I know that on "precision" guns, some go to stainless barrels and target crowns, etc. How do these compare with a standard chrome lined 4150 barrel? How do they compare with a CHF barrel?
(In terms of barrel life, accuracy, etc.) Thanks.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior Member
I know that on "precision" guns, some go to stainless barrels and target crowns, etc. How do these compare with a standard chrome lined 4150 barrel? How do they compare with a CHF barrel?
(In terms of barrel life, accuracy, etc.) Thanks.
Dealer
First, realize that not all SS barrels are created equal. Second recognize that not all 4150 steel is the same AND that not all companies chrome their 4150 barrels the same way.Originally Posted by m4brian
So in order to give better answers, you will need to define the particulars better.
C4
Senior Member
OK - looking for properties in general, so lets go with Palmetto State - they carry a middy with a SS barrel, and also carry a CHF barreled carbine (FN double thick chrome lined).
Or, you could compare similar offerings in the BCM line.
Oops - PSA also has a CHF SS - didn't see that till today.
Last edited by m4brian; 09-08-11 at 17:23.
Member
Stainless will have a shorter lifespan than a chrome lined 4150
Stainless is usually used on precision rigs, but I have no experience with those, just an observation. But that should tell ya something.
I think the general consensus is that stainless is more accurate but wears faster. (Assuming both are quality barrels)
Last edited by saddlerocker; 09-08-11 at 18:32.
Senior Member
To further complicate things, unlined 4150 barrels can be more accurate than stainless, but have a much more limited corosion resistance.
The rifling a barrel uses can effect its life; Lija will tell you 3 grove barrels can get longer life. Longer by how much and to what degree is a moot point. Single cut, broach, polygonal or a hybrid of, number of lands and grooves...etc.
What barrel life means to a high power shooter and a tactical shooter aren't really the same.
The profile of the barrel can effect things too.
Define first what you want to be able to do with the rife and how much you have to spend.
From a realistic standpoint, despite what people claim 55gr Brown Bear and surplus M855 shoots out of their DPMS, your typical high quality CL barrel is capable of 1.25-2.5 MOA given match ammo and a good shooter. Stainless, again match ammo and good shooter, typically .5-1.25 MOA.
The penalty is weight and barrel life. Weight is a double edge sword, as heavier guns tend to have less felt recoil. Barrel life is subjective. At 600 yards, you'll will notice a degrading barrel much faster than at 100 yards.
There are different stainless materials as well, 416, 416R, 410, LW50 etc. Everyone will tell you theirs is the best.
Last edited by bp7178; 09-08-11 at 18:45.
Senior Member
A precision based rig should have the barrel changed out when accuracy drops below your acceptable level.
As they compare to 4150 barrels they are generally more accurate because the chroming process is not as uniform as stainless barrels are made.
However, depending on your needs and how you plan to shoot the gun you can get pretty accurate CHF barrels from either Noveske or Centurion. If that fills your needs then that would be the better choice for longevity.
If you are more concerned with utmost accuracy but are willing to accept the shorter barrel life then stainless is what you want.
Also consider that generally stainless barrels are going to be heavier than CL barrels.
Dealer
That SS barrel is much cheaper and lower quality than the CHF barrel. If you wanted to compare apples to apples (to a certain degree), you would compare the Noveske SS or BCM SS barrels to the CHF.
So in this comparison, the chrome lined barrels are going to give you much longer life. The SS barrels will also be heavier. Typically, the SS barrel is going to give you between .5-.75 groups with the CHF barrel will shoot between .85-.1.25.
So you have to figure out if that little extra bit of accuracy is worth the shorter barrel life.
C4
Member
wow! good info here. I'll be copying/saving for later.
Would barrel life be longer, shorter, or not really affected if one were shooting .223 vs. 5.56 ? I would tend to think slightly longer as .223 is slightly less pressure, but perhaps it;s not enough of a differance to worry about?
Senior Member
The first thing that goes in a barrel is the throat. The hotter the loads the faster the throat will erode.
But I think of barrels as consumable items to shooting. If barrel longevity is your goal then I would start would with a barrel that is more geared towards that than picking what loads to use. Basically it would be at the bottom of the list. The barrel and shooting habits would have far more to do with barrel life than 223 vs. 556.
Senior Member
Where is the data showing the 223 is loaded to lower pressures? When a 223 is fired from a 223 chamber, it delivers similar velocities to a 5.56 fired from a 5.56 chamber. To do so, the 223 must generate similar chamber pressure.
The difference between the two is the longer leade of the 5.56. This means the bullet of the 223 has a longer distance to travel in the 5.56 chamber than it does in the 223 chamber which lowers chamber pressures. The 223 gives less velocities in a 5.56 chamber not because the 223 is loaded to lower pressures, but because the 5.56 chamber is configured wrong to give best performance with 223 loads.
The pressure data for SAAMI and NATO do not directly compare. Pressure readings are take from different locations with different piezoelectric transducers
Last edited by MistWolf; 09-10-11 at 12:10.
The number of folks on my Full Of Shit list grows everyday
I am American
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks