrome (what the fuck is WizardofAhs thinking anyway? )
 I wouldn't own an AR15/M16 without one!
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Posted: 9/29/2004 6:53:03 PM EDT
[#21]
Often I side with the underdog. The amount of disinformation here has reached epedemic levels and at times laughable. Chrome is nice, hardly necessary and if you know how to shoot, you will notice the difference in a chrome lined/non-chromed lined barrels. Does my 1942 .303 Enfield have a chrome lined barrel? I don't know to be honest but if it doesn't, the chrome argument is dead as this rilfe is a flaming pile of crap and consistantly delivers torso shots through the irons at 200. It's seen more action than a naval base whore and I'm betting during it's tenure with the "holy warriors" ugh, I mean uh, in Turkey, I doubt it saw much cleaning. Flame away. |
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Posted: 9/29/2004 7:11:29 PM EDT
[#22]
chrome
easier clean; less dirt; more barrel life |
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Posted: 9/29/2004 7:22:50 PM EDT
[#23]
Chrome lined. Even though my only AR is not, I still advise anyone buying to get chrome lined bore and chamber.
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Posted: 9/29/2004 7:35:24 PM EDT
[#24]
A .303 is what .30 caliber and even though chrome lining came into its own because of past war experiences on the type of condition weapons were in chrome is more relevant in the smaller bore and chamber of an M16 where as a .30 cal bore and chamber with light rust might be less of an issue.In any event the russians were chrome lining their ppsh sub machine guns the sub gun before that,I forget the name in world war 2 and the practice continued in the AK in 1947 so they obviously saw some value in tackling the rust problem increasing barrel longevity and smoother extraction and more reliability as military weapons are seldom subject to ideal environments.Rusting leads to pitting and once a chamber or bore is pitted its useless and causes cases to stick.Also remeber in WW2 ammo was in a lot of cases mildly corrosive and chrome resists that type of salt based corrosion and russian ammo at the time was worse Im sure.If I had to use corrosive ammo I could do so in confidence with a chrome lined rifle,try that with a non chromed rifle especialy if you couldnt clean it right away.In certain environments pitting can take place quickly especialy in the tropics.A fellow at my range just a few months ago had after his first shot out of a garand the rifle failed to extract.The case was jamed bad,upon knocking it out with a rod the case was dimpled all over.A light to the chamber revealed a pitted chamber.I asked what kind of ammo he was using and he said it was WW2 surplus and was told it was corrosive.He then said he had only shot a few hundred rounds 2 weeks before and this was only the second time he used the ammo.He had stored the rifle after he had first used this crap in a locked container wich in the middle of summer had gotten real hot inside and probably built up some condensation and along with the salt killed his barrel and mildly pitted the bolt face.On a chrome lined rifle the chrome would have been unafected.sO To PATRIOT shoot some corrosive ammo or even get it wet and dont clean it like what might happen to it in the field and you will find chrome lining is not a dead issue.
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Posted: 9/30/2004 12:23:58 AM EDT
[#25]
See my sigline.
-Troy |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 12:48:47 AM EDT
[#26]
Get a 4150 chrome lined barrel. This is a very worthy feature. If someone doesn't want a chrome lined barrel then that's okay, but don't believe them when they say that a non chrome lined barrel is just as good. It isn't, chrome lined barrels clean up easier and can take more abuse, that is a fact. I believe the overwhelming concensus is to go chrome.
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Posted: 9/30/2004 3:18:55 AM EDT
[#27]
Yes, .303 is a hair over 30 caliber. So somehow it's more important to chrome line a smaller bore than a larger bore? Chrome extends barrel life yet somehow 5.56 would chew up a barrel more than .30? How? I have 4140 chromeoly barrels on two DSA FALs that take punishment in rapid fire just about everytime they go to the range. The have seen in excess of 20k rounds of rapid fire hammering on the barrel, they are still very accurate and very easy to clean. I do not believe that 98% of the people here will ever put a chromeoly barrel through enough punishment to wear it out, minus neglect or misuse of course. I like chrome lined barrels, and all my AR's minus one (the much more accurate one) have chrome lined barrels. They are excellent barrels and I like them a lot, but not necessary. To each their own but their are maybe two or three guys here that really have logical compelling reasons for going chrome, like a Marine for instance deploying to the bush. The rest are lemmings. Oh chrome!!! Me too!!! Me too!!! Colt rules!!! Colt is the best!!!! Chrome barrels are nice but they aren't going to prevent throat erosion like one gentlemen said, they will rust and they inhibit accuracy. To each his own. |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 5:19:35 AM EDT
[#28]
I agree it wont prevent erosion but I use my ARs out side in good and bad weather an for that purpose chrome is relevant.If your just using one for target or matches unlined is fine.But if you have an AR thats meant for recreational and serious work if need be in all different knids of weather then chrome is the way to go.I use my rifles for sporting and utility.
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Posted: 9/30/2004 5:39:58 AM EDT
[#29]
Not according to FN. But I guess thats just marketing, huh? Edit: or according to Winchester. But they are just FN in disguise, right? Edit #2: Oh, and Bushmaster as well; and since they are not Colt, they MUST be right, right? "Then, after the barrel is fully machined, it is chrome lined, making it even tougher yet - and virtually impervious to rust or erosion" Edit #3: "Stoner's design called for a hard chrome lined barrel and bolt carrier. The reasoning was to reduce corrosion of the moving parts that could lead to cycling and/or feeding problems. Also to reduce rapid throat erosion caused by sustained, full-automatic fire, in the barrel's chamber and throat area." - Online essay Edit #4: I think you can also read the reports "Erosion Test on 5.56MM Rifle Barrels, Small Arms Weapon Study (SAWS)" and "Development of a Stellite-Lined, Chromium-Plated Barrel for 5.56MM Machine Gun.", both put out by the Springfield Armory, 1967 Just contributing to the disinformation! |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 6:37:18 AM EDT
[#30]
As for the longetivity of non-chrome barrels... I have a few rifles right at or over 100 years old that still shoot fine. Not even pitted. If ya want we can get together around the year 2070 and see how that new fangled chromelined AR barrels are holding out.
 Seriously, I look at chrome lining like I do stainless steel, no real advantage except for being able to suffer abuse/neglect better. Oh, most barrels are capable of far more accuracy than I am so the chrome-moly/chrome lined/stainless steel is a moot point for most of my shooting. |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 6:52:30 AM EDT
[#31]
Once you clean a chrome and a non chrome BBL side by side. You will see.
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Posted: 9/30/2004 6:55:53 AM EDT
[#32]
Chrome
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Posted: 9/30/2004 7:04:32 AM EDT
[#33]
BB Stop That! You know you are not allowed to put out valid and verifieable scientific data on any subject! It gives the B.S.ers the heebie-Geebies. Now stop talking facts and start talking nonsense!
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Posted: 9/30/2004 7:09:49 AM EDT
[#34]
Are these reports available somewhere online? If so please post a link!
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Posted: 9/30/2004 7:47:25 AM EDT
[#35]
I spoke with Bushmaster about this problem, they said that a non-chromed barrels should last about 8,000-10,000 rounds before the shot groups will open up tremendously, indicating a worn barrrel. The chrome-lined(not to be confused with chrome-plated) will last many times that. They said that they have a machine gun that has gone 20,000rounds and the barrel is still very accurate. Pistol barrels shooting lead bullets will last a lifetime, but not rifle barrels shooting jacketed bullets where you are dealing higher velocities and pressures. |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 8:10:28 AM EDT
[#36]
I'm getting ready to partially build my own and am seriously considering the chrome lined barrel, but what I don't understand is that there are an awful lot of AR's being sold that DO NOT have a chrome lined barrel, RRA, Ameetec, Model 1, M&A, DPMS etc. I'm a believer that a chrome lined barrel has it's merrits but sometimes when these discussions come up here some people act like a non-chromed barrel is a complete piece of shit. I'm sure the comparison of chrome vs. non is not near as extreme as some people make it out to be.
Keep it mind though that I'm no AR expert nor am I claiming to be. I just don't see the difference being as extreme as is reported sometimes. Plus I'm sure most of us just take guns to the range or whatever and shoot sometimes, not the type of situations that would probably expose the downside of non-chrome. Not saying that a lot of you don't shoot enough or in the type of environment that warrants chrome lining, but most of probably don't. That being said, chrome lined options like at Model 1 aren't that expensive so I don't see a big cost savings not to go chrome. |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 9:17:35 AM EDT
[#37]
It has to do with intended uses. Plinker? It can go either way - chome makes life a bit easier but it really doesn't matter. Match shooter or Varmint Hunter? Then you're looking for a really accurate barrel and definately don't want the chrome (stainless is your best bet). Duty or Self Defense? Yes there are people on this board who use these rifles as weapons to save life & limb. In those case chrome lining is a MUST - forget the ease of cleaning, the longer barrel life, the reduction in rust - the improvement in extraction reliability (see "M16 Rifle Survey in the Republic of Vietnam" published May 1968). Self loading rifles reliability improves with a chromed chamber. |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 9:59:04 AM EDT
[#38]
How many of those are small-bore mag-fed semi-autos? How many of them fire ammo with muzzle velocities of 3200+ fps? See, a bolt rifle that fires 10 slower, larger-caliber shots per minute won't see anything like the throat erosion that an AR will, no matter what barrel it wears. -Troy |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 10:37:16 AM EDT
[#39]
I went chrome solely for extraction reliability.
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Posted: 9/30/2004 4:33:30 PM EDT
[#40]
Why does Colt then make the 5.56mm headspace gauge? Aren't all GI M16's equipped with a chrome bore and chamber? Chrome is nice, not necessary for 98.9% of anything us fellas here will ever use the rifles for. Again, 2 of my AR's have chrome lined barrels and I do like them and have two rifles barreled chrome for the exact purpose of long term field use. Asking Bushmaster if a chrome lined barrel is better than a non chromed barrel is like asking Chevrolet if the Blazer is a better truck than an Explorer. By the way, I prefer Bushmaster over ALL other AR manufacturers. However, I'm not against calling out BS when I can smell it. I have several non chrome lined rifles well over the 20k round mark. All clean up fine and still outshoot me. |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 4:43:30 PM EDT
[#41]
+1 Chrome.
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Posted: 9/30/2004 5:22:22 PM EDT
[#42]
Greetings,
From a non-AR15 perspective: Chrome lined for full-auto use - Unnecessary, see barrel construction of HK full-auto weapons. Chrome lined for reduce throat erosion - Possible, but then benchrest shooters would be using chromed chambers/throats. Chrome lined for field use - Modern barrel metals don't rust quickly. Has yours developed rust while in the field? Chrome lined for accuracy - Detrimental, as not found on benchrest guns. Maybe this will only be settled through exhaustive side-by-side testing for accuracy, extraction, wear, durability, etc. For right now, the only immediate difference I can see is that chrome barrels "supposedly" clean up quicker. Even if this is true, would you want to trade off increased accuracy, which is commonly accepted as true, for a shorter cleaning session? I know I wouldn't. Corvette |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 5:26:33 PM EDT
[#43]
I'm struggling to figure out what Chrome lining has to do with a headspace gauge. Steel stretches and bolts can become compressed - thus elongating the headspace. That is why there are headspace gauges. Chrome doesn't figure into the equation. Go back to the referenced documents they cover the fact on chrome extending barrel life and improving reliability. As pointed out earlier if you're a 'sport shooter' then this really doesn't matter to you. And if you're the type that prefers anecdotal evidence to solid verifyiable fact - go talk with Pat Rogers or Giles Stock about what rifles consistently make it through a 5 day Gunsite coures. Colt comes in #1, with Bushmaster #2 (guess what feature these two share - chrome lined 5.56 chambers). Remember these are guys that see lots and lots of ARs being used hard. |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 5:39:49 PM EDT
[#44]
the price diff b/w chrome and non chrome is so little (usually $35-50) that it is not really worth agonizing over the decision.
imho, the cleaning ease is worth the price diff alone. |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 5:46:55 PM EDT
[#45]
Chrome
 No Chrome  The choice is easy. |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 5:54:17 PM EDT
[#46]
Bush likes chrome.
Kerry likes un-chromed. You Decide, 2004. 
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Posted: 9/30/2004 6:25:44 PM EDT
[#47]
Chromed, for three reasons:
1. Added reliability (Acts as a lubricant) 2. Corrosion resistance (We had a board member's barrel get eaten away due to some mismarked orrosive ammo) 3. Added barrel life which is proportionally bigger than the extra $$ |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 7:17:02 PM EDT
[#48]
This testing has already been done by the Military establishments around the world; The 50 Million + AK's & 10Million M16s all use Chrome lined barrels for this reason, They work! |
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Posted: 9/30/2004 7:52:36 PM EDT
[#49]
This was done and IIRC the documents are listed in previous postings... |
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Posted: 10/1/2004 1:09:14 PM EDT
[#50]
Even if none of the other benefits have been substantiated, it IS known that chrome lining greatly extends the life of your barrel, and to me that in itself is worth a mere $35 difference.
Besides, if you can actually detect the difference in accuracy between a chrome and non-chrome you are probably doing something that would be better suited for a Stainless barrel anyway. |
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